Child psychology textbooks rarely include material on humanism that can be used as a guide for students. Freudian and Eriksonian psychoanalysis, behaviorism and social learning theory, genetic perspectives, the cognitive approaches of Piaget and Vygotsky, and ecological theories all regularly appear in child psychology textbooks. While there are humanistic currents in Eriksonian psychoanalysis, Vygotsky’s theory, and ecological approaches due to their holism (e.g., their emphases on the child’s social context and enculturation), these approaches are not specifically dedicated to a systematic and rigorous humanization of psychology per se. Hence, they are generally not referred to as humanistic theories, nor are they presented in textbooks as belonging to the tradition of humanistic psychology. To be sure, there are works pertaining to child development that allow one to view child development in a more humanistic fashion. I have found these works within two related currents in developmental psychology: humanistic-developmental self-theory and phenomenological child psychology. However, these works have not been brought together into an organized form that would allow them to attract more attention in child psychology on the whole. To this end, this book explores humanistic-developmental self-theory and phenomenological child psychology as options for instructors who wish to expose students of child psychology to humanism at the college or graduate level. The first chapter discusses the need for the text, its theoretical orientation, and the structure of the book. In the next three chapters, theories of self development are derived from the works of Carl Rogers, Karen Horney, D. W. Winnicott, Heinz Kohut, and Charlotte Bühler. Chapters Five and Six introduce the reader to existing self-development theories created by Richard Knowles and Daniel Stern. Chapters Seven, Eight, and Nine explore major aspects of childhood experience (i.e., perception, affect, time, space, and maternal relations) from a phenomenological perspective. The final chapter provides an overarching theoretical viewpoint that can be used to put developmental issues into perspective. The perspective offered there is holistic and open to dialogue between various schools of thought, such as American humanism, postmodern psychology, existential-phenomenology, psychoanalysis, Gestalt psychology, neo-analytic and psychodynamic theories, Vygotskian theory, and ecological psychology. Show
Psychodynamic and humanistic perspectives have been remarkably essential in understanding behavior. Psychodynamic perspective focuses on the influence of unconscious psychological processes while humanistic perspective investigates the impact of our free will, the importance of personal worth, and the centrality of human values. The following discussions further delve into their distinctions.  What is Psychodynamic Perspective?The psychodynamic perspective pertains to the therapeutic approach and theories developed by Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis) and supported by his followers. The neo-Freudians agreed with the fundamental principles of the psychoanalytic theory such as the influence of the unconscious and childhood experiences. However, they disagreed with some of his concepts; generally, they deemphasized the role of sex and acknowledged the impact of social environment. Some of the neo-Freudians are the following:
Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist, developed “Individual Psychology”. He was initially a part of Freud’s inner circle of colleagues. However, Adler disagreed with Freud’s emphasis on sexual and aggressive urges. He believed that individuals are driven by feelings of inferiority in childhood and that they should be studied as a whole.
Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, developed “Analytical Psychology”. He had a close friendship with Freud but it ended due to their differing concepts. Jung described Freud’s theory of the unconscious as incomplete and too pessimistic. For example, Jung suggested the existence of the “collective unconscious” which is transpersonal and deeper. However, Freud dismissed such concepts as being irrational.
Horney (“horn-eye”), a German psychoanalyst, is credited for her feminist psychology. She disagreed with the concept of “penis envy” ( Freud explained that young girls experience anxiety when they realize that they do not have a penis). Horney then explained that men go through “womb envy” (men are actually envious of women’s capability to bear children). She also believed that neurosis is attributed to the basic anxiety which stem from interpersonal relationships. The core assumptions of the psychodynamic perspective are the following (Bornstein, 2020):
The psychodynamic perspective explains that our psychological processes our largely unconscious. For instance, we are not consciously aware of most of our feelings, motives, memories, and other mental activities.
Psychodynamic theorists view childhood experiences, including those that occur during the first weeks of life as crucial in shaping personality. For instance, not experiencing sufficient care from a primary caregiver can negatively affect one’s behavior, even decades later.
The psychodynamic perspective suggests that behavior is caused by certain biological and psychological processes. Hence, every thought, feeling, or motive does not just happen by chance; everything has a meaning. For instance, dreams are not merely meaningless images or stories, they may say something about your desires, fears, past, etc. What is Humanistic PerspectiveThe humanistic perspective emphasizes free will, empathy, self-actualization, holistic approach, and the goodness of each human being. It is also known as the “third force”, it arose in the 1950s in response to psychoanalytic and behavioral perspectives which are described as too deterministic. For instance, it sees the psychodynamic perspective as having too much focus on the unconscious. It also sees behaviorism as having too much emphasis on reinforcement, punishment, and animal research. Humanistic psychologists include Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Fritz Perls. The following are humanism’s basic assumptions (McLeod, 2020):
Humans have the capacity to choose how they will respond to stimuli. For instance, we can choose to be happy despite challenging situations.
Good intentions are the driving force of behavior; however, individuals may deviate from their innate goodness when facing adverse situations. We can then change for the better and will ourselves to overcome challenges.
People continuously seek to achieve growth, satisfaction, and fulfillment.
Instead of focusing on the unconscious, rewards and punishments, thinking, or the human brain, we should look into how people interpret events, each individual’s unique understanding of the world.
As compared to laboratory experiments and surveys, the use of diary accounts, open-ended questionnaires, in-depth and unstructured interviews and observations are more productive in studying behavior. Humans can be better understood by genuinely talking with them, being open, and empathetic.
Humanism views studies on animals as insignificant since they do not tell us much about how humans feel, think, and experience events. Difference between Psychodynamic Perspective and Humanistic PerspectiveDefinitionThe psychodynamic perspective pertains to the therapeutic approach and theories developed by Sigmund Freud (the founder of psychoanalysis) and supported by his followers. It emphasizes the influence of the unconscious and childhood experiences in shaping one’s behavior. In comparison, the humanistic perspective emphasizes free will, empathy, potential, holistic approach, and the goodness of each human being. It is also known as the “third force”, it arose in response to both psychoanalytic and behavioral perspectives which are described as too deterministic. Core AssumptionsThe core assumptions of psychodynamic perspective are: primacy of the unconscious, importance of early experiences, and psychic causality (Bornstein, 2020). On the other hand, the basic assumptions of humanistic perspective are: people have free will, humans are innately good, we are motivated to self-actualize, conscious subjective experiences are more important, qualitative methods over quantitative methods, and rejection of comparative psychology (McLeod, 2020). PsychologistsThe neo-Freudians advanced the psychodynamic perspective which was based on Freud’s psychoanalysis. They include Adler, Jung, Horney, and Erikson. As for the humanistic psychologists, they include Maslow, Rogers, and Perls. Psychodynamic Perspective vs Humanistic PerspectiveSummary
Jean Brown is a Registered Psychologist, licensed professional teacher, and a freelance academic and creative writer. She has been teaching social science courses both in the undergrad and graduate levels. Jean has also been a research adviser and panel member in a number of psychology and special education paper presentations. Her certifications include TESOL (Tampa, Florida), Psychiatric Ward Practicum Certification, and Marker of Diploma Courses. Loading... Cite What are the main differences between psychoanalysis and humanistic therapy?The goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to uncover unconscious motivations, whereas the goal of humanistic therapy is to empower a client to reach his or her full potential.
What is the difference between humanistic and psychodynamic therapy?Psychodynamic theory is based on psychoanalysis that hypothesizes there are unconscious components of the human psyche that affect behavior. Humanistic perspectives of personality focus on a person's self-worth and self-concept as they discover important facets of their identity.
What are the 4 differences between psychodynamic and humanistic therapy?The main differences between the psychodynamic view and humanistic view are the goals, development, causes, and treatments; and in each area, both views have made significant contributions.
How was the humanistic approach different from the psychoanalytic and the behaviorism approach?Behaviorists believe that all human behavior is controlled by externalenvironmental factors. Whereas psychoanalysts believe that human behavior iscontrolled and directed by unconscious internal forces. Thus, theHumanistic approach (this will send you tothe Humanistic Approach tutorial) perceives behavior as holistic.
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What are the main differences between psychoanalytic therapy and humanistic therapy?
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