History of Psychology Although the Term Paper

An early influence on Gestalt psychology was the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who stressed that humans do not perceive the world as it is. Rather, they impose cause and effect relationships on it and therefore our perceptions are influenced by their experiences. Max Wertheimer was the strongest proponent of this approach. Gestalt psychology greatly declined when Nazis came to power in Germany and many scholars were forced to flee. In the United States, behaviorism was too strong to overcome, and many of its ideas were in opposition to Gestalt beliefs.

Humanistic therapy overlaps with CBT and both are very common in today's society. It emphasizes the growth and fulfillment of the self or self-actualization through self-mastery, self-examination and creative expression. Although the influences of the unconscious and society are taken into account, freedom of choice in creating one's experience is essential and is often referred to as self-determination. A humanistic therapist is nonjudgmental and empathic, and uses open-ended responses, reflective listening and understanding interpretations to promote client self-understanding, acceptance and actualization.

One of the main schools of psychology that most people have heard of is psychoanalysis, which was developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s. It was based on the theory that behavior is determined by powerful inner forces buried in the unconscious mind. From early childhood, people repress any desires or needs that are unacceptable to themselves or to society. These repressed feelings can cause personality disturbances, self-destructive behavior, and even physical symptoms. In a method called free association, the patient talks about anything that comes to mind, and therapist listens for clues to the person's inner feelings. Psychoanalysts also try to interpret dreams. The goal is to help the patient understand and accept repressed feelings and find ways to deal with them.

Although many psychologists still adhere to many of Freud's teachings, they also incorporate other forms of psychology that deal more with the present day than the past; more with present actions than repressed earlier thoughts. For instance, though many psychologists disagree with some of Freud's ideas, most accept his ideas that the unconscious plays a major role in shaping behavior. Similarly, most psychologists agree with the behaviorists that environment influences behavior and that they should study chiefly observable actions. However, many psychologists object to pure behaviorism, since they believe that it pays too little attention to such processes as reasoning and personality development.