EG 351 W1 A1
George Beltz
ITT Tech
Social Psychology
EG 351
Professor Ryan Lau
December 09, 2013
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Correlate real-life situations from your professional and personal life with the basic social psychology perspectives outlined earlier.

The historical roots of social psychology are primarily based upon three theories.
The theories are Psychoanalytical theory, Behaviorism and Gestalt psychology (Taylor,
Peplau, & Sears, 2012). They are separate theories that intertwine with each other to provide the beginning of Social Psychology.

The first theory is the psychoanalytic theory which follows Sigmund Freud’s theory emphasizing unconscious motivation. This theory follows the belief that every person’s actions are determined by internal drives, “Such as sexuality and aggression
(Taylor et al., 2012, p. 5).”

The second theory is Behaviorism. This follows the precipice that a person learns a behavior and then later uses or follows that behavior. This can be taught or learned form family, friends or community.

The third theory is Gestalt psychology. “Theory that people form coherent and meaningful perceptions based on the whole, not individual parts (Taylor et al., 2012, p.
5).”

Motivational theory follows the belief that persons’ actions are determined by acting in a manner that will meet a need or desire of that person. The text uses the example of college students away from home for the first time may attend parties, increased alcohol and drug use or they may increase their study time to replace the feeling of loneliness of being away from home (Taylor et al., 2012).A person may also act in a manner that would give that person a sense of belonging to a group.

Cognitive theory contends that solutions to problems take the form of algorithms
—rules that are not necessarily understood but promise a solution, or