Psychology has been around from ancient civilization. Every time there is a social shift, there are new psychological approaches generated. The go a long way and are related with the previously generated theories and are discussed till the new social shift appears. As a result, different psychological theories have differing and varying perspectives and ideas supported with objectives constituting from fact or even fiction. From time to time new theories have merged mainly because of dissatisfaction or criticism linked with the older theories. The role of each theory is significant as it ought to explain the different aspects of human beings. Till now, different school of thoughts has produced different theories. This essay focuses over the comparison of two psychological theories i.e. psychoanalysis and behaviorism (Marmor, 2012).
Psychology is the discipline that is mainly linked with the study of mental processes and behavior of human beings by providing number of different approaches. The different theories assist in providing different perspective for studying. Behaviorism and psychoanalysis are two schools of thoughts that are important and have greater significance. Behaviorism is mainly linked with prominence of external behavior of individuals and supports the assumption that behavior is basically a response towards the external stimuli. Psychoanalysis, on the other hand, is mainly linked with centrality of the human mind. This theory argues that unconscious has the potential to motivate the behavior. This essay focuses over providing broader understanding of these two theories, highlighting the commonalities and differences that exist (Hall, 2013).
Historical Development:
Psychoanalytical theory was first coined by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century. Till its inception, it has gone several refinements and has absorbed several criticisms, as well. This theory gained high prominence in the last third of the twentieth century. This theory is traced back to 1980s when Freud was studying psychology was working on the theory (Wampold, 2013). In the year 1885, Freud started working with the neurological consultant and noted different symptoms that led towards the generation of theory. With different yet famous experiments while studying mental patients, patients in special settings, Anna O experiment led the Freud to generate this theory. From his death in the year 1939, this theory remains the foundation of psychology and is still studied and refined and criticized (Hollon, & Wilson, 2014).
Behavioral theory, on the other hand, was simultaneously being worked on. However, it gained much popularity and fame as the part of the criticism towards the Freud work linked with psychoanalysis. It was initiated in the year 1900s, however was studied effectively and was given a complete and effective approach in the era of 1950s and 1960s. The famous development of this theory is linked with Ivan Pavlov in the year 1930 when he accidently made the relationship between the associations of food bell with the response to the dog that it salivates (Turkington, Kingdon, & Weiden, 2014). After that the study was further enhanced and developed and gained the eyes of psychologists that were working to criticized Freud work. Even thought, both schools of thoughts have different assumptions and ideology, but they are discussed together in most of the cases.
Key Concepts and Assumptions:
Psychoanalysis is mainly linked with the significance of unconsciousness. This theory supports the idea that human mind comprises of conscious, preconscious and unconscious. The founder of this theory states that a human mind or the personality can be studied while focusing over the unconsciousness, mainly because of the fact that conscious and preconscious are accessible and unconscious is not. This theory argues that the unconscious comprises of selfish needs, violent motives, immoral urges and fears (Tasca, Hilsenroth, & Thompson-Brenner, 2014). Freud while studying the personality as the part of the psychoanalysis school of thought provided with a stance that a personality comprises of three main components that mainly include id, ego and superego. While studying the human being, he argued that a behavior can be studied and the human psychology can be observed with these three important elements. The theory postulates that the id is the primary and the most important element of the personality however, it cannot be easily accessed. Ego is the mediator between the id and the situation that goes around so that the human psychology can respond to the changing environment and the external world. The Id is pushed back until the pleasure seeking demand and appropriate objective is found to reduce the tension. There is super ego that works on the satisfaction of the human personality and ego postpones it. However, super ego is linked with the morality principle. Another part of the theory is the development of the human. The psychoanalysis theory postulates that the human behavior goes through several stages to develop a significant behavior (Tang, 2014).
Behaviorism, on the other hand, was generated as the part of the criticism over the psychoanalysis theory. This theory rejects the mental concept of consciousness and unconsciousness. This theory is based on the assumption slinked with determinism, experimentalism, optimism, anti mentalist and the nurture against nature idea. With different social experiments on the human beings, as well animals, the founders of this school of thought including Ivan Pavlov established a relationship between behavior and the stimuli. They argue that the human mind is made up of different elements that triggers with the stimuli and then lead towards a certain level of behavior (Eysenck, & Wilson, 2013). This theory assumes that the behavior is linked with the psychological issues that are developed over time by the similar nature of process that may include learning and development that eventually lead towards certain behavior. This theory argues that the behavior is the part of the personality, the response towards different elements is also part of the personality and it depends upon the way the personality was developed. This theory does not work over the disorders; however, it is mainly linked with studying how a certain person behaves in certain situation. It focuses over how the learning has influenced certain people to behave in different ways and in different situation. The theories for this school are mainly linked with classical conditioning and operant conditioning and both of these theories focus over the stimuli that trigger reflexive responses (Beatson, & McLennan, 2011).
Therapeutic Goals:
Psychoanalysis after its development and refinement is used by qualified psychotherapists to threat the patients who are suffering from chronic life problems. It is used to treat mild to moderate chronic life issues. While using the unconsciousness and consciousness, it tends to generate a relationship through which the internal issues can be resolved. Within psychoanalysis, the most significant treatment is called the psychodynamic therapy (Van Lange, 2013). Since this theory and therapy is mainly linked with dealing with unconsciousness and consciousness, therefore the main motive of this therapy is to make it certain that mental material and processes are brought into full consciousness so that patient gains the ability to deal with the unconscious thoughts and can control over his life. This therapy is mainly linked with the practices to cure the patients’ emotional and mental issues. It focuses over the modification of the thoughts that changes the patient’s character structure. The core focus of this therapy is ensure that the patient is able to take control of the current life situation and is controlling the emotional relationship between the conflicts and feelings that has influenced the overall unconsciousness of the patient (Shedler, & Westen, 2014).
Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, is mainly linked with the changing the patients behavior that can help the individual to understand how variation in the behavior can result in varying outcomes. This therapy works on the existing behavior of individuals and links it up with the different situation in which they had behaved. The core goal of this theory is make it certain that the individual is able to realize that the person’s positive engagement can reinforce positivity around him (Shedler, 2012). Since, it is a systematic approach therefore, behavior therapy measures that response of individuals, what the individual is doing, how he is responding and then seeks to bring in the positive change within the behavior so that positive results could be drawn. Unlike psychoanalysis, it does not focus over the mental abilities, yet it focuses over the responses that are generated. Even though, this therapy is used for treating mental illness and disorders like depression, frustration, or anger. This therapy focuses over the current issues, unlike the psychoanalysis that focuses over the past issues. This therapy also makes it certain that the people are being made adaptive to positive and well behavior. The therapy is educational, learning, skilled, and requires management (Wampold, 2013).
The Therapeutic Relationship:
Therapeutic relationship is referred to as the relationship that exists between the therapist and the client of the patient. The relationship is an essential element within the treatment and therefore needs greater care and determination. This is the reason that different therapies ought to have varying nature of therapeutic relationships. The relationship in terms of psychoanalysis and behavioral theory is different. One of the major questions asked during the first interaction should be ‘why do you want treatment’ (Hollon, & Wilson, 2014). This reflects that the there should be relationship that could aid in the exploring the patient’s attitude and willingness to cooperate. Since the mental disorder and illness needs to be supported by similar mental power and emotional wellbeing, therefore there must be close relationship between the therapists and the patient so that patient could feel comfortable talking to the patient and could express itself towards the therapist.
Within psychoanalysis therapy, the relationship building needs to be effective and efficient mainly because the patient it suffering from mental disorder and is not able to control it. The treatment of consciousness and unconsciousness, since is hidden, therefore is different. The relationship needs to be built from the ground similar to the mother child relationship. The therapist needs to open the client in terms of what he has listened, experienced and or what is he feeling. This information is critical and therefore the relationship should be built on emotions and mental connectivity that can assure better results (Tang, 2014).
The relationship in behavioral therapy is different from the psychoanalysis. The main reason for this is the fact that the behavioral therapist needs to focus over the behavior of the patient. The relationship can be referred as the building the bridge. The client and the patient have to be on the similar mental and psychological level so that both of them could talk about the current issues that the client is facing (Eysenck, & Wilson, 2013). Again, building a rapport and comforting the patient is necessary in this regard, as well. However, behavioral therapist can act like a teacher by teaching and educating the patient. This can be done through different techniques. However, the relationship must be in a form that the patient could talk the heart out and tell that the issues that he is facing. Similarly, the therapist can act like an elder of the patient by teaching him to react and act at different situation. The bridge building relationship is to transfer the knowledge and information both ways so that both, the patients and the therapist could communicate effectively (Beatson, & McLennan, 2011).
The Therapist Function and Role:
Since the focus of both therapies is different along with the relationship building techniques, therefore the functions and roles are different, as well. From therapist’s point of view, the role and function play important role in the effective treatment of the patient. Within behavioral therapy, the function and role can be determined as active and directive. The therapists need to act like a teacher and this way it can give directions to the patient to change this habit and adopt certain behavior (Van Lange, 2013). Therapist needs to be consultant and must have problem solving attitude through which the client could be made relaxed. The main function of behavioral therapist is to remain focused over the clues that are presented during the communication so that clinical hunches could be followed. In this case, it is essential to role model for the client so that the client could learn from the behavior. The role should be directive and active in terms of a teacher so that the behavior could be changed. In this situation, it is essential for the client and the therapist to have effective relationship through which they could yield essential and effective information (Shedler, & Westen, 2014).
Within the psychoanalysis, it is observed that the function and role of therapist is different. Even though the therapist is to ensure consultancy and problem solving attitude but has to play different role. Unlike behavioral therapist, psychoanalytical therapists need to focus on the unconsciousness and consciousness and therefore they have to deal with fantasies and dreams. They cannot be directive, rather emotional expressing verbally and physically. Therapist needs to make it certain that they are inciting the inner battles and are looking for symptoms for behavioral issues (Shedler, 2012). Since these issues are hidden and therefore can be distracting. The main role of therapist is to make it certain that he is focused towards the critical elements and is not distracted along with the communication. The therapist needs to be subtle and effective while digging out the relevant information. Another role for therapist is to make it certain that it is working through transference and resistance to talk with the client. The transformation needs to be subtle and aligned with slow process so that the client could understand and realize the issues as well as that the wellbeing are in the hands of getting the right treatment (Van Lange, 2013).
The Main Therapeutic Techniques and Procedures:
The different therapy styles are supported by different techniques, as well. Within the behavioral therapy, different techniques are observed that are linked with studying and altering the clients’ behavior. There are number of techniques observed within the behavioral therapy, few of important are as follows (Tang, 2014):
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Relaxation training – reducing stress: it is focused towards dealing with frustration, depression and stress through providing daily routine practices to clients
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Systematic desensitization – reducing anxiety: it provide the manners through which the individual can learn to control the flow of emotions and think positively towards the situation rather than being anxious.
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Modeling – for observational learning: making client to observe others in the similar situation. This technique best for educating and providing critical information and knowledge to client so that they can be groomed.
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Assertion training – giving social skills training: this is to sharpen the existing skills of client and provide them with the new ones so that they could less socially awkward and better at building relationships.
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Self Management Program – to build an effective personality: giving away the knowledge to the clients so that they could understand realize the important of effective behavior.
Similarly, there are multiple methods integrated within the psychoanalytical treatment. Below is the list of some basic methods that the therapist can apply (Hollon, & Wilson, 2014):
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Free association method: this is to develop associations with the client in order to reduce the inner conflicts and suppressed thoughts including the neurotic symptoms.
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Interpretation of slips and mistakes: one the significant technique to study the unconsciousness. It works with determining the acknowledged practices to determine the slips and mistakes that the client has made to study the client.
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Dream analysis: this is one of the most important techniques. Since dreams are driven from unconsciousness, therefore it is essential to ask and then interpret the dreams that the client is having so that its unconsciousness could be studied effectively.
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Symbol analysis: symbols are the part of dreams, fairy tales and fantasies. This technique makes it certain that the therapist is looking deep inside the mental health of the individual to study and determine the unconsciousness.
The Extent of the Evidence Base:
Psychoanalysis and behavioral theories are of greater significance. It is observed that they have contributed significantly within the discipline of psychology and have provided different ways to further enhance the discipline. Beatson, & McLennan, (2011), stated that with different cases, it is observed that psychological disturbances are linked with childhood traumas. This theory can be used to study the personality and its disorders and specifically to treat the unconscious disorders that are not visible and can hurt the personality. Its core strength lays within the fact that childhood and different incidents occurred during the childhood can determine the personality and disorders of the individual. However, Tang, (2014), highlighted the weak areas by stating that the results from psychoanalysis therapy cannot be generalized as the results are restricted to the case studies. Moreover, it cannot be supported by empirical evidences and are unscientific. Behavioral therapy is mostly linked with studying the behavior. Beatson, & McLennan, (2011), stated that it is easy to understand and quantify and therefore collection of data and information is easy. It is supported with clear evidences along with certain phenomenon. The results through this therapy can be used to treat another patient and therefore solid results are obtained. However, Shedler, & Westen, (2014), argued that behavioral therapies are more linked with single dimensional approach that is to understand the human behavior and does not take into account the free will and influences including thoughts and feelings. Additionally, it also neglects the other ways of learning that may also include punishment and reinforcement.
Thus, it is observed that psychology is supported with different theories and therapies. The above discussion contrasts and compares the two most discussed theories i.e. psychoanalysis and behavioral theories. Both of the theories, despite the criticism are still used for treating patients with mental disorders and illness. As a result, the practice of such therapy is necessary for any individual who wants to pursue their career within this particular discipline.
References:
Marmor, J. (Ed.). (2012). The interface between the psychodynamic and behavioral therapies. Springer Science & Business Media.
Hall, H. H. (Ed.). (2013). Psychoanalytic therapy and behavior therapy: is integration possible?. Springer Science & Business Media.
Wampold, B. E. (2013). The great psychotherapy debate: Models, methods, and findings (Vol. 9). Routledge.
Hollon, S. D., & Wilson, G. T. (2014). Psychoanalysis or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa: the Specificity of Psychological Treatments. American Journal of Psychiatry.
Turkington, D., Kingdon, D., & Weiden, P. J. (2014). Cognitive behavior therapy for schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry.
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