Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Theories Exist in PsychologyTypes of TheoriesTheoretical PerspectivesExamples

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Table of Contents

Why Theories Exist in Psychology

Types of Theories

Theoretical Perspectives

Examples

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If you’ve ever taken a psychology class, then you’ve probably encountered many different psychological theories. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, Erikson’s psychosocial theory, the Big Five theory, and Bandura’s social learning theory are just a few examples that might spring to mind.

So why do so many different psychological theories exist? What purpose do they serve? The answer is thatpsychology theorieshelp provide an organized framework for studying and understanding human behavior. These theories can help us explain and predict a wide variety of behaviors.

At a GlanceTheories are more than just guesses. They act as frameworks that help researchers and psychologists accomplish different goals in psychology. They can help us explain different aspects of behavior. Theories can also help us to make predictions about what might happen in certain situations.Learn more about different psychology theories can give you a better understanding of different aspects of human behavior and how researchers go about solving different types of problems.

At a Glance

Theories are more than just guesses. They act as frameworks that help researchers and psychologists accomplish different goals in psychology. They can help us explain different aspects of behavior. Theories can also help us to make predictions about what might happen in certain situations.Learn more about different psychology theories can give you a better understanding of different aspects of human behavior and how researchers go about solving different types of problems.

Theories are more than just guesses. They act as frameworks that help researchers and psychologists accomplish different goals in psychology. They can help us explain different aspects of behavior. Theories can also help us to make predictions about what might happen in certain situations.

Learn more about different psychology theories can give you a better understanding of different aspects of human behavior and how researchers go about solving different types of problems.

These theories serve a number of important purposes. Let’s look at three key reasons why psychological theories exist.

Theories Provide a Basis for Understanding

Theories provide a framework for understanding human behavior, thought, and development. By having a broad base of understanding about thehowsandwhysof human behavior, we can better understand ourselves and others.

Each theory provides a context for understanding a specific aspect of the human experience.

Behavioral theories, for example, provide a basis for understanding how people learn new things. Through the lens of these theories, we can take a closer look at some of the different ways learning occurs and the factors that influence this type of learning.

Theories Inspire Future Research

Theories create a basis for future research.Researchers use theories to form hypotheses that can then be tested. As new discoveries are made and incorporated into the original theory, new questions and ideas can then be explored.

Theories Can Adapt and Evolve

Theories are dynamic and always changing. As new discoveries are made, theories are modified and adapted to account for new information. While theories are sometimes presented as static and fixed, they tend to evolve over time as new research is explored.

There have been a number of key theoretical perspectives that have had an influence throughout psychology’s history. Even today, many psychologists tend to focus their research through the lens of a certain theoretical perspective.

Theories tend to fall into one of a few different types.Grand theoriesattempt to describe many aspects of the human experience. Examples include Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and Erikson’s psychosocial theory.Mini-theories, on the other hand, focus on describing just a narrow range of behaviors.Emergent theoriesare those that are newer and often involve combining different aspects of various mini-theories. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is an example of an emergent theory.

Theories tend to fall into one of a few different types.

Psychology theories can often categorized into a few main perspectives. These include:

Psychoanalytic Theories

Sigmund Freud’spsychoanalytic theorysuggests that unconscious urges and desires drive human behavior.This perspective suggests that understanding these underlying and hidden thoughts can help alleviate different types of psychological discomfort and distress.

Behavioral Theories

Biological Theories

Biological theories focus on understanding how biology affects human thought and behavior. Understanding the genetic factors that contribute to mental illness is an example of a biological theory.

Cognitive Theories

Cognitive theories suggest that internal cognitive stages play an important role in human behavior. These theories focus on understanding how the mind processes, stores, and utilizes information.

Humanist Theories

These theories are centered on the idea that humans are essentially good and that the desire to achieve fulfillment is a primary driver of human behavior.

Examples of Psychological Theories

Some examples of these theories include:

Classical and Operant Conditioning

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget introduced another well-known grand theory. Histheory of cognitive developmentdescribed the intellectual growth of children from birth and into childhood.This theory suggests that children act much like little scientists as they actively construct their knowledge of the world.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky proposed asociocultural theory of developmentthat is a good example of how new theories often build on older theories. Piaget influenced Vygotsky, but his theory suggested that much of learning results from the dynamic interaction between individuals and their culture.

What This Means For YouUnderstanding why theories exist can help give you a better idea about their importance. Such theories can give researchers a framework from which they can conduct research, make predictions, and develop interventions that can help improve people’s lives.

What This Means For You

Understanding why theories exist can help give you a better idea about their importance. Such theories can give researchers a framework from which they can conduct research, make predictions, and develop interventions that can help improve people’s lives.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Borghi AM, Fini C.Theories and explanations in psychology.Front Psychol.2019;10:958. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00958Longo G, Soto AM.Why do we need theories?Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2016;122(1):4-10. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.005Cassidy J, Jones JD, Shaver PR.Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy.Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(4 Pt 2):1415‐1434. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000692De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: a conceptual analysis**.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210‐217. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437Malone JC.Did John B. Watson really “found” behaviorism?.Behav Anal. 2014;37(1):1‐12. doi:10.1007/s40614-014-0004-3Marwaha S, Goswami M, Vashist B.Prevalence of principles of Piaget’s theory among 4-7-year-old children and their correlation with IQ.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(8):ZC111‐ZC115. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/28435.10513Vasileva O, Balyasnikova N.(Re)Introducing Vygotsky’s thought: From historical overview to contemporary psychology.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1515. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01515

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Borghi AM, Fini C.Theories and explanations in psychology.Front Psychol.2019;10:958. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00958Longo G, Soto AM.Why do we need theories?Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2016;122(1):4-10. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.005Cassidy J, Jones JD, Shaver PR.Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy.Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(4 Pt 2):1415‐1434. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000692De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: a conceptual analysis**.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210‐217. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437Malone JC.Did John B. Watson really “found” behaviorism?.Behav Anal. 2014;37(1):1‐12. doi:10.1007/s40614-014-0004-3Marwaha S, Goswami M, Vashist B.Prevalence of principles of Piaget’s theory among 4-7-year-old children and their correlation with IQ.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(8):ZC111‐ZC115. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/28435.10513Vasileva O, Balyasnikova N.(Re)Introducing Vygotsky’s thought: From historical overview to contemporary psychology.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1515. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01515

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Borghi AM, Fini C.Theories and explanations in psychology.Front Psychol.2019;10:958. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00958Longo G, Soto AM.Why do we need theories?Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2016;122(1):4-10. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.005Cassidy J, Jones JD, Shaver PR.Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy.Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(4 Pt 2):1415‐1434. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000692De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: a conceptual analysis**.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210‐217. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437Malone JC.Did John B. Watson really “found” behaviorism?.Behav Anal. 2014;37(1):1‐12. doi:10.1007/s40614-014-0004-3Marwaha S, Goswami M, Vashist B.Prevalence of principles of Piaget’s theory among 4-7-year-old children and their correlation with IQ.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(8):ZC111‐ZC115. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/28435.10513Vasileva O, Balyasnikova N.(Re)Introducing Vygotsky’s thought: From historical overview to contemporary psychology.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1515. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01515

Borghi AM, Fini C.Theories and explanations in psychology.Front Psychol.2019;10:958. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00958

Longo G, Soto AM.Why do we need theories?Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2016;122(1):4-10. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2016.06.005

Cassidy J, Jones JD, Shaver PR.Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy.Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(4 Pt 2):1415‐1434. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000692

De Sousa A.Freudian theory and consciousness: a conceptual analysis**.Mens Sana Monogr. 2011;9(1):210‐217. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77437

Malone JC.Did John B. Watson really “found” behaviorism?.Behav Anal. 2014;37(1):1‐12. doi:10.1007/s40614-014-0004-3

Marwaha S, Goswami M, Vashist B.Prevalence of principles of Piaget’s theory among 4-7-year-old children and their correlation with IQ.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(8):ZC111‐ZC115. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/28435.10513

Vasileva O, Balyasnikova N.(Re)Introducing Vygotsky’s thought: From historical overview to contemporary psychology.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1515. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01515

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