Psychology Philosophy Of Psych - 2303 Words

Philosophy of Psych Introduction I clearly remember the day I decided I wanted to have a career in the field of psychology. I was a junior in high school, and I was sitting in my general psychology class. We were discussing the structure of the brain and what each region was responsible for. It was fascinating to me to learn about the different structures of the brain and how they directly relate to our behavior. I began to realize how powerful and influential the brain is, and how it can be utilized to explain numerous things, like behavior and emotion. It was during that class period that a switch flipped in my brain and I realized I wanted to pursue a career in the field of psychology. My teacher, Ms. Freeman, exposed me to the†¦show more content†¦Since becoming interested in psychology, I have found an outlet for my ability to empathize with people and help them solve problems. I have a nurturing personality, and I believe that working in the field of psychology as a counselor will allow m e to utilize my strengths. First Theoretical Perspective Cognitive psychology seeks to explain behavior through an understanding of how the mind works (Dowd, Clen, Arnold, 2010). It aims to discover internal mental mechanisms by examining why organisms feel the way they feel, behave the way they behave, and think the way they think (Delprato, 1995). As an aspiring counselor, one of the aspects I will need to consider when counseling a client is why they feel, think, or behave the way they do. Cognitive psychology can help me scientifically approach that question with knowledge of how the brain functions. Beginning leaders of the field include Renà © Descartes, Immanuel Kant, Sigmund Freud, and Jean Piaget. Many contemporary cognitive psychologists utilize a computer metaphor and the concept of â€Å"information processing† (Farah, 2000). I agree with the theoretical perspective of cognitive psychology because there is a factor to behavior that is unobservable. Behavior is causally related to a mental state or act, and those mental factors are viewed as the underlying factors that make behavior possible. Also, elements of the mind, like states and mechanisms, have operating characteristics. Understanding those