Why People Behave the Way They Do
Kasey Lasley
University of the Cumberlands
Basic Psychology

Lindsey Cockrum
February 8th, 2014

Abstract
Psychology is a discipline that asks and answers the fundamental question, why do we behave the way we do and think the way we think?. The best way to characterize the different approaches that are taken to answer the question of psychology is to identify them as major perspectives. The major perspectives represent fundamental assumptions that underlie the research questions and methods that are used in order to answer the questions of psychology. Most all perspectives define psychology as the discipline interested in studying human behavior and mental processes, but that covers a lot of ground and the causes of behavior and mental processes are not always clear.

Why People Behave the Way They Do
There are many areas of psychology. The field of human development is divided into different theory groups. The groups that will be discussed in this paper are psychodynamic, biological, cognitive, and behavioral. Each theory group has many contributing theorists, all with different views, beliefs, research methods, and life experiences. All theories are valuable in the field of psychology, however some theories may prove to be more helpful than others, in specific careers.
The psychodynamic theory of human development’s main focus is personality and social development. It is based on the belief that the mind is divided into two parts, the conscious and the unconscious. The theorist’s believe that development occurs in stages, for one to develop a healthy and positive personality or identity all stages must be completed successfully. Sigmund Freud is a major contributor to the field of psychology; he developed the id, ego, and superego, which are described as three elements of personality. Freud believed development