Psychodynamic Approach To Psychology

One famous behaviourist was Skinner (1904-1990) who was an American psychologist and believed in the role of reinforcement. There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement occurs when a particular behaviour is followed by a consequence that is desired such as receiving food, money or verbal praise. Whereas negative reinforcement takes place when a particular behaviour removes something unpleasant. Skinner used both positive and negative reinforcement in his experiment where he worked with rats and pigeons. He used a “Skinner box” to investigate the key values of learning new and challenging behaviours. Skinner used the theory of operant conditioning and would place the rat or pigeon into the “Skinner Box” the animal would then be curious and sniff and run around the box until eventually it would press the lever, which would release a food pellet. After a while the animal would carry out this behaviour many times, as it has learnt that after pressing the lever it will receive a food pellet as a consequence. As the pellet is experienced as reinforcing and something that the animal desires, this increases the chance of the behaviour being repeated. This is called

Within this model the counselor can employ a wide range of techniques to achieve the behavioural objectives agreed, these include - challenging irrational beliefs, rehearsing different self statements, experimentation of self statements in real situations and systematic desensitization (Mcleod 2008). Behavioural therapist work on changing behaviour and it’s assumed that changes in feeling and thinking will follow.

Behavioural model understands mental dysfunction. Its understood that most behavioural happenings are picked up on by watching others. Therapy aims to reverse this, it is best used on phobias

Skinner 's theory of operant conditioning was based on the work of Thorndike that he reviewed (1948). Edward Thorndike studied learning in animals using a puzzle box to propose the theory known as the 'Law of Effect ', responses that produce a satisfying effect in a situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation. Skinner introduced a new term to Thorndike’s theory known as reinforcement (Skinner, 1948). Reinforcement is a stimulus (as a reward or the removal of an electric shock) that increases the probability of a desired response in operant conditioning by being applied or affected following the desired response. Skinner branched off Thorndike’s approach studied operant conditioning by experimenting on animals using conditioning chambers also known as a Skinner box and in 1948

"The behaviourist approach has been a dominant influence in psychology, it represents one of the ‘hardcore' approaches, which has contributed a great deal to our understanding of psychological functioning " (Malim & Birch, 1998)

Depression is a mood disorder which is categorised by low mood and a wide range of other symptoms, which will inevitably differ depending on the individual. This mental health illness can either progress at a fast rate or steadily. Many scientific and medicinal professionals view depression as a defence mechanism that the body implements in order to escape from stress. Seligman (1973) discussed depression in terms of it being like a ‘common cold’ of psychiatry, due to how frequently it is diagnosed. The behaviourist approach accentuates the significance of the environment in regards to determining an individual’s behaviour. To behaviourist theorists, our behaviour does not relate with our internal unconscious struggles or suppressions. However, psychologists in this field use ideologies of the learning theory to explain human behaviour. According to the behavioural theory, dysfunctional behaviour such as depression is learned and so because of this, psychologists propose that it can also be unlearned. This perspective focuses on behaviour which is observable and the circumstances in which a particular individual has learnt that behaviour. As a result, depression is therefore seen by behaviourist theorists as a result of an individual’s contact with their environment.

Thereby, Skinner produced experiments whereby rats would navigate through mazes to achieve the goal of a box containing food. His interest was the behaviour of the rat, taking the right turn to achieve the desired result, food. To begin with the rats would take the wrong turn but with experience, they became more skilful. The rats learning behaviour was measured in two ways, firstly the length of time it took from start to end and secondly, the reduction in errors. This was a lengthy experiment which led Skinner to produce ‘the Skinner box’. Whereby, rats learnt to press a lever and pigeons learnt to peck a key in order to attain food, also known as behaviour shaping. This experiment lacks ecological validity as the animals are kept in a controlled environment which is dissimilar to their natural habitat. However, the results which were attained could not have been possible in natural circumstances. Skinner wanted to observe if behaviour could be learned through reaching a desired outcome such as positive reinforcement which needed to be

As the Behaviourist approach differs so greatly in comparison to the Psychodynamic approach, people have mixed opinions on both approaches. As no one can ever fully understand the complexity of the human mind, neither the behaviourist nor psychodynamic approach will ever be completely correct. As both approaches vary, we can conclude they have both been successful and incorrect in many cases. Psychologists have studied the mind for decades and these approaches give us a foundation in understanding the human

The behaviourist approach focuses on the present behaviour of an individual and not take into account on the past events, this is a strength as memory can sometimes not be reliable and the most fundamental aspect is the patient’s condition and finding a cure to prevent it rather than focusing on the cause. For example, in the case of phobias, this approach attempts to unlearn it rather than find the cause. However, this may only temporarily cure the phobia as the cause is unidentified due to this approach.

Investigate how psychology can be used to understand specific behaviours, and examine how it can be applied to the work of General Practitioners and social workers

Skinner conducted a series of research experiments with rats and pigeons under controlled laboratory conditions using a specially designed cage. By doing so he sought to demonstrate that behaviour can be created and reinforced by external factors. The puzzle box he created for his experiments has become so widely used that it is now known as the “Skinner box”. Animals would be placed in a cage which had a bar lever mechanism used to dispense food; Skinner would measure the frequency of the bar pressing and introduce different variables into the experiments. This led to his discovery of 'partial reinforcement' and its correlation to the slower extinction of shaped behaviour. When food pellets would only be dispensed once in a while (as opposed to every pressing) Skinner noticed that it took longer for the learnt behaviour to become extinct. The powerful phenomenon of partial reinforcement can be noticed in gambling establishments; a player on a slot machine is more likely to keep up their behaviour of playing if the rewards are unpredictable and occasional. The player becomes more persistent in their gambling in the hope that the next coin will be the winner (Hunt, 1993).

Behaviorism is the branch of psychology associated today with numerous psychologists but one of the most prominent behavioral psychologists of all time, B.F. Skinner really taught people that any behavior is usually immediately affected by its consequences. I having a young child I have seen Skinners theories work in many different facets during my short stint of being a parent. Skinner is a theorist who made his reputation by studying how an individual's behavior might change by responding to his/her environment. The great Skinner wrote "Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten",(Skinner, 1964) thus basically meaning that most over and over again behaviors we as

Psychology is not just philosophical speculation and reasoning over the years it has evolved and it is now also recognised as a science, to understand what psychology is all about it is necessary to know it’s origins and the theorist who brought it out of obscurity, Sigmund Freud. He developed the Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytical perspective to enable better understanding of human behaviour these concepts will be discussed further later in this study. After Freud opened the gateway other perspectives and approaches have been developed, now with five main areas of psychology - Cognitive, Behaviourist, Biopsychology and Humanist approaches. For a comparison with the Psychodynamic theory, Behaviourist Theory will be discussed.

The behavioral theory puts emphasis on how an individual reacts to outside factors versus internal influences. In theory, an individual can be conditioned, or taught. To behave a specific way regardless of their background. This theory is significant because it can be applied in counseling to assist clients with minimizing maladaptive behaviors through classical and operant conditioning procedures. These methods can be used to address relationship problems such as intimacy issues, anorexia, substance abuse, distress, anxiety,

Another advantage of behaviourism would be the possibility to treat children suffering from behavioural disorders. By using the system of feedbacks, the children can be rewarded for their good behaviours and can be punished in the scenarios where they still misbehave. However, various studies have demonstrated that mostly younger children will be responsive to this approach. In the end, the behavioural approach still remains an essential tool for the therapy of children with behavioural disorders.