The development and distinguishing features of three major schools in psychology Essay Example

Behaviour modification is the application of operant conditioning techniques. For instance, teachers can use behaviour modification to alter the behaviour of disruptive children. In therapy, behavioural modification treatment has been employed in the treatment of phobias and to teach autistic children. However, some people believe that behaviourism has a simplistic view of the world, leading to the development of "pop behaviourism", which suggests that rewards and punishments have the potential to change almost anything.

Skinner, an advocate of behaviourism, aimed to highlight the significance of innate rewards like personal pride and decision-making in selecting activities. Despite being groundbreaking, behaviourism not only shifted psychology's focus away from consciousness to actions but also ruled the psychological realm until ethologists and cognitive psychologists assailed its approaches in the late 1950s. It's a recent event in psychology's annals. The humanistic movement emerged in the early 1960s from the United States as a result of the requirement for a more optimistic approach towards humanity than psychoanalysis or behaviourism proposed.

Humanism, which Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow believed to be the 'third force' in psychology, aimed at replacing psychoanalysis and behaviourism. These two psychologists held the belief that humans have an innate desire to grow, create, and love. They also believed that individuals possess the power to direct their own lives. Although some may challenge these views, it is apparent that humanistic psychology promotes free will, individual distinctiveness, and deems objective research into personal experience as unsuitable. It is worth noting that an individual's environment can either impede or assist them in fulfilling their natural destiny.

Humanistic psychology suggests that a person's environment can either impede or assist them, and places great importance

on a person's subjective experience as the most crucial aspect of humanity. However, scientific psychology faces obstacles with this emphasis as it focuses on observation and verification, which is not conducive to subjective experiences.

Humanism recognizes the importance of individual uniqueness and the ability to achieve self-fulfillment. Esteemed humanists, like Maslow, believed that every person possesses the drive to reach their potential and experience self-realization. Concurrently, Carl Rogers pioneered client-centered therapy as a means of facilitating this process through his concept of the "hierarchy of human needs". Additionally, Humanism views mental disorders as resulting from self-deception and advocates for introspection as a tool for gaining insight into personal struggles and revealing solutions.

In the early days of psychology, "Wundt" founded the first psychological laboratory in Germany and discovered that many mental processes are influenced by prior levels of "unconscious" processing. This understanding was neglected during the rise of radical behaviorism in the 1920s, but later gained importance during the "cognitive revolution" of the late 1950s. The publication of Ulric Neisser's "cognitive psychology" in 1967 marked the beginning of cognitive psychology as a replacement for behaviorist orthodoxy in areas such as learning, memory, and thinking. Cognitive neuropsychology emerged in the 1970s as a productive synthesis of cognitive psychology and clinical neuroscience in addressing questions about how the mind/brain works. Overall, cognitive psychology aims to study and understand cognitive processes themselve.

Psychologists use this knowledge to clarify many aspects of our daily behavior such as traffic accidents and study habits. It is an overall psychological approach that highlights internal mental processes. It is notably true that current psychology is generally cognitive and nearly all areas of study have a

cognitive theory and interpretation. Academic psychology mainly applies to the instruction of psychology in higher education institutions.

With government funding, academic psychologists investigate social issues such as racism and football hooliganism, striving to comprehend the driving factors behind violent acts related to team allegiance or skin color. Their research delves into various areas including the armed forces and helping educational departments solve problems. The primary focus of academic psychology is evaluating and treating abnormal or maladaptive behavior.

Psychology heavily relies on mental health assessment, which plays a crucial role in identifying and treating conditions like depression and alcoholism. These issues can significantly affect an individual's daily life, as statistics show that approximately one-sixth of the population has experienced mental health problems at some point - a figure that regrettably continues to rise.

To combat these concerns, clinical psychologists often suggest rehabilitation programs and medication to aid recovery. In cases where patients require close monitoring or cannot maintain independence, hospital treatment may be necessary. Therefore, it is essential for clinical psychologists to complete both a psychology degree and postgraduate studies specializing in clinical psychology.

The main objective of educational psychology is to utilize psychological knowledge in educational contexts, encompassing various fields. It aims to assist parents and educators in tackling learning difficulties experienced by children, which may include dyslexia, behavioral issues, hyperactivity, lower IQ or physical disabilities like blindness or deafness. Educational psychology involves applying principles of learning for classroom management, administering psychometric tests, providing teacher training and addressing all aspects related to child and adolescent development within the field of education.

Government entities at the local level usually hire educational psychologists who hold a psychology degree, teaching certification, pertinent

work background, and an advanced degree in educational psychology. These specialists concentrate on investigating human performance in educational environments and address various subjects.

Occupational psychology encompasses a range of areas such as staff selection and recruitment, career counseling, studying the impact of working conditions on staff performance and psychological well-being, and analyzing the behavior of individuals in diverse professions. Although commonly associated with industry, occupational psychologists can also be employed in various non-industrial sectors.