Integrative Psychology Final Paper
Integrative Psychology Final Paper
The field of psychology revolves around the use of the scientific method to study behaviors and mental processes. Those researching psychology or attempting to comprehend thoughts, emotions and overall behaviors. Psychology has applications ranging from the treatment of mental health disorders to performance enhancement and self-help. The following will examine some of the early origins of psychology, the influence of one of its most important practitioners (Sigmund Freud) and the present and future prospects for the field.
Psychology arose out of the dual fields of biology and philosophy. Discussions of both subjects go as far as the ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Aristotle (Groarke, 2015, p. 61). In fact, the term psychology comes from psyche, a Greek word which means mind or soul. While today's psychological theory and approaches reflect the rich history of the discipline, the actual origins of psychology and its nature in the past are somewhat different from what it is today. A complete understanding of psychology (of such a thing is possible) requires spending a good deal of time considering the history of the field and its origins. In particular, it's important to consider when and how it became viewed as a separate and legitimate science. Part of this revolves around the questions that psychologist chose to ask.
Psychological Questions
Psychology, Physiology and Philosophy
Although psychology did not appear as a separate discipline until the late 19th century, the musings of the Greek philosophers on the subject had already been advanced in the 17th-century by French philosophers like René Descartes. His concept of dualism in which the body and mind were entirely separate but work together to create human experiences was revolutionary for its time (Wee & Pelczar, 2008, p. 148). In fact, a number of the issues still being debated today in psychological circles (including the importance of nature versus nurture) have their basis in the thoughts of these early philosophers. Another influence on the beginnings of psychology was Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, since it suggested to scientists that one of the best way to understand humanity was to study animals.
It's important at this juncture to note the differences between philosophy and psychology. Although the earliest philosophers observation, modern psychologists employee scientific methodologies designed to help them arrive at sound conclusions about human behavior and thought processes. It's also true that physiology made a contribution to the eventual emergence of psychology as a separate scientific discipline. This is because some of the earliest physiological research related to the brain and behavior, and consequently had a significant effect on the development of psychology. Ultimately, physiology contributed to the tendency in psychology to apply scientific methods to studying human behavior and thought.
A Separate Science
It is generally believed that the field of psychology truly came into being when the first psychology lab in the world was established by Wilhelm Wundt in Germany. Wundt came at psychology from a perspective referred to as structuralism, which sought to describe the structures comprising the mind (the mind rather than the brain). This school of thought means a great deal on the psychological analysis of feelings and sensations, making it rather subjective and introspective (Asthana, 2015, p. 245). Wundt believed that individuals could be trained to accurately recognize and identify the thoughts and feelings they were experiencing, while at the same time associating them with particular mental activities.
The Advent of Sigmund Freud
Prior to the arrival of Sigmund Freud on the scene, psychology had focused largely on what the mind was doing and experiencing as a conscious entity. In other words, it revolved around those things that the mine knew that it was doing. But Freud transformed psychology dramatically by suggesting that that focus should shift to the activities and influence of an individual's unconscious mind (Jarreau, 2012, p. 66). Freud had been working with a number of patients who had a range of conditions, but his primary focus was on those with hysteria. He is research and clinical experience may Freud believed that an individual's unconscious motivations and impulses (as well as the experiences they had during their childhood) helped to form their later adult behaviors and personality.
Freud wrote a book entitled The Psychopathology of Everyday Life in which he propounded his views that the unconscious mind allow the inner thoughts of an individual to be expressed through dreams and impulsive actions. The latter included slips of the tongue, which later psychologist have referred to as "Freudian slips." If the unconscious mind becomes conflicted or extremely unbalanced, Freud believed that this could result in virtually all the psychological problems of his patients. Freud's psychoanalytical approach had an enormous impact on psychological thought in the early 20th century, as well as on literature, art and even popular culture. However, later theorists have come to conclude that many of his views are incorrect and his conclusions largely unfounded. Since that time, there have been a number of different psychological approaches and theories proposed, but the one most prevalent and influential today is the cognitive approach.
Cognitivism
Cognitivism considers the significance of how individuals perceive their surroundings and the actions of others, as well as how such perceptions, memories, thoughts and even language help to form that individual's behaviors and feelings. The cognitive approach analyzes how each of these factors contributes to the individual's ability to effectively function. Proponents of this approach view human beings as information processors, implying that (rather than being the passive learners that behaviorists would like us to believe) we are actually able to actively influence our own thinking and feelings.
The Present and the Future
Modern psychologists (unlike those from older schools of thought, such as Sigmund Freud) prefer to employ scientific methods and objectivity when attempting to understand and explain human reactions and behaviors. For this reason, psychological research studies are highly organized and structured. Any such study has two begin with a scientific hypothesis that can then be tested in an empirical way to confirm or refute the hypothesis. Ambiguous Freudian theories have become a thing of the past.
Modern psychology has two primary areas it focuses on, applied psychology and academic psychology. The goal of academic psychology carry out research into a number of different aspects of psychology, including developmental psychology, personality psychology and social psychology (Demick, 2001, p. 41). Many of these psychological researchers carry out fundamental research that attempts to increase the fields theoretical foundation and knowledge.
Applied psychology involves research aimed at solving specific problems and issues through the use of various psychological principles. For instance, applied psychology can be employed in ergonomics, industrial/organizational situations and as forensic psychology. Others work in clinical situations as counselors or therapists, assisting individuals to overcome whatever emotional, mental or behavioral disorder they may have.
While in the past, psychology leaned heavily on its philosophical origins, modern experimental psychology employees a number of sophisticated approaches to studying the human mind, including longitudinal and correlational studies designed to predict or explain behavior. But as research into the physiological aspects of the brain continues in the future, it is likely that more and more psychology will begin to overlap our increase understanding of the underlying physical structure of the brain itself and how it functions.
In conclusion, psychology has a rich history that has over the last two centuries helped individuals to overcome emotional, psychological and behavioral disorders. There have been a wide array of theories and theorists in the field, some of which have stood the test of time and some of which have not. While Freud was seen as an innovator in his time, he has since been largely discredited by many of those who followed him. Psychology has become like so many other scientific endeavors) subdivided into many subfields. This allows researchers to study at better understand specific issues or problems. It seems likely that in the future psychology will begin to overlap a greater degree with other fields, including neuroscience.
References
Asthana, H. (2015). Wilhelm Wundt. Psychological Studies, 60(2), 244-248.
Demick, J. (2000). Toward a mindful psychological science: theory and application. Journal Of Social Issues, 56(1), 141.
Groarke, L. (2015). Aristotle's contrary psychology: the mean in ethics and beyond. Review Of Metaphysics, 69(1), 47-71.
Jarreau, A. (2012). Intuiting the unknown: listening with the unconscious mind. Modern Psychoanalysis, 37(1), 66-81.
Pettijohn II, T. F., Pettijohn, T. F., Brenneman, M. M., Glass, J. N., Brito, G. R., Terranova, A. M., & Piroch, J. (2015). College student perceptions of psychology as a science as a function of psychology course enrollment. College Student Journal, 49(3), 461-465.
Wee, C., & Pelczar, M. (2008). Descartes' dualism and contemporary dualism. Southern Journal Of Philosophy, 46(1), 145-160.
