Compare And Contrast Humanistic And Psychodynamic Perspective

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Psychologists’ goal is to understand the reason why people and animals behave in certain manners. (Eysenck, 2000, p 3). To achieve this, psychologists have adopted various approaches including cognitive, biological, humanistic, psychodynamic and behavioural. Psychodynamic and behavioural perspectives. Both are important approaches within psychology due to their great impact within society.
This essay seeks to evaluate psychodynamic and behavioural explanations of human behaviour by reviewing their differences and similarities in relation to aggression. Evaluation of methods, limitations, ethical issues and today’s contribution to society will be discussed.
Psychodynamic perspective defends its views based on Sigmund Freud’s theories on human development. According to Freud, human behaviour is determined by hidden biological/innate sexual (Eros) and aggressive (Thanatos) instincts/drives (Eysenck, 2000, p 16). For example, slips of tongue unconsciously reveal hidden thoughts. E.g. ‘nice to beat you’ instead of ‘nice to meet you’ when a man meets his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. Moreover, psychodynamic approach also assumes that behaviour and feelings present in adulthood have their roots in childhood experiences. For example, hair plucking could be due to a childhood trauma. McLeod, S. A. (2007).
Another assumption
E.g. in the case of David Reimer, nature influence proved successful over nurture. David Reimer, initially called Brenda, was born a boy. His parents were advised to be raised as a girl, due to an accident during a circumcision surgery. until the age of 13. At this age he was told the truth about his identity consequently, decided to become a boy again, following his natural

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