Question

The five major perspectives of modern psychology are important to understand because they are central to other key concepts and theories throughout the course. For example, you will learn about them again in our discussion about personality and psychological disorders.

While we read about the major perspectives of contemporary psychology in a textbook, these perspectives are also applicable to our everyday lives. Describe in detail a current event or a well- known topic of public interest that you find fascinating or intriguing. Then, choose at least two-three of the major perspectives (neuroscience, psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral or cognitive) and discuss how they might provide insight into your chosen current event or well-known topic. Ensure that you make clear connections between your current event or well-known topic and the major perspectives you have chosen. Creativity is encouraged!

Some examples of major topic areas you could research further include: politics, social issues, entertainment industry (music, art, movies), sports, business, science, world news or technology.

Answer 1

INFIDILITY

Psychodynamic perspective

The most widely and simply understandable definition of infidelity is cheating on a romantic partner. In most of the cases, the cheating is sexual in nature when one or both of the partners involve themselves sexually with some other person outside their relationship. But, infidelity can be both sexual and romantic. Romantic infidelity is when you are emotionally involved with the person without being in a sexual relationship.

The psychodynamic perspective views infidelity beyond surface-level cheating. They view it as an underlying conflict during the psychosexual development of the person who cheated. According to Freud, the child views parental intercourse as an act if infidelity. For example for the boy child it appears that his mother cheated on him with his father and there is a development of hostility against the father. In order to overcome this feeling the child develops his/her defence mechanism and separates the parent as consisting of desirable and undesirable parts and there is a feeling of hostility towards the other parent. Later, the child associate with the desired part of the parent however, at the same time develops a tendency of infidelity as a revenge against the undesirable part of the parent. Hence when the themselves becomes adults and enter a relationship, their defence mechanisms starts to complicate their present relationship as they make seek relationships outside their present relationships.

      Another view point under this perspective is the individuals may experience sexual regression and infidelity may develop as a result of hostility towards the partner in the marriage.

Humanistic perspective have explained the occurrences of infidelity through many concepts one of them is attachment theory. There are 4 major attachment styles namely., secure attachment style, anxious attachment style (need constant reassurance, always under-confident, clingy), avoidant attachment style (detached, distance, independent, avoid commitment and intimacy) and anxious avoidant (insecure and avoid intimacy and excessively aggressive towards to try to get close to them. The infidelity rates are highest in case of avoidant attachment styles as they tend to avoidant commitment and this encourages behaviour of cheating. They always direct their attention to different people at the same time and have more positive attitude towards cheating.