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Biological Approach Vs Psychoanalytic Approach

817 Words4 Pages

Psychology is characterised by a range of approaches which hold different beliefs of the same issue. In this essay the biological and psychoanalytic perspectives will be examined as to identify whether the two approaches are as vastly different as they appear at first glance. Through discussing prevailing themes within psychology – atomism, determinism, materialism vs dualism and nature vs nurture – relationships between key features and the perspectives may become more easily defined.
The biological perspective aims to explain behaviours using scientific reason; through examining thoughts and actions, physiological mechanisms like brain functioning (Kalat, 2016) may be attributed to various behaviours. Alongside technological advancements, …show more content…

Often, references to unconscious forces point towards the id, ego and superego - the topographical concepts often viewed as the essence of the mind. Functionally, the id acts on a pleasure instinct, it is prevented by the self-preserving ego (Bocock, 2002), whilst, the superego deciphers right and wrong according to a person’s moral standing (Freud et al, 1991).
Additionally, the approach focuses on making clinical observations to develop therapies. The case of Anna O illustrates this; through addressing her symptoms of hysteria, Breuer discovered the cathartic effect of the ‘talking cure’ (Hunt, 1993). Upon Breuer’s discovery, Freud identified that understanding hidden meanings behind symptoms, through uncovering unconscious thoughts behind behaviours (Goodwin, 2015) was imperative for developing a true cure (Hunt, 1993).
General Principles of the …show more content…

In the same way, the mind is equated to an iceberg (Glassman & Hadad, 2013) suggesting such a complex phenomenon can be explained so simply.
Both approaches are atomistic however, the biological perspective tends to limit its’ fields of research determining clear cause and effect to formulate effective treatments. Whereas, Freud has reduced complex components into overly simplified concepts which can’t be falsified, but are easily understood.
Views on determinism within the perspective are emphasised greatly with free will having no effect on biological approaches. An example of this would be the use of reflex actions; Robert Whytt found that decapitated frogs would have involuntary reflexes (Goodwin, 2015) suggesting a lack of control over our actions.
Alternately, the psychoanalytic approach bases many theories on our lack of control as a result of unconscious thoughts. However, determinism is also evident when discussing psychoanalysis; it is described as a method of giving a patient’s ego the ‘freedom to decide’ but, Hunt (1993) highlights this as an awareness of unconscious motives rather than free

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