Psychology Paradigms Overview

What is a Paradigm?

• A set of ideas, a way of looking at something, a framework through which reality is interpreted
• A generally accepted perspective, position, or view of a particular discipline at a given time
• A universally recognized scientific achievement providing model problems and solutions to a community of practitioners
• Scientists accept the dominant paradigm until anomalies appear, leading to new theories and a paradigm shift.

Paradigm Shift

• Occurs when a new paradigm better explains observations and is closer to objective external reality
• The new paradigm is incommensurable with the old paradigm

Psychology Paradigms

• Psychology does not have one paradigm but several competing schools
• A complex discipline with many branches that reflect the complexity of an organism
• The three paradigms psychologists focus on are psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic-existentialism

Psychoanalysis

• Founded by Sigmund Freud
• Emphasizes unconscious processes and childhood experiences as determinants of future behavior
• Instincts and drives motivate behavior
• Treatment focuses on bringing unconscious thoughts to the conscious

Psychoanalysis Waves

• First Wave: Drive psychology (Freud)
• Second Wave: Ego psychology (Freud, Rapoport, Kernberg)
• Third Wave: Object relation theory and self psychology.

What is Personality?

• A complex pattern of deeply embedded, long-lasting psychological characteristics
• Largely non-conscious and not easily altered.
• These characteristics express themselves automatically in almost every facet of functioning.

Topographical Theory

• Conscious, preconscious (ego and superego), unconscious (Id)
• Id: driven by instinct and pleasure, immediate gratification, operates on the pleasure principle
• Ego: controls and reasons - adaptive behaviour, operates on the reality principle
• Superego: driven by right and wrong - moral and ethical values, operates on the morality principle.

Instincts

• Have four qualities: source, aim, object, and force
• Aim of tension reduction to a calm state by satisfying needs/avoiding pain.

The ID

• No logic or reason
• Not moral, not evaluative, no concept of consequences
• No sense of time and space
• Achieves satisfaction through reflex actions, uninhibited responses and primary process (catexis).

Primary Process (Catexis)

• Investment of psychic energy (libido) into objects, ideas, or people
• Emotions and desires drive where energy is invested
• Positive Cathexis: investment of energy in something pleasurable
• Negative Cathexis: investment of energy in something threatening or dangerous

Structural Theory and Topographical Theory

• Structural theory describes the three parts of the mind and their interactions
• Topographical theory describes the different levels of the mind's processes.

The Ego

• Mediates between id and superego in socially acceptable ways
• Uses defense mechanisms to avoid guilt and punishment
• Guided by reality principle, engages in reality testing

The Superego

• Formed around ages 4-7 through identification
• Needs approval and pleases authority
• Internal policeman (prohibitions) and ego ideal (parental ideals)

Defence Mechanisms

• Unconscious processes to reduce anxiety
• Includes repression, projection, reaction formation, regression, denial, and displacement.

Repression

• Forcing awareness of memories, thoughts, and ideas that cause anxiety
• Can manifest disguised form or when other defense mechanisms fail, thereby protecting the ego.

Projection

• Attributing to others what you do not accept about yourself
• Transforming inner anxiety to external anxiety

Reaction Formation

• Adopting opposing attitudes or behaviours to true thoughts or feelings.

Regression

• Reverting to earlier development stages

Denial

• Blocking external events from awareness

Displacement

• Transferring negative feelings from one subject to another

This quiz delves into the concept of paradigms in psychology, highlighting various perspectives such as psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic-existentialism. Explore how paradigms shape our understanding of psychological practices and the shifts that occur when new theories emerge. Test your knowledge on the frameworks that define this complex discipline.