Psychology as a field is often rife with subjectivity. To attempt to understand all of the intricacies of the mind and human behavior is a monumental task, and has been the sole focus of an ever-growing community on the global scale. As such, many types of methods have been employed in order to gain some insight into the nebulous matter of psychoanalysis. For example, according to an article by Begley (2009), “In surveys, [clinical psychologists] admit that they value personal experience over research evidence” (pg. 2). In the piece Begley asserts that many clinicians use anecdotal evidence to develop methods of treatments for their practice, thereby diluting the scientific integrity of the psychological field. Furthermore, rejection of empirical …show more content…
An article in Clinical Psychology Review (2013) lists some of the reasons as “statistical misunderstandings regarding the application of group probabilities to individuals” and “[erroneous conclusions] that client change is due to an intervention itself rather than to a host of competing explanations” (pg. 883). Essentially, clinicians practicing experience-based psychology wish to tailor their efforts specifically to the individual in order to avoid “cookbook psychology.” In order to efficiently evaluate the strengths and pitfalls of both types of methodology, cases must be evaluated for their outcomes in relation to the practice employed. An example of evidence-based psychology is manifest in the study “Behavioral Treatment of Schizophrenic Delusions: A Single-Case Experimental Analysis” by Brad …show more content…
In the interview the patient reiterated the known symptoms regarding the “haggly witch” and the voices in his mind. The patient was then asked to rate his certainty of belief of a given delusion on a percentage-based scale with 100 being completely certain of the belief’s validity and 0 being completely certain of the belief’s invalidity. Based on previous effective research, Dr. Alford selected the ABAB experimental method in order to test the “strength of belief” of the patient in conditions of baseline and in treatment phases. For the course of the experiment, the patient was given a log to self-report both how often he experienced the noted delusions and how certain he was in their validity (using the 0-100 scale). This log allowed the collection of dependent-variable data so as to generally quantify the effect of each phase of the
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Psychodynamic theory is not able to be tested scientifically and has relied on case studies for any results. All of which have been subjectively interpreted by the analyst.
The Psychodynamic Theory has not proven itself to be very effective. It helps people more when it is paired with other approaches, and is now the starting point, or basis, in other types of therapy (Comer, 2011).
Their first criterion deals with the testability of the therapy or treatment. Valid scientific treatments have the ability to be thoroughly examined. If a therapy or treatment cannot be tested, it is not credible. Many pseudoscience therapies claim to have proven and verifiable results. However, the claims are not founded on experiment based evidence (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). In their second claim, Fin, Bothe and Bramlett (2005) address the adaptability of a treatment method when conflicting evidence is presented (p. 173) . This claim, much like the first claim, deals with the evaluation of the therapy. In true scientific treatment, the goal is to provide valid therapies. Thus, any scientific evidence that differs from the original research is thoughtfully analyzed and, changes or corrections are made when necessary (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). The third criterion deals with verifiable evidence. It is important for treatments to be assessed in a way that allows for the possibility of failure and, when contradictory evidence is discovered, it cannot be ignored. Pseudoscientific treatments often ignore contradictory evidence and base their claims solely on confirming evidence. (Fin, Bothe and Bramlett, 2005, p. 173). Criterion four offers insight on narrative based evidence. The positive claims associated with pseudoscience are...
In the first part of this paper I shall summarise the concepts of Psychoanalysis and Behaviour theories, as in my view theory in itself is an argument for a concept. Theory is a collection of propositions to illustrate principles of a subject (Oxford Dictionary, 1976). Secondly this paper explores similarities concerning the theories, eventually leading to a conclusion concerning their significance in today's therapeutic arena.
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Video: American Psychological Association. (2012, October 4). "This Is Psychology" Episode 5: Eyewitness testimony. Retrieved December 9, 2013
It is inevitable that in psychotherapy there are numerous theories. Theories arise out of scholarly investigations of ideas on human behavior. Human behavior is an extraordinarily interesting subject and therefore produces a plethora of ideas from a variety of theorists. These theorists are influenced by their education, culture, and time period. One influential theorist is Carl Rogers. His contributions to human behavior have changed many of the theories that preceded him, and his theory contributed to many theories that followed.
The field of psychology is a discipline, originated from many branches of science. It has applications from within a complete scope of avenues, from psychotherapy to professional decision-making. The flexibility and versatility of this field reflects its importance and demands in-depth analysis. Psychology was a division of philosophy until it developed independent scientific disciplines. The history of psychology was a scholarly study of the mind and behavior that dates back to the beginning of civilization. There are important details from previous theory psychologist, research have contributed to behaviorism approaches and have contributed towards specific current behavioral practices. Contemporary behavior therapy began to emerge into distinct practical and core learning theories concerning the needs and knowledge engaging cultural and professional differences.
The British Psychological Society states that ‘Psychology is the scientific study of people, the mind and behaviour’ (BPS). In this essay I will be discussing what is actually meant by this and whether psychology fits into both the traditional views of a science, as well as more contemporary perspectives. It is widely suggested that Psychology is a “coalition of specialities” meaning it is multi-disciplinary (Hewstone, Fincham and Foster 2005, page 4). I will therefore examine whether it could be considered wrong to think that all parts of the discipline should neatly fit into one view of a scientific approach.
Mental disorders are dismissed by people today because they are internal. When a person has a cold they cough, when a person has sunburn they turn red or peel, but when a person has a mental disorder they… and that’s where the debate begins. Do mental disorders truly exist? What are the causes? As a result of mental disorders some people exhibit a change in behavior or do things outside of what is status quo. That leads me to my topic - the psychoanalytic approach vs. the humanistic approach. One supports and provides reasoning for mental disorders and specific behavior, while the other states that behavior is based off of personal decisions. Although both the psychoanalytic and the humanistic approaches are well developed theories it is conclusive that the psychoanalytic approach is more useful and instrumental in treating mental disorders.
In conclusion, the clinical and statistical approaches in psychology can be beneficial to clinicians depending on the types of situations or specific areas that are being observed. As I mentioned earlier in my paper, the statistical method is useful when results are large and from heterogeneous samples and when they pertain to objective and specific areas. The clinical approach is beneficial in circumstances where situations are unforeseen rendering statistical tests moot. In addition, they are also useful when the interest in an individual case is high. Due to each individual being different and unique in their own way, I believe that clinicians should not rely heavily on statistical predictions and prepackaged treatments as opposed to clinical judgment and individual patients.
By considering such arguments, psychoanalysis can be said to have no ultra fundamental meaning when assessing an author’s work. For former advocate of this analysis, Frederic...
Dozois, D. A. (2013). Psychological treatments: Putting evidence into practice and practice into evidence. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 54(1), 1-11. doi:10.1037/a0031125