Behaviourist Theory Vs Psychodynamic Theory

The psychodynamic and behaviourist model are two opposing perspectives in psychology, both serve to understand the processes that govern behaviour as to resolve mental disease in very distinct ways.

Firstly, central to the psychodynamic model; biological drives are the prerequisite from which all behaviour stems. Freud highlights that the unconscious is not readily accessible to the self, to this end it undermines the concept of free-will. Raising many questions, it proposes that if one’s individuality is determined by the conflict within the tripartite of mind throughout the psychosexual stages of infancy; to what extent is free-will available?

This issue also arises within the behaviourist model. Watson 's approach reduces behaviour to conditioned responses through external stimuli, this theory suggests that a learner is essentially passive, claiming that one begins as a ‘tabula rasa’ and all traits are a

Yet the experiments conducted have been predominantly on animals, assuming continuity between species, the data has been generalized to humans. Whereas from the perspective of the psychodynamic model, this is limiting for an individual because without room for speculation, inner conflicts cannot be explored. The components that make up the mind have been assumed through gathering qualitative data.

In conclusion, both theories are not without limitations, however, the psychodynamic model offers insight into the unobservable psyche. So forth it is regarded a key asset in psychology, serving as a springboard for new theories although a major critique is that it is unreliable and cannot be measurably proven. Whilst the behaviourist approach has been proven, predominantly through animal experimentation, it provides a practical understanding of the mind to allow for the resolution of negative