Throughout history, different psychological theories have emerged such as the Dualism of René Descartes, the Constructivism of Lev Vygotsky, the Gestalt Theory, among many others, which give a focus to the essential aspects of behavior, emotions and human cognitive processes. The way we understand current human behavior is part of the studies that these writers have done in the field of psychology to try to explain the complexities of the human brain and to lay the foundations of current knowledge.
Below we explain a summary of the 10 most interesting main psychological theories that have surely impacted your life in one way or another, without even noticing it.
Classical conditioning
One of the fundamental and most important theories of psychology is that of Classical Conditioning, postulated by Ivan Pavlov, who is considered one of the fathers of behaviorism. Pavlov discovered the foundations of classical conditioning in his laboratory through tests with animals, in which he observed that they physically reacted to certain environmental stimuli.
From an academic and psychological point of view, this theory is associated with the individual’s response to a neutral stimulus, which is known as a conditioned response. That is, the conditioning stimulus generates a conditioned response. Currently, it is one of the most used theories in different areas, such as military, sports and even pet training.
The Cartesian dualist theory
The Cartesian dualist theory, proposed by René Descartes, maintains that there is a clear distinction between the mind and the body. According to this theory, the mind is a non-material, conscious and thinking entity, while the body is a material entity, composed of physical substance. Descartes postulated that the mind and body interact with each other at a specific point in the brain called the pineal gland.
This psychological theory is based on the idea that the mind and body are substantially different and can therefore exist independently. Descartes argued that the mind is the seat of consciousness, thought, and will, while the body is a physical machine governed by natural laws. As a result, Cartesian dualism posits a dichotomy between the mental and the physical, which implies that the mind cannot be reduced to purely physical processes.
Although this perspective was discarded centuries ago, it has had a significant influence on the philosophy of mind and has generated debates about the nature of consciousness, the mind-body relationship, and the existence of a personal identity.
Operant conditioning or stimulus-response theory
Burrhus Frederic Skinner was the one who proposed the psychological theory of operant conditioning, which is also part of behavioral psychology. It is a position in which it is proposed that learning is conditioned by certain behaviors that are reinforced through pleasant or unpleasant stimuli. That is, through positive or negative reinforcements.
It was one of the most used theories until the mid-1960s, when cognitive psychology entered the scene, which demonstrated that learning can occur in the individual with or without the presence of a stimulus.
Gestalt psychology
It is a theoretical and methodological current within psychology that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany. Its main focus is on the study of perception and understanding, and how people organize and make sense of sensory information.
It is based on the idea that human experience is not composed solely of isolated elements, but that we perceive and interpret the world in terms of meaningful patterns and wholes. Gestaltists argue that our perception is influenced by innate organizing principles, such as the law of good form, the law of proximity, the law of similarity, and the law of continuity.
These principles explain how we group stimuli into meaningful ways and how we perceive the structure and meaning of objects and events.
Piaget’s theory of meaningful learning
One of the most important psychological theories in the psychological field is that of cognitivism or cognitive learning by Jean Piaget. His postulate says that the individual can construct their own learning, based on their experience, so the teaching they obtain forms a scaffolding that allows them to form new knowledge.
Furthermore, Piaget established a set of stages in which people may or may not acquire certain learning, based on their cognitive, physical, biological and social development.
Lev Vygotsky’s social learning theory
One of the most interesting theories of psychology is that of social learning postulated in the 20th century by the Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It focuses on the central role of social interaction and culture in the cognitive development of individuals.
According to Vygotsky, human development occurs through interaction with the social and cultural environment. He argued that higher psychological processes, such as abstract thinking, problem solving, and language, are acquired through social interaction and participation in culturally significant activities.
Theory of information processing
This is one of the most relevant theories within the field of current psychology, because it establishes that the human mind works through different processes, where the first is the entry of stimuli through the senses, then these stimuli are deposited in memory (conscious or unconscious) and then taken to generate actions.
Therefore, it is one of the most controversial and widely used psychological theories, since it explains how our behaviors are a consequence of the processing of different stimuli through the most complex mental operations.
Cognitive dissonance theory
Leon Festinger was the one who proposed the theory of Cognitive Dissonance. This is a position in which the individual feels discomfort or discomfort when trying to hold two posturesbeliefs or ideas that are antagonistic or different from each other, which causes that cognitive “noise” because those ideas do not fit into their mental schemes.
In this article we explain to you.
Social learning theory
Social Learning Theory, also known as Observational Learning Theory or Vicarious Learning Theory, was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1960s. This theory is based on the premise that learning not only occurs through direct experience, but also through observation of the behavior of othersespecially significant models.
According to this theory, people learn new behaviors, skills, and attitudes by observing others and the consequences they experience as a result of their actions. Bandura argued that this type of learning occurs in a four-step process: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.
Theory of embodied cognition
George Lakoff is the father of this psychological theory. His approach is that the body and mind are one entity that work together, making it a theory antagonistic to the duality of René Descartes. It is also known as the embodied mind thesis or “thinking with the body.”
Embodied cognition establishes that there is a dialectic character between mind and body, so executive functions are related to the signals that the body sends through stimuli. That is what provides the basis for ensuring that the brain receives orders from the body, and then sends a signal that allows the body to act accordingly.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Josep, T., & Almenara, J. (2008). Cognitive Development: The Theories of Piaget and Vygotky. Master in Paidopsychiatr. Well, 07-08.
- Lacal, PLP (2009). Bandura’s theories applied to learning. Malaga, 54, 1-8.
- Suárez, MES, Serra, DG, González, MEG, & Echeverría, MIA (2011). Psychological theories and their influence on education. Havana: People and Education.