Human history Essay

Human history has undergone various revolutions, political, economic and nationalistic revolutions. Of important consideration too, is the psychological revolution that has made significant advances which helped to unravel the mysteries of human behavior. This encompasses the scientific ability to understand how we behave and why. It is not surprising that various approaches had developed namely: the behavioral, cognitive, cross-cultural, humanistic, psychoanalytic, and psychobiological approaches. Although some would readily view each approach as conflicting, they mainly vary in focus and could be viewed and used as complimenting methods (Carunchio, C. â€Å"The Study of Psychology†). However, for the purpose of this paper, discussion will deal only with the psychoanalytic approach. The psychoanalytic theory developed by Sigmund Freud had created a huge impact that went beyond the walls of scientific study. Although it has also garnered much criticism, it is still considered as one of the major contributors in the field of understanding human behavior and opened new ways of treating psychological problems (psychosomatic illnesses) which were remotely understood by previous physicians. According to this perspective, behavior is the byproduct of instinctual and unconscious forces. The mind is a battleground where these conflicting psychic forces struggle for supremacy and our behavior often represents a compromise between these forces (â€Å"Major Themes and Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory†). Major Assumptions Include: A. Man’s behavior is fueled by a psychic energy which always looks for an outlet to be expressed. Common psychological occupation which involve feelings and thought processes is presumed to be triggered by the libido/sexual and death instincts. It believes that human behavior (normal or abnormal) is shaped and influenced by these inner forces of which man is unaware, being repressed into the unconscious depths of the mind, since early expressions continually receive punishment. Hidden in the recesses of the mind, it becomes the very source of energy which continually strives for release. B. Topography of the psyche: unconscious, pre-conscious, and conscious The mind is represented through the famous ‘iceberg’ metaphor. The unconscious is represented at the baseline of an iceberg, hidden and comprising the largest part. At the middle is the pre-conscious. It flashes some of the hidden part of the unconscious to consciousness, just as a real iceberg is partly ‘seen’ and partly submerged. Topmost, and also the smallest part, corresponds consciousness — illustrating the little amount of human experiences that man is aware of. Painful and unacceptable information, of which the conscious part is unable to bear, is pushed down to the unconscious. C. Structure of Mind: Id, Ego and Superego It has a corresponding mental structure: the Id, Ego and Superego. Behavior is either motivated by any of the dynamics of these structures. Irrational behavior is influenced by the Id; rational actions by the Ego, while moral measures by the Superego. D. Means of Resolving Psychic Conflicts Shape a Person’s Personality A person’s trait is determined by how a person resolves these internal struggles. Onset of shaping starts from early childhood experiences. Unresolved stages would cause a person to be ‘stuck’ at a certain psychosexual stage (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital). A person for example, fixated at the oral stage, will either exhibit to flip from one extreme of over-dependence or being highly independent (â€Å"Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development†). E. Psychic Determinism It assumes that nothing is accidental. Forgetting or remember something, ‘slips of the tongue’, or content of dreams are seen as influenced by hidden causes (in the unconscious) which are only looking for expressions. The goal of psychoanalysis is in reliving events or probing into hidden causes in order that conflicts will be resolved in the consciousness. F. Defense Mechanisms An integral part of maintaining human functioning includes defense mechanisms. Unpleasant thoughts or events which prove too painful for the conscious to tolerate are rerouted to the unconscious by means of defense mechanisms. G. Objective of Therapy is to Help Resolve Psychological Problems Through Probing into the Unconscious The goal of therapy is to help a person resolve unconscious conflicts. These hidden conflicts are brought to the fore by means of free association, wherein a person says whatever came to mind and to let one association lead freely to another, regardless of whether it is logical or irrational. It also uses hypnosis to achieve its objective (R. Smith, I. Sarason, and B. Sarason. â€Å"Psychodynamic Perspective: The Forces Within†). References: 1. Carunchio, Clotilde. â€Å"The Study of Psychology†.PowerPoint presentation taken from http://www. unich. it/facolta/psicologia/matdid0607/carunchio/thestydyofpsychology. pdf 2. â€Å"Major Themes and Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory†. http://www. wilderdom. com/personality/L8-1MajorThemesAssumptionsPsychoanalytic. html. 3. â€Å"Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development: Oral, anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital†. http://www. wilderdom. com/personality/L8-5FreudPsychosexualStagesDevelopment. html 4. Smith, R. , Irwin and Barbara Sarason. â€Å"Psychodynamic Perspective: The Forces Within†. Psychology: Frontiers of Behavior. Harper and Row, Inc. 1986.