Theory Application PaperBehaviorism and psychodynamic theory are just two of many major factors in what affect a human being throughout their life. These two theories are known to help patients with mental disorders. Psychodynamic theory focuses more on childhood, and how experiences as a child can affect them throughout their whole life. Behaviorism focuses on the study of a human being. It focuses on how a person behaves. Both theories are very beneficial to psychologists to help them figure out more about a person.Psychodynamic theory is a form of psychotherapy that takes you all the way back to your childhood memories. Sigmund Freud talked about how psychodynamic theory “focuses on the client reaching self-awareness of unconscious
Psychologist John Watson invented the term behaviorism, defining it as being “the view that psychology ’s goal should be to study directly observable behavior and to understand how the events in the environment outside the organism produce behavior” (Watson 17). Watson believed it was unscientific to study “Private Events” and that someone’s behavior should be directly observed. Studying a person’s behavior is not just one step, but many. These steps include watching someone’s reaction to everything. Behaviorism focuses more on a person’s behavior to the environment in which surrounds them. Many theories of psychology are focused on biology and philosophy instead of trying to understand the things we can see, which is how someone acts. “psychologists often find themselves studying and trying to observe hidden processes.” (Watson 165) Instead of putting our attention on focusing on things we can observe and touch, we put our attention to studying the unseen behaviors. Watson believes that “Psychology should make the study of behavior its final objective, rather than using behavior only as an indirect measure of unobservable mental processes. “(Watson 165) I highly agree with this quote, I think it is unscientific to focus on things we cannot see. One of the strengths of behaviorism theory is easily being able to identify the behavior of the patient, without trying to get into their head. Another strength of behaviorism is it can be easily changed. It can focus on the unhealthy behaviors that are a part of everyday life, and observing what causes those behaviors. With that, it is easier to improve unhealthy behaviors by having the patient focus on how to make them healthy again. Weaknesses of this therapy include not knowing what goes on inside the patient. All you know is how the patient reacts due to the environment. Yes, observing a behavior is beneficial, but when the patient
So as previously explored the psychodynamic theory looks at human personality and how this develops through instinctual drives and unconscious forces (Udo-Imeh et al, 2015). So this dominantly focuses on the work of Freud (1923). Evaluating this theory Freud emphasised the importance of the unconscious motives driving consumers purchasing habits (Jansson-Boyd, 2010).
In contrast to this the next theory explored was the behaviourist which looks at the observable stimulus and responses created. Psychologists such as Pavlov (1927) and Skinner (1953) explained their theories classic and operant conditioning and how one can eventually condition consumers to associate something with a product and to purchase certain products; on the other hand how positive or negative experiences can condition people as to whether or not they become a returning loyal customer (Jansson-Boyd, 2010).
There are several substantial differences between the two theories but in juxtaposition to this they also have some similarities these are shown below;
Differences
Here the difference would be the psychodynamic theory has no scientific evidence to support the ideas of consumer behaviour and recorded qualitative data whereas the behaviourists conduct their research and develop their theories based off scientific methodology creating quantitative data (Don, 2017).
Another difference would be the psychodynamic approaches looks towards childhood experiences and how they have influences on unconscious levels, so looking at the relationship between the mind, personality and psyches of the individual to which behaviour is driven by emotions and mental aspects (Don, 2017). This impacts consumer decisions made when older, such as wanting to have more and better things than they did as a child. In contrast to this, behaviourists argue there is little validity to this and tend to look at the conscious mind and external influences on behaviour rather than internal (Don, 2017). However the behaviourist approach is very much like a black box in which they do not look inside for further reasoning.
Similarities
On the other hand similarities would be they are both based on deterministic assumptions meaning they believe humans have little freewill as they are driven by instincts and do not have much control over their behaviour (McLeod, 2013).
Another similarity would be both recognise conditions do in fact affect the behaviour of individuals whether it is the unconscious mind which later develops into the conscious mind of a person.
In terms of marketing both theories have their own approaches into how one should market. So psychodynamic theory would market products in a way that touches upon one’s emotions and is acceptable in society (Perner, 2010) whereas behaviourists would condition people to want a product such as the use of celebrities or popular songs (Blythe, 2013).
References
Blythe, J. (2013) Consumer Behaviour (second edition), Sage Publications Ltd, London
Don, K. (2017) Psychodynamic & Behaviourism Approaches to Psychology, (Online) Available from http://www.academia.edu/10644812/Psychodynamic_and_Behaviourism_Approaches_to_Psychology
(Accessed 4th April 2017)
Jansson-Boyd, C. (2010) Consumer Psychology, McGraw Hill Education, Maidenhead, England
McLeod, S. (2013) Freewill and Determinism, (Online) Available from https://www.simplypsychology.org/freewill-determinism.html
(Accessed 4th April 2017)
Perner, L. (2010) Consumer Behaviour: The Psychology of Marketing (Online) Available from https://www.consumerpsychologist.com/
(Accessed 21st February 2017)
Udo-Imeh, P,T., Awara, N,F., and Essien, E,E. (2015) Personality and Consumer Behaviour: a review (Online) available from http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/EJBM/article/viewFile/23192/23751
(Accessed 21st February 2017)
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When you begin your search for a therapist, it’s likely you’ll come across the terms CBT and psychodynamic therapy. What are these therapy modalities and how do you know which one is best for you?
Psychodynamic therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are two major schools of thought in the therapy field. Both are talk-based therapies that are highly effective for a number of issues and concerns. Which one is right for you depends on many factors. We’ve collected the need-to-know information about both so you can make an educated decision as you search for the perfect therapist for you.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy looks to your past to understand your present
Psychodynamic therapy is insight-oriented. In other words, this approach focuses on helping you gain insight into how your early life experiences affect your present day. This can include taking a long look at your relationship with your parents, early attachment style, or how you interacted with your siblings growing up.
You will dive into deep-rooted aspects of yourself, such as ongoing relationship patterns, various interpersonal struggles, different facets of your personality, as well as your stages of emotional development.
The goal of psychodynamic therapy is to heighten self-awareness and self-empowerment
In psychodynamic treatment, you’re working towards the development of a greater understanding of yourself, both now and in your past.
The ultimate aim is to harness this newfound internal insight to:
- Reshape your understanding of yourself
- Heal emotional wounds
- Shift unhealthy relationship patterns and behaviors
Psychodynamic therapy is often relatively long-term, lasting several months or years
There is no set end date to psychodynamic therapy. It’s often a long-term treatment, lasting from several months to many years. There is a form of psychodynamic therapy called brief psychodynamic therapy, which is short term. Brief psychodynamic therapy is set up to help you discover what is blocking you from progressing in a certain area. Once the reason for being blocked is uncovered, therapy usually ends. However, with traditional psychodynamic therapy, the overall duration depends on your specific needs and situation.
Download Your Free CBT vs. Psychodynamic Therapy: What’s the Difference? Guide
Situations and mental health conditions psychodynamic therapy can help with
Psychodynamic therapy is often used in the treatment of mental health conditions, including:
It can also be helpful in helping clients navigate distressing situations like:
Note that you don’t need to have a specific mental health diagnosis or condition to benefit from psychodynamic therapy. In fact, this approach is a common choice for individuals who feel that they might benefit from gaining insight into themselves and their pasts, but aren’t targeting a pressing issue or condition.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on finding practical, skills-based solutions to present-day problems
Cognitive behavioral therapy, often shortened to CBT, focuses on recognizing negative thought patterns and changing thoughts and behaviors and feelings through concrete skills. The focus is on finding practical solutions to your present-day challenges instead of looking for the root cause of the problem.
CBT often entails homework assignments
Sessions often involve homework assignments, also called “action plans,” for you to implement outside of sessions.
Typical homework assignments include:
- Journaling, especially about any negative thoughts that arise throughout the day so you can begin looking at these thoughts and challenging them
- Writing self statements to counteract the negative thoughts you have throughout the day
- Practicing positive reinforcement when you recognize and change a particular thought you can reward yourself
- Mastering meditation practices to calm and center yourself
- Learning visualization techniques to help you to change the negative script in your head into a successful and pleasant script
- Doing breathing exercises to help deal with anxiety and calm your mind
CBT is often a short-term treatment style, lasting 2-3 months
This type of therapy is typically more short-term, usually eight to 12 weekly sessions, over the course of two or three months.
Situations and mental health conditions CBT can help with
CBT is often used in the treatment of the following conditions:
Your therapist may incorporate both approaches into treatment
Some therapists practice pure versions of each approach – they may offer strictly CBT sessions, for example, or only draw from elements of psychodynamic therapy.
But others will incorporate both approaches. They might, say, use CBT tactics to provide symptom relief in the beginning before diving deeper into a psychodynamic perspective. The exact calibration often depends on the therapist’s overall approach, as well as your symptoms.
You might prefer another type of therapy altogether
In addition to CBT and psychodynamic therapy, there are tons of other types of therapy approaches, from brainspotting to solution-focused therapy. It’s likely that some of these therapy approaches appeal to you more than others, and that some are more relevant to your reasons for seeking therapy. You can use Zencare’s therapist directory filter to search for any specific Approach, if you find yourself leaning towards one or the other.
Most therapists, however, use some combination of the approaches and skills they’ve learned through various training sessions. So when you’re looking for a great therapist, ask potential providers how they approach treatment. Doing so will help you get a feel for what therapy with them might look like. This will then, in turn, help you decide whether their approach would work for you!
