The Contrast of Two Psychological Approaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays

Psychology is one of the disciplines that promote an understanding of human behavior and thoughts. It monitors the mental activities which validate functionalism and structuralism. Most psychologists strive to unravel the personality, emotions, and relationships that occur in people’s lives. While the world is undergoing significant advancements, psychology seeks to improve the welfare of society. In investigating human nature, some varying psychological approaches and views create an understanding of people's wellbeing. The paper dwells on the behaviorist and psychodynamic approaches of psychology because they create doubt and fascination, which increases their use in the modern world.

In recent history, John B. Watson is one of the major psychologists who coined behaviorism and reinforced psychology's dominance. Watson spread the scientific concept of behaviorism. He was able to establish a school of thought that relied on the behaviors of humans. He developed theories identified by Pavlov and Thorndike to demonstrate a relationship between people’s behavior and the environment. Watson considered psychology a normal science that restricts the ability to observe human behavior and promotes the mind (Lecas, 2006). Despite being unconscious, Watson also perceived humans as compound elements that respond to natural happenings. Generally, the behaviorist approach of psychology indicates its reliance on observable and objective behaviors. In this way, humans' inner feelings and emotions remain ignored, impairing the development of psychology. Since acceptable reconditioning shaped normal behavior, Watson recommended reinforcing people's influence on their personality and thoughts. However, the psychodynamic is a sufficient approach of psychology that conflicts the behaviorism one. Developed by Sigmund Freud, Psychodynamic focuses on inner conflicts an individual faces within the mind and their influence on the development of one’s personality. Typically, unconscious psychological processes are common among children and generate extreme fear. His approach is significant in the medical world, particularly in treating mental illnesses. While the method relies on the inner forces and drives of a person, it explains the basis of human behavior and functionality. Undeniably, the psychodynamic and behaviorism approaches are antagonistic in terms of the techniques used to make feasible conclusions. Dwelling on past psychological experiences makes them similar but still demonstrate differences.

The behaviorism approach uses the tenet of Stimulus-Response to provoke reactions based on objects. The principle reveals Edward Thorndike’s argument that a linkage between responses and stimuli helps animals and humans to learn behavior. A change of the stimulus-response contacts modifies behavior causing undesirable consequences. He identified laws of learning which explain the occurring nature of one’s behavior and the end effect. One of the statutes dwells on exercise and suggests that a stronger connection between a stimulus and response is significant in manifesting behavior (Gross, 2015). The law of practice demonstrates the importance of people learning new things through active participation and engagement. It equips them with vast skills that can increase durability and efficiency in doing something. Also, the law of effect indicates that a recurrence of behavior is often a result of having enjoyable outcomes. However, there is the avoidance of actions that cause hostile consequences. The interplay of the findings and responses can determine one's satisfaction levels and create an attachment to the existing situation. Appropriate behavior among people is vital, particularly in establishing satisfying patterns which can be constantly learned and foster regular connections between a stimulus and a response.

The study of behavior also uses the classical conditioning theory, which explains the formation of associations. A change in behavior justifies the conditioning aspect that can result in maladaptive actions. Established by Ivan Pavlov, the theory increases learning through experimentation of the animal’s feeding behavior. The psychological experiment focuses on the dogs’ behavior of eating to create stimulus-response connections (Mowrer & Klein, 2001). When a dog spots food, there is a stimulus that increases a natural response of salivating. In this way, the dog changes the behavior by preparing the body towards consuming food. Typically, the conditioning theory justifies the fact that food-related responses create an association with stimulus.

Pavlov further expands the conditioning process by demonstrating the adaptive behavior of animals to stimuli. Other significant actions suffer from Pavlovian conditioning, especially in depicting the animal's ability to create an association with stimulus. The fundamental learning of animals is detecting and avoiding poisonous foods. Any food that ignites nausea or disgust as the major response triggers rejection in the first bite. Furthermore, some animals can respond to stimuli by detecting prey. Being conditioned to stimuli induces defensive behaviors that learn the appearance of an intruder or prey. Developing new behavioral patterns that promote defense is a vital component of conditioned stimuli (Mowrer & Klein, 2001). The adaptive responses of animals can include fleeing, feigning death, or fighting to signify an intruder's appearance. Therefore, the Pavlovian theory of conditioning allows animals to behave correctly in the face of natural occurrences and fail to alter their behaviors. The behaviorist approach also obtains knowledge from B.F. Skinner's analysis. It explains rapid changes in human behavior based on observance (. Skinner witnesses the behavior held by rats in a maze and how they act. He strives to validate the fact that different consequences are often a result of undertaking specific actions. Therefore, human behavior can shift depending on the activities that create connections with the stimulus.

Comparably, Freud’s psychodynamic approach relies on the unconscious and inner forces that motivate behavior. It unravels the desire to transform unconscious drives and examine the child’s development. The occurrences and experiences of a child can impact an adult’s life. They can also shape the personality through modification of the several conflicts happening during childhood. The approach further assesses the connection between nature and the human mind. Based on the subconscious, mental, and emotional aspects, Freud also explains the behavioral theory, which determines people's relationship to their immediate surroundings. The significance of the approach lies in the therapeutic experience obtained by the mind to improve the world's perception and the bonds created (Leiper & Maltby, 2004). Freud's major contribution to the psychodynamic theory is that motivation of behavior depends on the inner forces. They include the common desire to induce destruction and the natural need to reproduce. He indicates that unconscious motives are the major problems facing the feelings and behaviors of human beings.

The unconscious mind influences one's judgments because it involves psychological processes which fail to fulfill the desires of the conscious one (McLeod, 2017). Even though the unconscious mind cannot be seen, it shapes the behavior of humans. Past occurrences can impact an individual’s decisions and motives before enjoying storage in the unconscious mind. Normally, the unconscious feelings and thoughts take the form of parapraxes or Freudian slips before entering the conscious mind. In this way, people can speak randomly to reveal the contents of their minds. The psychological approach is a determinist because it creates an understanding of human behavior based on unconscious factors. While the elements lack control, they signify the cause and importance of every action.

Freud’s focus on the mind varies with Watson because he creates a discovery of the subconscious part. It defines personality through Id, Ego, and the Superego. Id dwells on the instinctive and primitive aspect of nature, which seeks constant satisfaction. The common instincts that drive an individual's personality include fear of death and desire for good sex life. They provide biological significance and rely on one’s behavior for gratification. An individual’s personality also depends on the capacity to make decisions effectively. The ego validates this form of nature because it links the actual world and the idealistic Id (McLeod, 2017). It also relies on the set of values a child develops and the effect during adulthood. The last component of personality is the superego, which integrates the social values and morals instilled by parents in one’s life.

However, the ego conflicts with the unconscious mind, thus increasing the anxiety levels. The conscious mind remains significant in resolving the constant conflict because it has defensive aspects that shape the impractical personality. Moreover, Freud's discovery indicates that psychosexual experiences are vital in defining the characters of adults (Leiper & Maltby, 2004). Childhood experiences include latency, anal, oral, genital, and phallic. Exposing a child to over fulfillment in these stages can make them experience adulthood challenges. In this way, an individual can experience mental instability.

In contrast, the behaviorist approach delves into the relationship between a person and the environment. It also undermines any hereditary actions that can shape one’s behavior and influence the outcome during adulthood. The approach’s use of conditioning as the main principle justifies the need for having responses induced by the stimulus. Skinner further enhanced the behaviorist theory's development by highlighting the significance of reinforcement or rewards in controlling human behavior. It varies from Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning to regulate voluntary practices by developing negative or positive responses to specific actions (Mowrer & Klein, 2001). The major difference between the two approaches is their research methodology. In Watson’s behaviorist approach, there is the use of animals to develop an understanding of the behavior of humans.

Conversely, the psychodynamic approach utilizes human subjects to investigate the inner spirit (Leiper & Maltby, 2004). The experimental analysis of Freud involves the Hans, a young boy envious of his sister’s birth and frightened of horses. Hans enhances the development of his theoretical views that demonstrate punishment fears and internal jealousy enshrined in the subconscious mind. For behaviorists, reintegrating Hans with the horses could help resolve his inner conflicts.

Both behaviorist and psychodynamic approaches provide a clear understanding of the development of gender roles. Freud’s theory focuses on the case scenarios of Jewish women. Even though it faces criticism of making over-generalizations, it is a major contributor to modern therapeutic occurrences. He demonstrates the connection between physical sickness and the human mind. Also, Freud’s focus on the significance of childhood and development shapes gender roles in adult life.

Similarly, behaviorist theorists emphasize gender roles by introducing observational reinforcement and learning among children (Mowrer & Klein, 2001). They can receive rewards by observing and replicating the positive behaviors displayed by others. Emotional control, self-reliance, and independence are vital rewards that influence boys' character. Also, girls can benefit from empathy and dependency, hence indicating gender roles at primary age.

Both approaches are deterministic, making humans believe that everyone's fate cannot undergo changes, and therapy is significant in altering the established theories. Freud indicates that nature controls humans, while behaviorists consider the environment as the major controlling factor. The psychodynamic approach suggests how the mind affects the human body (Leiper & Maltby, 2004). However, the behaviorists fail to consider the effects of the mind because it is difficult to deduce scientific proof. While the approaches contradict, they show similarity by having deterministic perceptions and encounter nature influence. Most individuals believe things accompanied by scientific evidence. Also, they tend to have confidence in the observable objects, thus promoting an understanding of the behaviorist theory. The integration of the psychodynamic approach in the modern world justifies its credibility in society.

I find Freud's psychodynamic approach effective because it has promoted psychotherapy, particularly in the treatment of emotional or psychological problems. A patient undergoes a discovery process that unearths personal relationships and feelings. The approach is vital in treating mental disorders and providing counseling services for people with inner conflicts (Leiper & Maltby, 2004). Even though the method takes much time to identify the underlying problem, it unlocks the unconscious mind to eliminate the stored parapraxes.

In conclusion, both approaches share similar traits and have significant differences. Behaviorists consider the unconscious mind ineffective while the psychodynamic approach values the unconscious, particularly in shaping human behavior. They are also similar by promoting a deterministic view about nature’s fate among people. Freud’s works justify his great contribution to personality development. His arguments apply in the modern world, increasing their expansion and presence among people. Undeniably, both theories have critical elements that are effective and useful in the contemporary world. They also lack the correct techniques to modify the behaviors of human subjects.

The Contrast of Two Psychological Approaches - Essay Example

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