Psychoanalytic Theory And Psychoanalytic Theory

According to Albert Bandura (1997) the theory of self-efficacy, as presented, was outlined as a theoretical framework “in which the concept of self-efficacy is assigned a central role, for analyzing changes achieved in fearful and avoidant behavior”. The theory was based on the principle assumption that “psychological procedures, whatever their form, serve as a means of creating and strengthening expectations of personal efficacy”. The theory distinguishes between expectations of efficacy and response-outcome expectancies. An outcome expectancy is “a person’s estimate that a given behavior will lead to certain outcomes”. An efficacy expectation is “the conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior required to produce the outcomes”.

Everyday anxiety is realistic anxiety which refers to the real objects; this has often been referred to as a fear rather that anxiety. Neurotic anxiety can take the form of being free-floating, phobic, or involved in panic attack.

In the first formulation, Freud regarded anxiety as being a transformed libido, the transformation coming about through repression. So if the person is prevented or thwarted from carrying out some instinctive (sexually driven) act through repression, then anxiety is the result. The second formulation, Freud reversed the anxiety-repression linkage and viewed repression as occurring because of the experience of anxiety. In this theory, anxiety is a signal from the ego about real or potent danger.

In both of these theories, a central role is given to the avoidance of overstimulation, but in earlier theory there is greater concern with ‘automatic’ anxiety which results from the trauma of birth and the infants experiences immediately after birth. (K.T. Strongman, Theories of Anxiety,

Even when such children were fed by other caregivers, this did not diminish the child’s anxiety. These findings contradicted the dominant behavioral theory of attachment (Dollard and Miller, 1950) which was shown to underestimate the child’s bond with their mother. The behavioral theory of attachment stated that the child becomes attached to the mother because she fed the infant.

Bowlby defined attachment as a 'lasting psychological connectedness between human beings.' (1969, p. 1945).

Bowlby (1958) proposed that attachment can be understood within an evolutionary context in that the caregiver provides safety and security for the infant. Attachment is adaptive as it enhances the infant’s chance of survival. This is illustrated in the work of Lorenz (1935) and Harlow (1958). According to Bowlby infants have a universal need to seek close proximity with their caregiver when under stress or threatened (Prior & Glaser,