According to a psychodynamic perspective, Miguel may be having problems because of early childhood experiences with failure. These previous experiences may have created a sense of doubt in his own abilities that has carried through his life so far. According to a behavioral perspective, Miguel could be depressed based on his recent observable behaviors. He is constantly tired, cannot fall asleep as easily at night, is noticeably irritable, and often gets in fights with others. These are common signs of depression in others and are all observable without having to understand or focus on internal thoughts. According to a humanistic perspective, Miguel does not feel like the best version of himself at the moment. Although he is inherently good, Miguel currently sees himself as unworthy of enjoying life and experiencing happiness. He may need to strengthen his relationships with others who could provide more of a support system for him. According to a cognitive perspective, Miguel may have something internally wrong with his brain. The mental processes that should be aiding his emotions and reactions to certain situations are failing him as he overreacts to little mistakes or fights with friends. According to the biological, or neuro perspective, his parents may have also experienced times of depression that were passed on to his generation. The genetic aspect of this perspective suggests that the behaviors Miguel displays may be a direct result of his own bloodline. According to the cultural perspective, Miguel may be feeling depressed, frustrated, and tired lately because it is common for other people in his group to feel overwhelmed and beaten down in stressful situations. Perhaps the people in his surrounding culture are not accustomed to handling difficult circumstances, so when they are presented with challenges, they cannot handle it the best way.
Lecture #1 Response
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CatherinesCollegeBlog 
Good job illustrating the different theoretical lenses Catherine. Most of your explanations are spot on, especially the humanistic one. The behavioral explanation was a little weak, in that you correctly identified observable behaviors (which is a priority for behaviorists), but you didn’t really talk about the purpose of those behaviors (e.g., what reward is Miguel getting for these behaviors that is maintaining them?). You’re right that his behavior shows signs of depression, but that’s not a behavioral explanation of his situation. With the cognitive perspective, you’re right to point out thinking patterns as the root of the problem. Can you think of some types of thinking errors that might be leading to the problems Miguel is facing? Perhaps he thinks he has to be perfect for example? Your cultural explanation could also use a little more detail. You have the overall concept right, but what type of response are you thinking about here? Perhaps Miguel has been taught that men shouldn’t talk about stress and so he is isolating himself? Overall you seem to have a good handle on the major issues connected with each orientation, just keep working on being specific in your explanations.
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