...“Behaviorists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one”. I will begin my essay by describing the development of behaviourism. This will show how its roots are completely different from those of psychoanalysis. It will also reveal something of the methodology of behaviourism and the principles behind it. This will provide the ground for developing a fuller description of maladaptive behaviour and those elements that 'maintain and sustain' it. I will conclude by contrasting the positions of the Behaviourist and the Analytical Psychologist underlining the ethical issues involved. The first striking contrast between psychoanalysis and behaviourism lies in the fact that the former was developed in Europe in order to meet the therapeutic needs of patients while the latter grew out of the Progressive Movement (P.M.1880-1920) in the United States. This movement arose from three main sources: 1.The industrial revolution. 2. Scientific Rationalism. 3. Liberal political philosophy. The P.M. wanted scientific thinking that had created a new society so swiftly, to be brought to bear on every aspect of life. 'Progressives transformed, professionalized and made "scientific" the social sciences, especially history, economics, and political science’. (Wikipedia) According to the P.M. The...
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...: “ BEHAVIOURISTS EXPLAIN MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN TERMS OF THE LEARNING PRINCIPLES THAT SUSTAIN AND MAINTAIN IT. DISCUSS THIS STATEMENT AND SHOW HOW A BEHAVIOURIST’S APPROACCH TO THERAPY IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO A PSYCHOANALYTIC ONE” Behaviourism is a movement within psychology that works on the principle that all behaviour is “learned” , that we were all born with a “blank slate”. Behavioural approaches use strict experimental measures to study observable behaviour ( or responses ) in relation to the environment, thus resulting in the maladaptive behavioural approaches that we employ to deal with our learning. Behaviourism was first developed in the early 20th century by an American psychologist John B Watson, who at the time was working in the field of animal psychology. He believed that all behaviour was observable and therefore scientific, and worked on the principle and study of the association between a stimulus and response. ( Watson did not deny the existence of inner experiences, but insisted that they could not be studied because they were not observable ) Watson’s stimulus and response theory of psychology claimed that all complex forms of behaviour – emotions, habits etc – are seen as composed of simple muscular and glandular elements that can be observed and measured, and that emotional reactions are learned in much the same way. Watson aimed to prove his beliefs with laboratory experiments, and one of these experiments was known as “ The Little Albert Experiment”...
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