Human Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Psychology - Essay Example As a result, modern psychology is an amalgam of stances, theories and perspective that supplement or contradict each other. Functional psychology or functionalism is a broad psychological school that became popular in the early decades of 20th century. Advocates of functional approach focused on the active (functional) adaptation of human consciousness to the environment (Vandenbos, 2006). Functional psychology relied on the work of William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher, and the evolutionary theory developed of Charles Darwin. The primary concern of functionalists was to understand how the human mind and consciousness functions. Functionalists believed that this could be done via introspection: "Functionalists studied the mind not from the standpoint of its composition-its mental elements of structure-but rather as a conglomerate or accumulation of functions and processes that lead to practical consequences in the real world" (Schultz, & Schultz, 2008, p.145). As a result, functionalists rejected the traditional positivist philosophy of experimental research and advocated the potential of rational thought being concerned with the capability of the mind and practical value of psychological research. The essence of functional psychology was articulated by John Dewey, the brightest representative of functionalism, in his "The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology" (1896). Dewey criticized the notion of elementarism and atomism that dominated early psychology. His criticism also covered the emerging school of behaviorism with its stimulus-response theory (Dewey, 1964). Although functional psychology failed to become a formal school, the concepts and principles formulated by representatives of this approach contributed greatly to the development of behavioral psychology (Schultz, & Schultz, 2008). An essential contribution of functionalism was recognition of the validity of research involving animals, children and people with psychiatric disabilities. Yet the most important contribution of functionalism to contemporary psychological practice was introduction of novel research methods and techniques such as mental tests, questionnaires and physiological measures (Biro, & Shahan, 1982). T his legacy continues to play critically important role in modern psychological practice. Behaviorism The origins of behaviorist perspective, a theory successfully applied in modern psychological practice can be traced back to John Watson (1878 - 1958) whom was the first theorist to formulate the principles of modern behaviorism. The school of behaviorism embraces hundreds of theories, practices, and trends that have emerged over several decades. However, the underlying feature of any behaviorist theory or concept is the emphasis on external influences on behavior and motivation that are viewed as the most critical aspect of understanding the inner world of human beings. Thus, Wilfred Sellars (1963), an outstanding philosopher of the last century whom witnessed emergence development and decline of behaviorism noted "a person may qualify as a behaviorist, loosely or attitudinally speaking, if they insist on confirming hypotheses about psychological events in terms of behavioral

Illogical Terror (or invent another topic if you like) Essay

Illogical Terror (or invent another topic if you like) - Essay Example He possesses a strange power of seeing future events in his vision. He views blood coming out of an elevator of Overlook Hotel, the place where his father wants to go become the caretaker. The strange force is also present in the telepathic powers of the hotel chef. He offers Danny ice cream through this power. This seems illogical yet vaguely corresponds to people’s perceptions of demonic possessions and haunted places. Logically, it should not terrorize the audiences but it does. Val Lewton uses similar ideas. In his movies, a strange force either haunts a place (building, castle etc.) or it resides in people. In his film Cat People (1942) this strange power lies in a woman, Irena Dubrovna. She can turn into a beast (an overgrown black panther) when sexually aroused. Val Lewton’s The Haunting (1980) also incorporates a similar uncanny force. In the Female Spectator, Lesbian Specter: The Haunting, Patricia White states â€Å"It is the uncanny house that the heroine is forced to inhabit - and to explore†¦ The woman provokes the uncanny; her experience of it remains a shadowy area.† She is shown to have psychic powers. Exactly what happens to her at the house or what she does to the ‘creatures’ living in the house is a mystery. This uncanny force is the theme of The Shining. Towards the end of the movie, the audiences are shown a photograph of Jack from 1921. The story unwinds in such a way that it gives an impression that probably Jack Torrance was a ghost from the beginning. His decision to take his wife, Wendy, and son to the hotel triggered the ‘force’. The Haunting shows a similar context. The team that visits the haunted house triggers paranormal events. The Leopard Man (1943) is fascinating in the sense that this uncanny force is not real. It gives the illusion that the forces there. For instance, all the way through the movie the audiences keep guessing that probably the man