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- A theory presents a concept or idea that is testable. Scientists can test a theory through empirical research and gather evidence that supports or refutes it. As new evidence surfaces and more research is done, a theory may be refined, modified, or even rejected if it does not fit with the latest scientific findings.
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- The stages of Piaget’s theory. When a theory has various stages, it means that those stages are followed in sequence; in other words, that they are fixed.
- The pre-operational stage – from two to about seven years old. At this stage, children’s learning becomes more developed as they begin nursery and then school.
- The concrete operational stage – from seven to about 11 years old. As we know, a theory of stages states that whatever is being researched will improve as the stages are worked through, and this is certainly the case for children learning cognitive skills.
- The formal operational stage – from 11 years onwards. This stage sees children of this age and onwards being able to think in a fully abstract manner, which means that they can discuss and solve problems about things that may not actually exist – this is often referred to as hypothetical thinking.
- Overview
- 5 Major Psychological Theories
- Different Types of Psychological Theories
- The Purpose of Psychological Theories
- Examples of Psychological Theories
- A Word From Verywell
1.It must describe a behavior.
2.It must make predictions about future behaviors.
The term "theory" is used with surprising frequency in everyday language. It is often used to mean a guess, hunch, or supposition. You may even hear people dismiss certain information because it is "only a theory."
But in the realm of science, a theory is not merely a guess. A theory presents a concept or idea that is testable. Scientists can test a theory through empirical research and gather evidence that supports or refutes it.
Behavioral Theories
Behavioral psychology, also known as behaviorism, is a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Advocated by famous psychologists such as John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, behavioral theories dominated psychology during the early half of the twentieth century. Today, behavioral techniques are still widely used by therapists to help clients learn new skills and behaviors.
Cognitive Theories
Cognitive theories of psychology are focused on internal states, such as motivation, problem-solving, decision-making, thinking, and attention. Such theories strive to explain different mental processes including how the mind processes information and how our thoughts lead to certain emotions and behaviors.
Humanistic Theories
Humanistic psychology theories began to grow in popularity during the 1950s. Some of the major humanist theorists included Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. While earlier theories often focused on abnormal behavior and psychological problems, humanist theories about behavior instead emphasized the basic goodness of human beings.
Developmental Theories
Theories of development provide a framework for thinking about human growth, development, and learning. If you have ever wondered about what motivates human thought and behavior, understanding these theories can provide useful insight into individuals and society. Developmental theories provide a set of guiding principles and concepts that describe and explain human development. Some developmental theories focus on the formation of a particular quality, such as Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Other developmental theories focus on growth that happens throughout the lifespan, such as Erikson's theory of psychosocial development.
Grand Theories
Grand theories are those comprehensive ideas often proposed by major thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, and Jean Piaget. Grand theories of development include psychoanalytic theory, learning theory, and cognitive theory. These theories seek to explain much of human behavior, but are often considered outdated and incomplete in the face of modern research. Psychologists and researchers often use grand theories as a basis for exploration, but consider smaller theories and recent research as well.
Mini-Theories
Mini-theories describe a small, very particular aspect of development. A mini-theory might explain relatively narrow behaviors, such as how self-esteem is formed or early childhood socialization. These theories are often rooted in the ideas established by grand theories, but they do not seek to describe and explain the whole of human behavior and growth.
You may find yourself questioning how necessary it is to learn about different psychology theories, especially those that are considered inaccurate or outdated.
However, theories provide valuable information about the history of psychology and the progression of thought on a particular topic. They also allow a deeper understanding of current theories. Each one helps contribute to our knowledge of the human mind and behavior.
By understanding how thinking has progressed, you can get a better idea not only of where psychology has been, but where it might be going in the future.
Studying scientific theories can improve your understanding of how scientific explanations for behavior and other phenomena in the natural world are formed, investigated, and accepted by the scientific community.
While debates continues to rage over hot topics, it is worthwhile to study science and the psychological theories that have emerged from such research, even when what is often revealed might come as a harsh or inconvenient truth.
As Carl Sagan once wrote, "It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is commonly represented by a pyramid, with five different types of human needs listed. From bottom to top, these needs are: Physiological: Food, water, shelter Safety needs: Security, resources Belongingness and love: Intimate relationships Esteem needs: Feeling accomplished Self-actualization: Living your full potential creatively and spiritually According to Maslow, these needs represent what humans require to feel fulfilled and lead productive lives. However, one must satisfy these needs from the bottom up, according to Maslow. For instance, the most basic and most immediate needs are physiological. Once those are met, you can focus on subsequent needs like relationships and self-esteem.
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Piaget's theory of cognitive development focuses on how children learn and evolve in their understanding of the world around them. According to his theory, there are four stages children go through during cognitive development: Sensorimotor stage: This stage lasts from birth to age two. Infants and toddlers learn about the world around them through reflexes, their five senses, and motor responses. Preoperational stage: This stage occurs from two to seven years old. Kids start to learn how to think symbolically, but they struggle to understand the perspectives of others. Concrete operational stage: This stage lasts from seven to 11 years old. Kids begin to think logically and are capable of reasoning from specific information to form a general principle. Formal operational stage: This stage starts at age 12 and continues from there. This is when we begin to think in abstract terms, such as contemplating moral, philosophical, and political issues.
Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory
Still widely discussed today is Freud's famous psychoanalytic theory. In his theory, Freud proposed that a human personality is made up of the id, the ego, and the superego. The id, according to Freud, is a primal component of personality. It is unconscious and desires pleasure and immediate gratification. For instance, an infant crying because they're hungry is an example of the id at work. In order to get their needs met, they respond to hunger by crying. The ego is responsible for managing the impulses of the id so they conform to the norms of the outside world. As you age, your ego develops. For instance, as an adult, you know that crying doesn't get you the same type of attention and care that it did as an infant. So the ego manages the id's primal impulses, while making sure your responses are appropriate for the time and place. The superego is made up of what we internalize to be right and wrong based on what we've been taught (our conscience is part of the superego). The superego works to make our behavior acceptable and it urges the ego to make decisions based on what's idealistic (not realistic).
Much of what we know about human thought and behavior has emerged thanks to various psychology theories. For example, behavioral theories demonstrated how conditioning can be used to promote learning. By learning more about these theories, you can gain a deeper and richer understanding of psychology's past, present, and future.
15 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.Borghi AM, Fini C. Theories and explanations in psychology. Front Psychol. 2019;10:958. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00958
2.Schwarzer R, Frensch P, eds. Personality, Human Development, and Culture: International Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 2. Psychology Press.
3.American Psychological Association. Cognitive theories.
May 12, 2024 · The strength-based approach focuses on the positive attributes of a person or a group, rather than the negative. There are multiple ways the strength-based approach can be applied, including in leadership, counseling, community and social work, and pediatrics.
This publication includes development of a practice framework for strengths-based social work with adults. The framework is supported by a practice handbook which outlines what is a...
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Jan 7, 2021 · Here, I aim to integrate some of the core points and criticism raised, and provide a brief primer on theory formation, structured into three sections: (1) what are theories; (2) what are theories for; (3) and what are theories about. This is followed by a section dedicated to the question (4) how to develop theories.
- Eiko I. Fried
- 2020
Jun 1, 2012 · Strengths-Based CBT is a four-step approach for helping people build positive qualities. It posits that there are many pathways to positive qualities and that each person can construct a personal model to build a desired quality, drawing on strengths already in evidence.
Jan 24, 2024 · Theory, denoted by \(\theta \), \(\varvec{\Theta }\), and \(\mathbb {T}\), can be about any observations or phenomena that we wish to examine under a meta (-scientific or -theoretical) lens.
