PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology



Psychology

Introduction

This report will discuss the history of psychology and how its unique elements add to the social sciences. The four main psychological theories to be discussed below are:

Psychoanalysis

Behaviourism

Humanistic Psychology

Bio-psychology

In order to stress the importance of psychology and its distinctive and intricate attributes? this report will attempt to reveal the essence of the discipline of psychology. In doing this? this report will answer: How does psychology's mission add unique elements to the social sciences?

Social Science

Social science has a number of different factors and is made up of many different disciplines which include geography? anthropology? psychology? political science? economics and sociology. Although some of these disciplines have been researched and developed more thoroughly than others? psychology may be argued as being the most prominent. Psychology's theories have been evolving for well over a century and are the subject of continuous debate in the academic world and beyond. The key factor that differentiates psychology from the other five social sciences is its individual humanistic focus. The study of psychology is based upon the human condition (who am I? why am I?) whereas the other five disciplines are focused on humans as a group (who are we? why are we?). It is this factor that separates psychology from the other social sciences.

Psychological Theories

Nathaniel Branden (2001? p. 5) states that psychology is the science that studies the attributes and characteristics which certain living organisms possess by virtue of being conscious'. Psychology stands alone as the one single social science to focus on individual actions and reactions whereas other social sciences focus their research on living organisms in a group. Many different theories have been developed over the years for psychology? four of which will be discussed below.

Psychoanalysis

Little value was giving to the discoveries of early pioneers of this social science until in 1900? when Sigmund Freud developed the first theories of psychology. Freud's most fascinating theory was psychoanalysis which was based on observations made in his private practice in Venice. David G. Myers (2002? p. 426) of Hope College in Michigan describes psychoanalysis as Freud's theory of personality that attributes our thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts'. The techniques Freud used to treat patients with psychological disorders were sessions to expose and interpret unconscious tensions. Freud used these sessions to analyse the dreams that his patients had? believing that dreams were the ultimate road to the unconscious. Sigmund Freud was once quoted ...