Question

How can we explain Andrea Yates’ actions using the different perspectives in psychology?

Apply the biological, psychodynamic, cognitive, and sociocultural approaches to this scenario.

Answer 1

The Case of Andrea Yates from a Biological Perspective :-

It is the perspective that behaviors have biological causes. It also involves studying the immune system, the nervous system, hormones, brain functions, and genetics. It can also be called "biopsychology". Biologial perspective can be used in "comparative psychology". Comparitive psychology is how behaviour compares across the species spectrum Biological perspective also can look at how chemicals affect the body.

The Cognitive Perspective of Andrea Yates :-

History As she was growing up, she suffered from eating disorders and depression
She married Russel and after they had four children she became depressed again.

How it Began - She was a Catholic. She believed she sinned and it would cause her children tobe evil. She tried to kill herself several times and was then hospitalized.

Cognitive Perspective - The thinking process of one's behavior. Saving her Children. She thought she was a bad mother. She believed that Satan controlled them.

Results - she pleated not guitly by reason of insanity.

Conclusion - she was found guilty of three murders and conivcted for life imprisonment
she was then found not guilty because of being mentally insane and sent to be hospitalized.

The Trial - she admits to killing her children. She thought that because she sinned, her kids were evil. She believed that her son John would grow up to be a serial killer, Paul would be a deaf and mute, homosexual prostitute. She believed that this would prevent her kids from going to Hell.

Psychodynamic perspective :-

Metaphors include an iceberg, with its different levels of consciousness; a set of forces engaged in a battle or war; or any number of other metaphors in which students represent a dynamic conflict among forces (e.g., conscious and unconscious; id, ego, and superego) that results in the theorized defense mechanisms.

The Sociocultural (Cross-cultural) Approach :-

This approach looks at the impact that society, culture, ethnicity, race, and religion have on personality. The study of psychological differences among people living in different cultural groups How are people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior influenced by their culture.