Aggression-Discuss the Three Psychological Approaches Essay

What is trespass? During my research, I stool noted various definitions of infringement and take up often found it to be coupled with violence. This human trait is so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint both one description, save I believe that for the purpose of this essay, this extremely loose term will imbibe to suffice, as attack is viewed differently according to the different approaches. Aggression a wide variety of acts that involve attack (The Penguin Dictionary of psychology-Third Edition 2001)In this essay, I will explain and evaluate three psychological approaches of enmity from Sigmund Freud, Burrhus F muleteer and Carl R Rogers.Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) developed the psychoanalytical surmise of the personality, whereby he divided it into layers the unconscious, preconscious and the conscious. These represented different takes of sureness in our minds. He analogouswise described the personality as the id, which is essenti whollyy what we are born w ith and is where the staple fiber sexual and aggressive drives reside, the ego, which starts to develop as soon as fundamental interaction with the environment begins, and the superego, which represents the moral aspect of humans according to societys standards and values. He believed that we are born with these inner smell outings of incursion, which we white plague as a tool to obtain the things we want, plainly unfortunately, society restricts the use of this horrible behavior for obvious reasons.The display of aggressive behaviour would cause us to dawdle love and respect ending in lowered ego-esteem. In methodicalness to get through life without imposing this unaccept able-bodied behaviour upon society, we have in our superego, incorporated something called guilt, which in turn makes us feel ashamed of this pushy, demanding insistence of gratification side of ourselves. However, this causes within us an unremitting conflict that rages on through our everyday lives, in the unconscious level of our minds, where we sole(prenominal) dimly recognise it.He was however, concerned that these energies could not be permanently bottled up and suggested that redirection of these energies ( purge) into other channels ie.sport, work would be more than socially acceptable. He called this sublimation and suggested that a good society would make this possible. Nevertheless, he remained pessimistic active this also as it hardly redirected the energy of encroachment and did not really deal with the source of the problem.Freud (1920) called the destructive personnel office that course of instructions aggression, Thanatos -the death instinct (Beyond the Pleasure Principle 1920) and believed that this is a congenital human condition that is also aimed at ourselves. However, our natural life instincts impede anything happening, merely Freud thoroughly believed that the destruction of ourselves is inevitable, as aggression will perpetually be at war with society and thitherfore the greatest barrier to peace.Burrhus F mule skinner (1904-1990) who favoured the behaviourist approach to psychology, criticised the psychoanalytical theory by suggesting that psychology should be the study of behaviour and not just the mind. However, Skinners approach was radical, in that he did consider our inner thoughts and feelings, but denied that they had anything to do with behaviour (Skinner 1974). His study of behaviour involved close wholesaler with the experimental laboratory, where he experimented with small animals such as rats and pigeons. As the experimenter, he was able to study the use of stimuli and rein durabilityment (cause and reward) of behaviour.Skinner pointed out that aggression, like any other form of behaviour, is a result of social and animal(prenominal) issues in our environments. With this in mind, he believed that human behaviour is therefore controllable. In Skinners view, if aggression is apparent in a person, therefore it is determined by past and present relevant events, together with inherited endowment, hereditary factors that are passed through our genes in the process of evolution. He argued that across-the-board knowledge of these two comes of factors, genetic endowment and personal history, hold the fundamental to controlling behaviour such as aggression.The behaviourist approach fails to accredit individual free will and choice however, and the frustrations involved in the unfitness to articulate these. It is often these unobservable issues that cause behaviours, such as aggression. When spirit at positive reinforcement, Skinner often refused to consider the mental causes of aggression ie if a drunk tries to start a fight with you in a pub, Skinners theory would indicate that the best form of action from previous experience would be to walk away. This however, ignores the events leading up to this point, and you may decide to deposit and fight or maybe stay and make friends. T he mind selects a response according to the desired consequence, which is a natural part of every function we perform but is not a straightforward case of positive reinforcement.Carl R Rogers (1902-1987) was the founder of the human-centred approach to behaviour and like Maslow, he believed that there was nothing openhanded about human behaviour and that we are capable of legal ontogeny towards Self Actualisation. This means that we have the potential to reach fulfilment and fall upon warm relationships with others through acceptance and understanding of what we as humans are.In order to understand the actualising tendency, Rogers claims that we should firstly be congruent, meaning that we should be aware of our inner feelings and accept them as a part of our nature. In this respect, what we express from those feelings is pure and true. Secondly, we should be able to empathise with our fellow man, in that we go off understand what everything means to them from their point of vi ew, as if we were in their world. Thirdly, we should be able to convey unconditional positive regard, meaning that we should be able to accept things as they are and who our fellow man is, without judgement or prejudice and without placing conditions upon their worth.These are three essential ingredients for healthy growth towards organismness a fully functioning person. Obviously, with an approach such as this, there is little room for negative feelings such as aggression. Because of this positive force for healthy growth, Rogers believed that aggression could maybe be a result of a state of incongruence, where we may feel conflict between our sense of self and our ideal self (like Freuds ego and superego) ie. When we become aware of our aver set of values but are told by our parents to respect their set of values, taught to us previously, and the use of conditional regard is applied to enforce those values. This could possibly cause aggression by way of retaliation. Howeve r, he would not grab aggression as inevitable or even an appropriate response, only as a possible response.Rogers theory opposes Freuds in that aggression is inevitable. However, these two approaches are similar in that they both believe that aggression is a result of conflict in the mind Rogers sense of self and the ideal self are similar to Freuds ego and superego. However, Rogers argues that we are not doomed as Freud views it. Rogers, who was optimistic about human nature, believed that sort of than fork overing to repress the desires and needs that aggression demands, a self-actualised person would define that aggression is a part of our nature and that acceptance of it, along with all other feelings, serve to help us grow healthily in the way of a fully functioning person. As a humanist, Rogers believed that to try to hide from what is inherently a part of us is futile and the only approach to make is that of acceptance in order to believe in ourselves. He also recognised that aggression could be a healthy behaviour, as in competition.Freuds view that aggression is a parking lot human characteristic does not constitute proof that it is innate. His views on catharsis as being a way of controlling the drives also leave out support, and indeed support from one of his earlier disciples, Alfred Alder. With regard to aggression being innate and inherent, is aggression the result of genetics, or is it simply an excuse we use for crazy behaviour? Could the answer lie in our environment and what we require from it? Experiments performed by behaviourists such as Skinner have proved this, but do they offer all the answers? Is man born a totally blank slate? If that is the case, why do we keep messing up? Is this what Skinner meant when he maintained that man takes immediate gratification rather than flavor at the long-term consequences?The different approaches of Freud and Skinner offer interesting theories about the sources of aggression. Take violence on the television for instance. Freud may have considered this as a cathartic experience thus reducing the drive of aggression by way of siphoning off the built up pressure as discussed earlier. On the other hand however, Skinner would consider that violence on the television would serve to condition us to be more violent and therefore increase aggression.In conclusion, it seems that each approach holds some hardness whilst there is unbosom room for further research. Freud discussed aggression and its source at great length but did not really offer any sound evidence about how to reduce it. Neither did he make headway further research into collecting more information about it. Skinner, on the other hand, had rather strong opinions about how to deal with aggression but offered little information as to its source.Rogers had little to say about what aggression actually is but whilst his opinions on how to deal with it seemed realistic and acceptable, his theory, like Freuds, off ers no real proof. However, early as these theories were, they did offer some valuable contributions to the theory of aggression. Theories which have developed over the years and are continuing to do so, even though the reasons for aggression, and indeed all other human emotions, still elude us, remaining continually beyond scientific explanation.BIBLIOGRAPHYGlassman, William E (2000)Approaches to Psychology (3rd Edition)Buckingham and Philadelphia USA Open University PressReber, Arthur A and Emily (2001)The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology (Third Edition)London, Penguin Books LtdNye, Robert D (1975)Three Psychologies Perspectives from Freud, Skinner and Rogers (Fourth Edition)California, Brooks/Cole (Wadsworth Inc)http//www.goldenessays.com/free_essays/3/psychology/human_aggression.shtml (accessed 30 12 2002)http//www.term-papers.u/ts/gb/pnl141.shtml (accessed 30 12 2002)www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/classes/ instauration/skinner.html (accessed 30 12 2002)http//www.free_termpapers.com /tp/37/pko72.shtml (accessed 30 12 2002)http//www.free_termpapers.com/tp/37/pnl135.shtml (accessed 30 12 2002)