Asserted mental disorders arise from conflicts in the unconscious mind Tradition Structuralism Functionalism Gestalt psychology Behaviorism In the 1930’s, another theory behind our thoughts came from the idea that our abnormal behaviors or mental illness came from our unconscious mind (the hidden part of our minds). Asserted mental disorders arise from conflicts in the unconscious mind Psychoanalysis Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 28
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Psychoanalysis Father of Psychoanalysis is Sigmund Freud – 1930’s. Said that all problems arise or are related to unconscious forces – the unconscious is the infantile source of behavior (id, ego, superego). Where do our hidden fears or desires come from; how is our past related to our fears and desires and obsessions? “Fear of flying is another well-recognized phobia, and since 9/11, has only gotten worse.” By Heather Hatfield WebMD Feature When we look at the colors of the flag, what are the first thoughts that come to mind (free association)? When we see the flag, does it make some people have fears? Does it make us have desires? Why do we feel pride or anger when we see a flag? Freud was a Viennese physician and he was interested in the conflicts that were taking place in the unconscious mind. We will be talking much more about Freud in Chapters 9, 10, and later during our conversations about mental illness and treatments. Anytime you hear “unconscious” know the name Freud! Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Perspective Biological View of Human Nature: We are driven by dark forces of the unconscious Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: Unconscious needs, conflicts, repressed memories, and childhood experiences Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic Humanistic Behavioral Question for Study: How does the energy generated in the unconscious mind motivate our actions and account for mental disorders? The thumb thrown over the shoulder. Have you ever had that weird feeling that something is going to happen, but you just can’t place a finger on it? That is the unconscious mind at play. Have you ever called someone by a different name, say, a friend by another friend’s name and then that person gets mad because you called them by the other person’s name? That’s the unconscious mind. Basically, psychodynamic perspective (or psychoanalytic perspective) is interested in the unconscious mind; that which we are not aware of. Unconscious needs are: love, attention, power, control, being cared for, etc. and we learn to have these needs met in early childhood; when they are not fulfilled, it could lead to problems later in life. Based on my story, the psychoanalysts (led by Sigmund Freud), would say that my fear of balloons today is caused by my past and early childhood. I am having repressed or hidden childhood memories that are leading to this irrational fear today of balloons. I didn’t get my needs filled of having someone be sympathetic about my fear then, and it is still apparent today. So, when someone has a fear, or a mental disorder like anxiety or depression, the psychoanalysts would say that the fear or depression or anxiety is driven by the unconscious mind. Sociocultural Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 31
Perspective Biological View of Human Nature: People are information-processing systems Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: Mental interpretation of our experience Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioral Question for Study: How do mental processes, including sensation, perception, learning, memory, and language, influence behavior? Sociocultural The index finger – take it and point to the forehead like I am thinking. Cognitive means “thoughts.” The cognitive psychologists are interested in what our thoughts are about specific events and how we interpret our experiences. What are we thinking about? The cognitive psychologists say that we think ourselves into depression and anxiety. So, the cognitive psychologists would say that I think myself into the fear of the balloon. They would be interested in knowing what my specific thoughts are about balloons. They would wonder if I am thinking irrationally (e.g., is the balloon really going to hurt me). Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 30
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What’s the Cognition ? COGNITIVE FLATULENCE. . . Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Perspective Biological View of Human Nature: Behavior is primarily shaped by learning Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: Stimulus cues and our history of rewards and punishments Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioral Questions for Study: What are the “laws” that associate our responses with stimulus conditions? How can they be applied to improve the human condition? Sociocultural The middle finger (what have we learned that the middle finger means?) (Behaviorism). The behaviorists (John Watson, B.F. Skinner) were interested in how we learned behavior through consequences (e.g., why are you sitting in your seats right now?) So, behavior is shaped through learning based on rewards and punishments. Behaviorists are focused on what can be seen and measured. Based on my fear of balloons, the behaviorists would say that I learned my fear. I was playing with the balloon and it popped and the loud popping sound was a punishment, therefore leading to feelings of fear. Now I always think that when I see a balloon, it is going to pop. I learned my fear. Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 33
Behavior is Learned! Reward vs. Punishment
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What Determines Behavior: Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Perspective Biological View of Human Nature: Emphasizes human growth and potential Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: The influence of self-concept, perceptions, and interpersonal relationships, and on need for personal growth Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioral Sociocultural Question for Study: How can humanistic theory be applied to enhance mental health through counseling and therapy? The ring finger (we wear wedding rings on our ring finger to symbolize our love for one another). Ask them to try to lift their ring finger straight. It cannot be done without the help of the other fingers to push it up. This is the idea behind the humanists – we need others to reach our full potential! The humanists (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow) said that the reason we have fears or mental illness is because we haven’t been given enough support and love throughout our lives. In order to grow, we need interpersonal relationships and need to be given love and encouragement. It is like a flower – if the flower doesn’t have sunshine or water, then it won’t thrive. So, the humanists would say that my fear of balloons is because I have not received love and encouragement. Instead of making fun of me, someone should have comforted me and told me it would be ok. Today, when I say I am afraid of balloons, the humanists would say that I need to be told it is ok to have this fear and then encouraged to move beyond that fear. Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 31
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What Determines Behavior: Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Perspective View of Human Nature: We are complex systems that respond to hereditary and environmental influences Biological or Biopsychological Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: Neural structures, biochemistry, and inborn responses to external cues Psychodynamic Humanistic Behavioral Question for Study: How do heredity, the nervous system, and the endocrine system produce behavior and mental processes? Pinky finger. Pinky and the (brain). There is still so much we do not know about the tie between our behavior and our biology…the pinky is small..like our knowledge. The biological, or biopsychological, psychologists are interested in the chemical (biological) makeup of the human body. When it comes to mental illness or fears, the biopsychologists are interested in what is going on chemically: perhaps there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the body, perhaps there is an imbalance of hormones in the body. Maybe mental illness is inherited from another family member (ex. Depression, schizophrenia, even anxiety). So, these folks would say that my fear of balloons could be that I am anxious individual because my mother is also an anxious individual. Or, perhaps I am afraid of balloons because I have an imbalance of the specific neurotransmitters that lead to anxiety and maybe I need some antianxiety medication. Basically, the biological/biopsychological psychologists are looking at how my heredity and my body chemistry lead to my fears. Sociocultural Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 28
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What Determines Behavior: Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Perspective View of Human Nature: People are social animals, so human behavior must be interpreted in social context Biological Developmental Cognitive What Determines Behavior: Cultures, social norms and expectations, social learning Psychodynamic Humanistic Questions for Study: Under what conditions is the social and cultural situation predictive of behavior? How are social influences different across cultures? Behavioral Sociocultural The palm – We have the whole world in our hand. Sociocultural psychologists are interested in how our social context, our social relationships, have shaped who we are. Sociocultural psychologists are interested in how our culture (e.g., family environment, religious affiliations, friends/social groups) make us who we are. We have specific behaviors that we exhibit when we are with our family at home, and that is different when we are at school with our friends. The situation is very powerful and can make us different from place to place, situation to situation. Sociocultural psychologists would say that problems like mental illness or distress come from how we view or relate to societal expectations (it is expected for people to act “normal” and when they do not fit our expectations of how people should act or behave, that is when discomfort or problems occur. So, a sociocultural psychologist would say that my fear of balloons or loud noises could be affecting me because adults are not typically afraid of balloons (it is not “normal”), and so I am not only afraid of the balloon, but now I have to worry that I am different from the “norm.” Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 34
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
What Determines Behavior: Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Perspective Biological View of Human Nature: Behavior is developed and adapted over time Developmental Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanistic What Determines Behavior: Natural selection Behavioral Sociocultural This is a newer perspective to psychology, as psychology in itself has evolved. Think of the arm as being the important part of the hand, the part that holds the hand on. Evolutionary psychologists (think of Darwin), say that the human mind has evolved throughout time, and that mental illness or disorders or distress in life is due to adaptations that the mind and body are going through. For example, we are born with a heightened sense of taste so that we do not accidently ingest something that may be dangerous to our body. Our ancestors didn’t have labels on their food – they ate from the wild, and those things that were poisonous in nature were bitter tasting. So, bitter tasting foods to kids are often the thing they do not like and refuse to eat (brussel sprouts and broccoli). Overtime, with exposure to the food, the child (and the brain) learns that that particular food will not kill them, and so they grow to like it. All giraffes were not always long necked – talk about the short necks and how they died off due to lack of resources and how genetically they altered overtime and that is why there are no short necked giraffes. Talk about how there is a theory that autism is perhaps an adaptation of the human mind. So, with my fear of the balloons, the evolutionary psychologists would say that my fear is innate and an important part of my survival. To jump at a loud noise is a response that is part of my evolutionary history, and that it is an automatic switch to keep me safe. Question for Study: How do behavior and individual differences develop and change? Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 34
Perspective View of Human Nature: We undergo predictable patterns of change throughout our lives Biological Developmental What Determines Behavior: Interaction between heredity and environment Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanistic Questions for Study: What are the patterns that characterize developmental change? What are the genetic and environmental influences underlying these patterns? Behavioral Sociocultural Another newer form of psychological perspectives. Developmental psychologists are interested in how we grow and go through predictable changes in our lives. They are interested in how much of our personality is due to heredity (nature) and environment (nurture). We will talk more about this in chapter 9. Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 29
Nature vs. vs. Nurtur Nurture Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
Perspective View of Human Nature: Individual differences result from differences in our underlying patterns of stable characteristics Biological Developmental Cognitive Psychodynamic What Determines Behavior: Each person’s unique combination of TRAITS Humanistic Behavioral Question for Study: How many fundamental traits are there? How can we use trait patterns to predict behavior? Sociocultural Finally, another newer perspective. The trait perspective says that we have specific personality traits that are already innate (inborn) within us. We will talk more about this in chapter 9. Basically, we are born with a specific personality, but that can change throughout our lives as the environment affects us. These basic traits do remain stable throughout our lives, but again, they can be affected by the situation and the environment. Going back to my balloon fear, perhaps I carry the traits of a sensitive person, a shy person, someone who is easily bothered by loud noises or sounds. Evolutionary/ Sociobiological Trait Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 34
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
ECLECTIC Be sure you get the concept of “Eclectic” : Use of two or more psych approaches to explain different situations or develop your own theory of personality (therapy)