What are the main schools of thought in psychology currently, and what are their views? Thank you.

Here's a quick overview of the different schools of thought and their main ideas:

Psychodynamics: Behavior is driven or motivated by powerful internal forces. It believes that human behavior is generated from innate instincts and biological drives.

The main representative here is Sigmund Freud.

Behaviorism: Behaviorism doesn't study the human mind because it believes that this is unobservable and meaningless. Of course, this isn't true, but his behaviorism does have practical significance and effect.

It basically means that a specific stimulus in a specific environment can cause a specific behavior. It also allows us to understand, predict, and control.

For instance, if someone is given food that makes them feel sick, they might decide not to eat it again. This is called a conditioned response of disgust.

By the way, the representative figure here is John Watson.

Humanism: Maslow is probably the most well-known humanist, and his theory of the hierarchy of needs is a big part of why. The core idea of humanism is that human nature is fundamentally good. It looks at how we can do good and become better, become "self-actualized," and develop our potential.

Cognitive science is probably the most valuable and promising school of psychology today. It's based on computer theory.

It looks at how people think and all the other cognitive processes, such as attention, reasoning, problem solving, memory, understanding, language use, and so on. It also believes that human actions come from human thinking, and human thinking comes from the structure of the brain.

Hello question asker! I will answer your question.

The current and latest schools of psychology are still mainly the seven schools developed in the past. The schools that are currently flourishing in the market are extensions or integrations of these seven schools.

The seven major schools are constructivism, functionalism, behaviorism, gestalt, psychoanalysis, modern cognition, and humanism. The first two are by far the most widely used.

There is also an integrative school, which uses different schools at different stages of counseling clients. There is no long-term experience in counseling with a particular school, so I do not recommend that the questioner study this school. If the questioner is just getting started and wants to focus on psychology, I recommend humanism. It is easier to get started with and easier to operate.

If you want to get to the root of the visitor's problems, you can study psychoanalysis. It's the most time-consuming and can cause pain or dropout. It's not recommended for novices.

I will now discuss the views of the seven major schools and the questioner.

01 Constructivism

The constructivist school was the first school of psychology to emerge. Its representatives included John Watson and William James.

Vont and others are certain that psychology is the science that studies people's direct experience, that is, consciousness. It uses introspection to analyze the content of human consciousness and identify its components. Human experience (consciousness) is divided into three elements: sensation, imagery, and emotion. Introspection refers to relying on the subject's observation and description of their own experience to understand people's direct experience. In short, psychology studies consciousness that has been divided into basic elements, not the whole of consciousness.

02 Functionalism

The functionalist school of psychology was founded by American psychologists such as James, Dewey, and Angell. It is the antithesis of constructivism and advocates the study of consciousness. However, it opposes the view that consciousness is a collection of individual psychological elements. It does not analyze consciousness into elements such as sensations and emotions. Instead, it advocates that consciousness is a continuous whole, a continuous process. This is known as "consciousness flow." The functionalist school of psychology also advocates that the object of psychological research is adaptive psychological activity. Furthermore, it attaches importance to the practical application of psychology. The role of consciousness is to adapt the organism to the environment.

Behaviorism is the third major force in the history of psychology.

The behaviorist school of psychology is led by two prominent figures: Watson and Skinner. It has been a dominant force in psychology for decades.

Behaviorist psychology is clear that the object of psychological research is not consciousness. It is therefore wrong to study consciousness directly, as it is invisible, intangible, and subjective. The stimulus-response tool is used to explain human behavior, and human psychology is studied through the overt behavior that people exhibit in response to stimuli.

The research method unequivocally advocates the use of objective experimental methods, not introspection.

This theory is also flawed. It places too much emphasis on the "stimulus-response" model to explain human behavior, and shapes human behavior by controlling the external environment. As Watson himself said, "Give me a dozen healthy infants, no matter what their ancestors are, and I will shape them into whatever I want." This ignores the impact of genetics on human physical and mental development. It also aligns with the external theory (environmental determinism) view.

Watson's experiment on young Albert also violated the ethical principles of experimentation. There is no doubt that the rise of behaviorism is known as the "first revolution" in the history of psychology development, and is also known as the first force or the first power of Western psychology.

Gestalt

Gestalt psychology, also known as gestalt psychology, was founded by Kurt Veitheimer, Kurt Köhler, and Kurt Koffka. The word "Gestalt" is a transliteration of the German word "Gestalt," meaning "whole, shape." This school of thought also studies consciousness, but it is clear that the constructivist analysis of consciousness into individual elements is flawed. Instead, it is evident that consciousness should be studied as a whole, as the whole is not the sum of its parts. Furthermore, consciousness is not equal to the collection of sensory and emotional elements, and the whole exists before the parts and governs their nature and meaning. Köhler proposed the Gestalt-Epiphenomenal Theory of Learning through the "Gorilla Picking Bananas Experiment," and Köhler used the "Chick Pecks Rice Experiment" to prove the learning transfer theory of relational transformation.

05. Psychoanalysis

The founder of psychoanalysis is psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. Other representative figures include Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. This school of thought also studies consciousness. They divide the human psyche into three parts: the subconscious (unconscious), the preconscious, and the conscious.

Consciousness refers to everything that an individual is currently aware of and can be perceived as mental activity. The subconscious (unconscious) contains human instinctual impulses, as well as human desires that have been repressed since birth. These are desires that are not tolerated by social norms. The unconscious is the focus of research by the psychoanalytic school. Preconsciousness is an intermediate mental state between consciousness and the unconscious. It refers to everything that is not currently aware but can become the content of consciousness through recollection. A person's psychology is like an iceberg: consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg floating on the surface, while most of the iceberg is hidden underwater in the "unconscious."

2. Freud was clear that the personality is composed of three levels: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id follows the pleasure principle and is the most primitive part of the personality structure, innate at birth. The components of the id are basic human needs, such as hunger, thirst, and sex.

A baby's hunger is an example of this. The ego follows the principle of reality and demands to be fed immediately. After birth, the ego develops from the id in the real world and learns how to obtain satisfaction of its needs in reality.

Furthermore, the ego acts as a buffer and regulator between the id and the superego, moderating the impulses of the id and the controls of the superego. The superego is the highest part of the personality structure and is formed as individuals accept the socio-cultural moral norms of life.

The superego is the moral part of the personality structure. From the perspective of the principles that govern human nature, the principle of perfection governs the superego. The three levels of the personality structure are intertwined and form an organic whole.

In normal circumstances, the id, ego, and superego are in a state of coordination and balance, which ensures the normal development of the personality. When this is disrupted, psychological disorders occur, endangering the development of the personality.

3. Freud advocated the theory of libido and divided personality development into five stages, which he was certain were constant in order.

The first stage is the oral phase (0–1 year). It is also called the oral period or oral stage. During this stage, the primary libido (libido) is mainly satisfied through oral activities such as sucking, chewing, and swallowing. The individual feels happy as a result.

If this is not satisfied, corresponding personality traits will develop in adulthood. These include gluttony, alcoholism, smoking, and other behavioral manifestations, as well as pessimism, dependence, and demandingness.

This is the second stage.

The second stage is the anal period (1–3 years old), also known as the anal desire period. During this period, the satisfaction of primitive sexual desire mainly relies on the stimulation and pleasure derived from urinating and defecating.

It is essential to teach your child to control their bowel movements and develop good hygiene habits at this time.

Stage 3 is the Genital Phase, which lasts from 3 to 6 years old. It is also known as the Genital Phase or the Oedipus Phase. During this phase, the needs of the original libido are mainly satisfied by the sexual organs.

This is a crucial stage in gender identity. During this period, individuals become aware of the anatomical differences between the sexes and their own gender, enjoy touching their own sexual organs, and develop "Oedipus" complexes.

Freud was certain that the first three stages were the most important stages of personality development and laid the foundation for the adult personality model. He was adamant that the initial formation of personality should be around the age of 5.

Stage 4: Latency (6 years old to puberty). During this stage, the original libido is stagnant or degenerate due to the development of psychological forces such as a sense of morality, beauty, and shame, as well as the expansion of children's interests.

There is a distinct lack of interest in sex, and boys and girls are emotionally distant. Sexual impulses turn towards nature, sports, singing and dancing, art, etc.

Stage 5: The reproductive period (puberty to adulthood) is also called the gender period. During this period, the individual's sexual organs mature and the physiological and psychological characteristics become apparent. Gender differences become significant.

At this point, sexual desire turns to the opposite sex of a similar age. The ideal of a sexual life and the awareness of marriage and family begin to appear. This marks the maturity of the sexual psyche. The psychoanalytic school is the second force in psychology.

06 Modern cognition

The modern cognitive school, also known as information processing psychology, is represented by figures such as Nasser and Piaget. The publication of the book Cognitive Psychology by American psychologist Nasser marked the emergence of cognitive psychology as an independent school.

Cognitive psychology is a broad field of research that covers a range of topics, including attention, perception, learning, memory, and forgetting, as well as thinking and language. Cognitive psychology views the human being as an information processing system similar to a computer and studies human cognitive activity from the perspective of information processing. This means that it looks at how information is processed, from the moment it is input to the moment it is extracted.

It has developed its own unique research methods, including computer simulation.

Cognitive psychology makes it clear that consciousness plays an important role in behavior. It also emphasizes the active nature of consciousness and human subjective initiative. Furthermore, it advocates a focus on the perspective of information processing and attaches importance to the connection and mutual regulation of various psychological processes. The rise of cognitive psychology is known as the "second revolution" in the history of psychology.

07 Humanism

Humanistic psychology is represented by figures such as Rogers and Maslow. Humanism unequivocally opposes the mechanistic environmental determinism of behaviorism and the biological determinism of instinct in psychoanalysis. It emphatically emphasizes the "people-oriented" approach, believing that psychology should focus on the study of human values and personality development, study real-world issues that are meaningful to human progress, and care about human nature, potential, dignity, and value.

Humanitarians are certain that human nature is fundamentally good and kind, and that people are not driven by unconscious desires. They unquestionably value the inherent worth of the individual and advocate the full development of human potential.

Humanistic psychology is a definitive third force, independent of psychoanalytic and behaviorist theories.

There is no doubt that constructivism, functionalism, Gestaltism, psychoanalysis, and modern cognitive research all study consciousness. However, they study different parts of consciousness. Constructivism studies the elements of consciousness; functionalism studies the flow of consciousness; Gestaltism studies the totality of consciousness; psychoanalysis studies the unconscious; and modern cognitive research studies the subjective initiative of consciousness.

I am confident that my answer will help the questioner!

The term "psychoanalysis" is most closely associated with the work of the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who is regarded as the founder of this field of study. Psychoanalytic psychology emerged in 1990.

The primary tenets of this theoretical perspective are as follows: that the field of psychology should prioritize the study of unconscious processes and phenomena; that the human mind is comprised of three distinct domains: consciousness, the subconscious, and preconsciousness, which lies between the two; and that the subconscious is the repository of repressed memories and unconscious desires.

From a structural perspective, Freud posited that the structure of the personality consisted of the id, ego, and superego. He further proposed that the driving force of human beings was the "sexual instinct."

From a human nature perspective, humans are believed to possess instincts pertaining to life and death.

From a developmental perspective, Freud postulated that the instinctual desires within the id must be gratified through different bodily regions at varying stages of individual development in order to elicit pleasure. The process of deriving pleasure from different bodily regions thus becomes a marker of human development.

Accordingly, he delineated a five-stage psychosexual developmental sequence.

The oral phase (0–1 year) is characterized by the seeking of pleasure through oral stimulation, including the mouth, lips, and fingers.

Secondly, the anal phase (1–3 years of age) derives its pleasure from the control of muscle tension during the holding and expulsion of feces.

The third phase, occurring between the ages of three and five, is characterized by the development of genital fantasies, which serve as the source of pleasure during this period.

The fourth stage, which occurs between the ages of five and twelve, is referred to as the latency period. During this time, the source of pleasure shifts from the internal to the external world.

5. During the reproductive period, which commences after the age of 12, there is a gradual sexual orientation towards the opposite sex.

From the perspective of adaptation, the development of defense mechanisms is a necessary component of survival.

2. Behaviorism:

Notable representatives of the behaviorist school include American psychologists Watson, Pavlov, Thorndike, and Skinner. This school of thought posits that psychology should not concern itself with the study of consciousness, but rather with the prediction and control of human behavior. They argue that behavior can be controlled through the processes of learning and training. As long as the relationship between stimulus and response is determined, human psychology and behavior can be arbitrarily shaped by controlling the environment.

The tenets of behaviorism place considerable emphasis on the influence of the external environment, a perspective that is, on the whole, reasonable. However, this emphasis on the environment is, at times, excessive, and it also ignores the role of human subjective initiative. Consequently, this approach also has shortcomings.

3. Cognitive Psychology Schools

The cognitive psychology perspective differs from the behaviorist perspective in that the latter posits that the internal processing of external stimuli entering the brain is inconsequential and an unexplored phenomenon, whereas cognitive psychology asserts that it is precisely the information processing within this phenomenon that is of paramount importance. Cognition, in its simplest form, can be defined as a person's perception and evaluation of something, as well as their expectations of future occurrences.

The humanistic school, as represented by Maslow and Rogers, combines psychoanalytic psychology and behaviorist psychology. This perspective views human nature as inherently good and examines the human heart from a positive psychology perspective.

The humanistic school posits that the "self" constitutes the primary structure of personality, with the "ideal self" occupying a secondary position. Maslow defines personality motivation as a function of "needs." He identifies the most significant causal factor in personality pathology as frustration resulting from the inability to meet fundamental needs. He further asserts that individuals possess the capacity to resolve their own problems.

The aforementioned schools of thought represent the more mainstream approaches to psychology, but there are also notable exceptions, such as the Gestalt schools and short-term focusing, which have gained considerable popularity.

These are the fundamental concepts.

Hello, dear.

I understand your description and your current feelings and emotions. However, you cannot rush learning this. Even if someone tells you what schools of psychology there are and what their views are,

You can't understand their specific theories or skills, or how to work with clients in a concrete way, etc. Your own inclination and choice of school is actually not very helpful or referable.

You must first learn and test the most basic theoretical knowledge of psychology.

Next, you must expose yourself to the various schools of psychology. First, gain a general understanding of them. Then, choose the school that suits you best for further in-depth study based on your inclinations and interests.

You must be disciplined and focused. If you learn one school at a time, you must complete this stage of learning before trying to learn more about other parts that interest you. You cannot learn two schools at the same time or dabble in too many things at once. Otherwise, you will get confused.

If you have a direction you recognize and want to explore in depth from the beginning, it's the best choice for you. Start learning from this point and continue to adjust and integrate it during the learning process.

Let me be clear: other people's learning methods and chosen directions, including other people's paths to growth, are not necessarily the most suitable for oneself.

Let me be clear: no matter which school of psychological counseling a therapist belongs to, when it comes to a school of thought that he is not good at or does not often use, he can still understand and recognize it. He is not ignorant of these parts.

He must have some understanding and knowledge of these things. For example, a psychoanalytic-dynamic-oriented counselor can also understand the general mode of operation and theoretical skills and techniques of the Satir family therapy cognitive behavioral school. He just needs to know how the work is done.

And so on.

Each counselor has their own area of expertise, such as working with adolescents, family therapy, marriage, relationships, career planning, motivation, short-term focus, cognition, humanism, etc. However, doing good counseling requires a comprehensive understanding of the field.

From the beginning, the different schools of thought have diverged due to disagreements or differences in personal development directions. They all have a common origin, common parts, and connections, and are slowly converging.

A senior psychological counselor, a supervisor, and a professor-level expert psychological counselor all have a good grasp of this area and are particularly good at it. Just like in Gestalt therapy, there is no need to use an empty chair every time, or to use the empty chair technique in some counseling relationships. This is not a requirement of the Gestalt school of psychology.

Currently, there are still many prominent schools of psychology, and the boundaries between them are gradually becoming less distinct. It appears that relying on a single school may not fully address the needs of contemporary clients. In China, there seems to be a preference for the school of psychoanalysis, however, this is not as prevalent in other regions.

The insights revealed by psychoanalysis often focus on the subconscious mind, exploring the underlying motivations behind personal behavior from a depth that can be both profound and mysterious. Some prominent figures in the field of psychology include Lacan and Freud.

Another approach is the cognitive behavioral school, which suggests that cognition plays a role in influencing behavior and emotions. This school of thought examines the principles of human behavior through empirical methods, with the aim of addressing unhealthy behaviors by modifying cognitive processes. Prominent figures within this tradition include Beck and others.

Another approach is humanism, represented by Maslow, which advocates a client-centered counseling approach. This approach involves the counselor fully accepting and listening to the client, with the aim of providing a supportive and respectful environment for healing.

It is also worth noting that there are indications of integration between some transpersonal schools and other schools of thought. It is not uncommon for counselors to have a diverse range of skills and expertise, with each school offering unique insights and approaches. If you are interested in learning more about a specific area, it can be beneficial to choose one and delve deeply into it through systematic study. Additionally, practical training in other schools can be valuable for those seeking to expand their knowledge and skills. It is important to consider whether your motivation for learning is for professional development or personal growth. Best wishes in your journey of learning and growth.

Could you please clarify what ZQ means?