1. The basic structure of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic theory revolve around the idea that mental processes are automatically regulated by "the pleasure principle" and avoidance of pain. Why are these principles important to psychotherapy? Support your reasoning.
The tendency to avoid pain and seek pleasure is universal to humanity, noted Freud, who devised the term “the pleasure principle,” (“Pleasure Principle,” 2015). The pleasure principle became one of the central ideas and pivotal focal points of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic theory. The pleasure principle is an embedded function of the subconscious mind, suggesting that it is immutable and inevitable. However, the pleasure principle is driven primarily by the needs and desires of the id. The other two parts of the subconscious, in Freud’s model, can help regulate reactions to the pleasure principle. Those other two parts of the subconscious include the ego and superego. Together with the id, the ego and superego comprise the basic three-part structure of the psyche.
Therefore, the importance of the pleasure principle cannot be understated. The pleasure principle is what drives people to do things that they know intellectually are bad for them, or which are wrong. The ego and superego might shout at the id to stop doing drugs, eating too much food, or throwing tantrums. Yet if the bad habit or harmful behavior causes some pleasure, the id may continue to act accordingly. Even when the long-term repercussions of the action are overall negative, the id lives primarily in the here and now. It is driven by instant gratification and not by the desire to cultivate discipline. Psychoanalysis is based on the theory that through talk therapy, the individual can become more aware of the id urges driving behavior. By becoming aware of the pleasure principle, the person can try and reduce the pleasure one receives by doing harmful things—linking psychodynamic theory with other theories of psychology like cognitive behavioral psychology. Similarly, therapy can help the person find healthier ways to cope with or avoid pain.
Reference
“Pleasure Principle,” (2015). Good Therapy. Retrieved online: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/pleasure-principle
2. What is research? How is scholarly research different from other kinds of research? What are the essential components of scholarly research? How will scholarly research help prepare you for writing your dissertation?
The main difference between scholarly research and other kinds of research lies in the credibility of the sources and the methods used to report on the results (University of British Columbia, 2017). In both popular and scholarly research, a person needs to spend time searching for relevant information or acquiring primary source evidence such as from an interview. With scholarly research, the ideal sources will be articles published in peer-reviewed journals or primary sources. Depending on the field of interest or study, the types of primary sources include interviews, diary entries, official documents, or original experimental research. Scholarly research is peer-reviewed, meaning that it has been vetted by a community of professionals in the same field. Popular research can include things like books written for the general public or articles published in newspapers. As credible as news articles can be, they are not considered scholarly sources.
The essential components of scholarly research include a review of prior literature on the subject, a clear identification of the methods used in the research or review of literature, and an accurate reporting of all results. Moreover, scholarly research needs to identify areas of weakness in the study, draw connections to real world applications, and also make suggestions for future research. Performing the actual research may entail doing an experiment, as in the social sciences or sciences. However, much scholarly research involves original inquiry into areas like history, the arts, and humanities. Scholarly research in these fields will entail more thorough analyses of the literature or historical record, using primary as well as secondary sources. Scholarly research will invariably help prepare me for writing a dissertation, because a dissertation is a piece of scholarly research. Performing shorter scholarly research like term papers or essays will help boost my confidence in preparing scholarly analyses and reviews of literature. It will also help me to design accurate research methods, develop hypotheses, and test those hypotheses accordingly.
Reference
University of British Columbia (2017). Scholarly vs. popular sources. Retrieved online: http://help.library.ubc.ca/evaluating-and-citing-sources/scholarly-versus-popular-sources/
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