Human history Essay

Human history has underg unrivaled various conversions, 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 port. 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 quick view each approach as conflicting, they mainly vary in focus and could be viewed and used as complimenting methods (Carunchio, C. The Study of Psychology). However, for the purpose of this paper, intelligence 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 untold 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 mum by previous physicians. According to this perspective, behavior is the byproduct of instinctual and unconscious forces. The mind is a battleground where these conflicting psychical forces struggle for supremacy and our behavior a good deal represents a compromise between these forces (Major Themes and Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory).Major Assumptions Include A. Mans 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, existence repressed into the unconscious depths of the mind, since early expressio ns continually receive punishment.Hidden in the recesses of the mind, it becomes the very character reference 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 brusk 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 alike mental structure the Id, Ego and Superego. Behavior is either motivated by any of the dynamics of these structures. Irrat ional behavior is influenced by the Id rational actions by the Ego, eon moral measures by the Superego. D.Means of Resolving Psychic Conflicts Shape a Persons Personality A persons trait is heady 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 (Freuds 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. Psychodynamic Perspective The Forces Within).References1. Carunchio, Clotilde. The Study of Psychology.PowerPoint presentation taken from http//www. unich. it/facolta/psicologia/matdid0607/carunchio/thestydyofpsychology. pdf 2. Major Themes and Assumptions of Psyc hoanalytic Theory. http//www. wilderdom. com/personality/L8-1MajorThemesAssumptionsPsychoanalytic. html. 3. Freuds Psychosexual Stages of Development Oral, anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital. http//www. wilderdom. com/personality/L8-5FreudPsychosexualStagesDevelopment. html 4. Smith, R. , Irwin and Barbara Sarason. Psychodynamic Perspective The Forces Within. Psychology Frontiers of Behavior. Harper and Row, Inc. 1986.