An Evaluation of Psychoanalysis and Behaviourism: Arguing in Favour of Behaviourism
An Evaluation of Psychoanalysis and Behaviourism: Arguing in favour of Behaviourism
The objective of this paper is to the discuss the two approaches to psychology, that is, psychoanalysis and behaviourism. The discussion will entail comparing, contrasting and evaluating the two approaches in order to show how and why behaviourism is superior to psychoanalysis.
Behaviourism also referred to as the learning perspective is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do including acting, thinking, and feeling can be described as behaviours and psychological disorders are best treated by changing behaviour patterns or modifying the environment (Skinner 1984). According to behaviourists individual’s response to different stimuli shapes our behaviours and behaviour can be studied in methodological manner without consideration of mental states. (Skinner 1984). The behaviourist school of thought holds that behaviours can be described scientifically without recourse to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as the mind (William 1994). However, a definition by Skinner is more radical and much broader as it departs from methodological behaviourism in accepting feelings, states of mind and introspection as existent and scientifically treatable (Perez-Alvarez et al 2006; Skinner 1984).
Psychoanalysis is a psychological and psychotherapeutic theory conceived in late 19th century and early 20th century by Sigmund Freud (Charles 1954). Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a specific type of treatment in which the analytic patient ’analysand’ verbalises thoughts, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams from which the analysist induces the unconscious conflicts causing the patient’s symptoms and character problems and interprets them for the patient to create insight for resolution of the problems (Fromm 1992).
The major tenets of pyschoanalysis are: human behaviour, experience and cognition are largely
The objective of this paper is to the discuss the two approaches to psychology, that is, psychoanalysis and behaviourism. The discussion will entail comparing, contrasting and evaluating the two approaches in order to show how and why behaviourism is superior to psychoanalysis.
Behaviourism also referred to as the learning perspective is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do including acting, thinking, and feeling can be described as behaviours and psychological disorders are best treated by changing behaviour patterns or modifying the environment (Skinner 1984). According to behaviourists individual’s response to different stimuli shapes our behaviours and behaviour can be studied in methodological manner without consideration of mental states. (Skinner 1984). The behaviourist school of thought holds that behaviours can be described scientifically without recourse to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as the mind (William 1994). However, a definition by Skinner is more radical and much broader as it departs from methodological behaviourism in accepting feelings, states of mind and introspection as existent and scientifically treatable (Perez-Alvarez et al 2006; Skinner 1984).
Psychoanalysis is a psychological and psychotherapeutic theory conceived in late 19th century and early 20th century by Sigmund Freud (Charles 1954). Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a specific type of treatment in which the analytic patient ’analysand’ verbalises thoughts, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams from which the analysist induces the unconscious conflicts causing the patient’s symptoms and character problems and interprets them for the patient to create insight for resolution of the problems (Fromm 1992).
The major tenets of pyschoanalysis are: human behaviour, experience and cognition are largely