Suppose you were one of the early graduate students in the newly-developed field of psychology. Your mentor is interested in discovering the answers to questions like, "Why is the ability to forget helpful?" "How do emotions assist us in social situations?" and "Why is self-presentation a useful technique for gaining social rewards?" Your mentor's approach is most consistent with the ________ perspective.
A)behaviourist
B)functionalist
C)psychoanalytic
D)structuralist

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The functionalist perspective focuses on understanding how mental processes and behaviors serve a purpose in adapting to the environment. The questions posed by the mentor are all focused on the adaptive functions of cognitive and behavioral processes, making the functionalist perspective the most consistent with their approach. The behaviorist perspective would focus more on how environmental factors shape behavior, the psychoanalytic perspective would focus on unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences, and the structuralist perspective would focus on breaking down mental processes into their elemental parts.

Suppose You Were One of the Early Graduate Students in the Newly-Developed