The end of the nineteenth century: Freud introduces psychoanalysis. However, in 1901, John Watson began investigating monkeys, cats, dogs, frogs, chickens and rats. He analyzes nothing more than the behavior of the animals, only the visible actions, and thus discovers a wealth of information. This gives rise to a new psychological movement: behaviorism. Years later, humanistic psychology and eventually cognitivism entered psychology.
Behaviorism
As a reaction to psychology in which the inner self of man is central, behaviorism emerged around 1900. Instead of foggy analyzes about what goes on in people’s minds, we look at behavior. There is no point in guessing about thoughts and feelings – that is just a black box – for psychological research only things that can be observed from outside are necessary.
The image of humanity is strongly influenced by Darwinism. In contrast to other psychological movements, behaviorism not only studies the behavior of people, but also that of animals. Behaviorism is based on Darwin’s theory that humans are biologically related to animals and on the similarities between humans and animals.
Using laboratory animals, behaviorists demonstrate that the behavior of animals and people is simply determined by changes in the environment. The behavior is not a deep and complicated process, but a predictable reflex. A child can do the laundry thanks to this simple formula: after the stimulus, the response follows .
Some reflexes are innate, but most are learned. Behaviorists describe a process in which man is shaped by his environment, without having a hand in it, and call this conditioning. This process of conditioning is the inescapable fate of man.
This also lies in the cause and solution of various disorders. For example, behaviorists are certain that most of the anxiety disorders in the past have been acquired through repeated use of the wrong stimuli. Manic behavior, depression, psychoses, schizophrenia are also explained with stimulus and response. Behavior can be changed by intervening in the process of conditioning (administering other stimuli in any way).
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a movement that emerged at the end of the 19th century with Sigmund Freud as its famous and infamous founder. The goal is to realize therapies for people with neurotic complaints. The method consists of ‘analyzing’ or unraveling the ‘psyche’, the human mind.
Freud divided the human personality into three: the Id, Ego and the Superego. The Id represents instinctive desires along the lines of ‘I want what I want and when I want it.’ The Ego is the part of the human being that reasons and makes decisions based on reason. The Superego can be defined with ‘the conscience’ or the morality of man and is the cause of shame and guilt. It goes without saying that these three can easily come into conflict with each other. However, the conflicts are not demonstrable, because according to Freud the conflicts largely take place in the subconscious.
Motives, ideas and memories are usually outside of consciousness. Only a small part of people is conscious, but that part is able to suppress subconscious fears, pains or urges. This struggle within a person creates tension and that tension can in turn lead to serious neuroses. So suppressing the unconscious is a bad thing. However, this does not mean that man, if he does not oppress ‘himself’, is free. According to psychoanalysts, man must submit to his unconscious motivations.
Humanistic psychology
Humanistic psychology has its origins in 1954 when a number of American psychologists became concerned about the situation within science. The most important movements of that time were behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Both movements do not pay attention to matters such as love, happiness and self-development. While, according to the humanistic school, these are among the central themes in human life, to which psychology must serve.
The constant struggle to develop, to succeed, is at the core of humanity. Every life is unique and capable of being a creator of itself, everyone wants to develop.
This means that in this psychological view much emphasis is placed on the consciousness of man, the ability to make choices. A term like ‘free will’ has resonance here. But in addition to the positive view of human freedom, according to this movement, disorders and psychological problems also have their origins in that freedom. The choices people make can be constructive or destructive in nature. Constructive choices lead to a meaningful existence, in which man has fully realized himself, but destructive choices have major consequences. People become disappointed and desperate, personal growth stagnates, resulting in all kinds of ailments.
Cognitiveism
It is 1965 when behaviorism makes way for cognitivism. Cognitive psychology is the science that studies how people acquire and process knowledge, organize it, store it and make certain choices based on that knowledge. Cognitivists break with the behaviorist idea that behavior can be explained by thinking only in stimulus-response terms. Cognitions (information, opinions, values, etc.) that influence behavior must also be taken into account. The behavior is therefore not so predictable and fixed (that B follows logically and without filters or frames of reference after A).
When there is a conflict between cognitions, cognitive dissonance, people will try to resolve, or rather eliminate, that conflict. You can see that in their behavior. If a certain principle (a person must take good care of his body) conflicts with a certain behavior (looting the MacDonalds), then the person in question will try to bridge that difference. For example, by making adjustments in the cognitive camp, such as: But they also have salads at Mac. Another option is of course to change behavior and, for example, start cooking yourself.
Stimulus and response do play a role in healthy development, but in addition to the cognitive aspects. For example, wrong thinking patterns, irrationality , lack of insight and strategy can lead to problems not being solved and a disorder developing. For example, a negative way of thinking (about yourself, for example) can fuel depression.