Chapter 1

Seven predominant models or perspectives in contemporary psychology seek to explain human behavior and mental processes, focusing on various factors such as past experiences, inborn characteristics, environment, and culture.

Psychodynamic Approach

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) is considered the father of psychoanalysis. He believed humans were motivated by primitive sexual drives, forbidden desires, and traumatic childhood memories unavailable to the conscious mind. These repressed urges could manifest through dreams and Freudian slips or as symptoms of psychological disorders.

Freud's theories laid the groundwork for the psychodynamic approach, which emphasized the unconscious mind's influence on behavior, despite being controversial and facing criticisms from his contemporaries. His ideas inspired others, including Carl Jung and Anna Freud, forming the basis of psychoanalysis, a therapy that highlights the role of the unconscious.

Contemporary psychodynamic theories now focus less on unconscious sexual drives and more on social experiences and unresolved conflicts related to past relationships and experiences (Basham et al., 2016).

Behavioral Approach

Developed by John B. Watson (1878–1958) in the 1900s, the behavioral approach emphasizes observable behavior that can be measured and recorded. Watson criticized the psychodynamic approach for its lack of scientific testability. Through his research, Watson demonstrated that fear could be conditioned, as shown in the famous “Little Albert” study, where an 11-month-old child was taught to fear a white rat by associating it with a loud noise.

Watson's notable quote underscores his belief in the environment's power over personal development:

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select…"

This emphasizes his focus on nurture in the nature vs. nurture debate, suggesting that with the right environment, any individual could be shaped into any type of specialist regardless of their inherent traits.