Psychology as a Pradigm Essay

A research paradigm is “the set of common beliefs and agreements shared between scientists about how problems should be understood and addressed” (Kuhn, 1962)

Two Approaches In Psychology In 1900, Sigmund Freud, a neurologist living in Vienna, first published his psychoanalytic theory of personality in which the unconscious mind played a crucial role. Freud combined the then current cognitive notions of consciousness, perception and memory with ideas of biologically based instincts, to make a bold new theory of psychodynamics. Freud's theory, which forms the basis of the psychodynamic approach, represented a challenge and a major alternative to behaviourism. Freud's theory of personality was based on the assumption that all our behaviour stems from the unconscious processes.

Kuhn argues that paradigms contribute to a sense of order within communities because the community’s research is based off of a prearranged set of accepted beliefs. Paradigmatic boundaries contribute to a sense of clarity that results from fact-gathering activities within scientific communities. In contrast, the collection of “mere facts”, which do not stem from paradigmatic boundaries of explanation, results in nothing but puzzlement (Kuhn, 2012, p. 35). As a result, Kuhn argues that paradigms are vital for establishing validity in regard to the questions and findings that are related to fact-gathering activities. In contrast, the absence of a paradigm would pose a major disadvantage for a hypothetical scientific community that does not use a paradigm-based approach for fact-gathering activities. Kuhn believes nothing but confusion could be derived from a collection of facts that belong to endeavors that are not rooted in a scientific community’s paradigm. In class, a paradigm was metaphorically compared to the glue that binds a scientific community together. This metaphorical comparison was used in an effort to illustrate the intimate relationship between paradigms and normal science that Kuhn describes in this book. After reading Kuhn’s book, and becoming well acquainted with his usage of paradigm in the context of his book, I could not agree more with the argument that he is making throughout this book. Therefore, it is obvious that paradigms mold fact-gathering activities related to normal science, that there are advantages to fact-gathering activities stemming from paradigms, and that absence of a paradigm would possibly plague a scientific community when scientists would try to approach fact-gathering

William James’ book was entitled: Principles of Psychology which was published in 1890 and also established him as one of the greatest thinkers of his time.

The focus of this paper is the person-centered approach, which is the understanding of personality and human relationships in psychotherapy and counseling in the areas of client-centered therapy, education of student-centered learning, organizations, and other group settings. Even though psychoanalysis and behaviorism have made major contributions to psychology, it has influenced the understanding and practices of the humanistic movement, specifically with the therapies for the different mental disorders. Psychoanalysis understands the unconscious behavior, behaviorism focuses on the conditioning process that produces behavior. Humanistic psychology focuses on the person's potential to act as a whole person in a nurturing environment by

What is Psychology? The definition of psychology is a person scientifically studying the behavior and mental processes of a human being. Psychology is trying to answer the questions of why people act the way that they do, and what causes them to act that way. Philosophy was a debate about the nature of thought, behavior, and how this linked to the mind and the body. René Descartes argued that philosophers focus their attention on the mind because he believed that the mind and body are sperate.

Kuhn (1996) describes a paradigm as the accepted norm of a science. The standards, rules, and scientific tradition one follows in a particular area of scientific study comprise the paradigm. Research, such as the one described here, “is a cumulative enterprise, eminently successful in its aim, the steady extension of the scope and precision of scientific knowledge” (p. 52). The study provided

I. Describe: Anxiety is something I have been dealing with since I was in my childhood. I never fully understood anxiety until it started getting worse as I got into my adolescent stage. I had talked to my mom and grandma about it a lot of times to make sure I was okay. I have been through several both anxiety and panic attacks. I have been one to worry about everything. Pathological anxiety and fear was very random for me. I never understood what was going on. Growing up whenever I would learn something new an example is, my aunt had a tumor in her armpit and it started as a lump. I one time had a small bump and instantly worried myself that it was a

Kuhn (1962) was the first to coin the term paradigm. He defined it as a body of accepted theory which can illustrate successful applications that can be compared to observations and experiments. In his work ‘The structure of scientific revolutions’, he defines a paradigm as the entire constellation of beliefs, values and techniques shared by the members of a given community. It is the universally recognized scientific achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to a community of practitioners (Kuhn, 1962). Paradigms inform researchers what the object of their science should be, to which questions they should try to find ‘acceptable’ answers and which methods can be considered as ‘geographical’ (Holt-Jensen, 1995).

Chemistry. A paradigm allows scientific research to proceed by defining suitable scientific problems (for example the strength of the gravitational constant suggested by Newtons work), and giving the scientist the confidence that the solutions to such puzzles exist within the framework of the paradigm. A paradigm further promotes fruitful work by allowing the scientist to continue the work of others, rather than each new scientist needing to rebuild his field from fundamentals 6 . It was this promise of continued success in scientific problem solving that led Kuhn to identify the existence of a governing paradigm to divide the scientific field from

The first major goal of psychology is “to describe”. Describing behavior helps us to understand what sort of behaviors are normal versus abnormal. Several different research methods are used. The second major goal of psychology is “to explain”. Explaining involves looking at factors that contribute to the described behaviors. This is where theories emerge. The third goal of psychology is “to predict”. By learning about behaviors, we are able to predict what will happen in the future. Predictions can be made even if the underlying cause is still unknown. Lastly, the fourth major goal of psychology is “to change”. By learning about psychology, we are able to create beneficial changes and adaptations that help people.

Psychology is a term derived from two Greek words that translate to life explanation, which makes it an important element of daily life. The field of psychology can be described as a discipline that focuses on the study of mind and behavior. This discipline is characterized by several concepts and approaches that are used by psychologists in understanding human behavior. Since psychology is a broad field, psychologists not only use these concepts and approaches but also conduct scientific research that enables them to understand human behavior. Some of the most common psychological concepts that are used to modify or change an individual’s behavior include operant conditioning, positive and negative punishment,

I have always been intrigued by the mental processes of humans and animals. As a young child and into adolescence, as a student and teacher and as a caregiver, I have always been interested in psychology in one form or another. This essay will reflect not only the development of my interest in psychology, but the development of myself as a person.

According to Seligman, “psychology should be about more than repairing what is wrong. It should be about identifying and nurturing what is good” (Keyes & Haidt, 2003). In harmony with Seligman’s vision, I recognize physical activity as an important human behavior and strength that when nurtured will provoke prosperity in people and communities. Physical activity is a strength that is able to prevent and treat mental illness, act as buffer against stresses, stimulate positive emotions and foster an overall better well-being. Furthermore, on a more community based focus, when physical activity is encouraged and incorporated into the norm, the community develops the capacity to be healthier.

Dating back 65000 years, Aborigines have had the longest continuous culture. The Aborigines believed and lived in the ‘Dreamtime’. The ‘dreamtime’ refers to the time when land and humans were created, and when ancestors and spirits came to earth and created everything. Every tribe had their own dreamtime and was passed down through storytelling. The Aborigines connection was either through the Wandjina or the rainbow serpent depending on the tribe. For the Aboriginals the world is sacred and has to be honoured. For the Aborigines everything is related to everything else therefore man was related to fellow man, animals, stars and the cosmos (Bowles, 2010). Even the men and women were equal because they were equally divine. The Aborigines