Schools of Thought in Psychology Debate

For this assignment, you will be examining the historical foundations of three major schools of thought within the field of psychology: psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, and Humanism.

You will be applying the three major theories and the concepts from these theories to help understand a case scenario. You will be comparing and contrasting the strengths and the limitations of each of the theories in understanding the particular case. You will then draw a conclusion and defend your conclusion as to which theory best fits with understanding the particular case.

In a well-written 10–12 page scholarly paper, address the following:

• Begin with a discussion of the historical foundations of each school of thought: psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism. Be sure to include a discussion of the following:
  • Historical underpinnings of each school of thought.
  • Major theorists within each school of thought.
  • Major concepts within each school of thought.
  • Bidirectional relationships between cultural and societal factors and each school of thought.
  • How did cultural and societal events of the time shape the development of this school of thought? How did this school of thought shape and influence societal thinking?

Paraphrase as much of the information that you learn from sources as possible rather than using direct quotes. Quotes should be used only occasionally. Cite and reference all sources of information you paraphrase or quote in your work.

Case Study

Apply the major concepts and theories from each school of thought to the following case study:

Judy is a 29-year-old single female. She has a very demanding, high stress job as a second-year medical resident in a large hospital. Judy has always been a high achiever. She graduated with top honors in both college and medical school. She has very high standards for herself and can be very self-critical when she fails to meet them. Lately, she has struggled with significant feelings of worthlessness and shame due to her inability to perform as well as she always has in the past.

Address the following in your paper:

• How would a psychoanalyst explain what is happening here? How might a psychoanalyst explain Judy’s high standards and feelings of worthlessness and shame? How would a behaviorist explain what is happening here? How would a humanist explain what is happening here?
• Compare and contrast the strengths and limitations pros and cons of each school of thought’s approach to our understanding of Judy’s this case. What unique perspective does each school of thought bring to the understanding? What are the limitations of each school of thought in understanding Judy’s case?
• Select one school of thought (psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Humanism) and present an argument as to why you think this school of thought would be the most appropriate in addressing the issues presented in the case study. Overall, which school of thought provides the best understanding of Judy’s case? Be sure to also discuss the limitations of the two schools you did not choose.

In addition to other professional sources, such as your textbook, use a minimum of five scholarly sources to support your ideas. Please note that popular websites are not acceptable sources of support.

You do not need an index or abstract for this paper. Use the APA Style Paper Template to complete the assignment.

• Written communication: Must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Resources and citations: Format according to APA (6th Edition) guidelines.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.