Cognitive Behavioral Psychology - History and Systems

Running head: COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology

History and Systems

Abstract

Psychoanalysis had been the reigning perspective, but over time those in the field wearied of it not being empirical. Behavioral psychology became the preference over psychoanalysis, but again overtime it appeared that behaviorism became too empirical. As the pendulum swung from one extreme to the other, the search for medium equilibrium was being taken underhand. The problem lead the next generation of students to search for new solutions. Cognitive-behavioral psychology was the answer because it attempted to incorporate, an empirically based psychology that also considered the human personality. This paper will establish a knowledge base understanding of the concept of cognitive-behavioral psychology addressing the historical and context in which this approach developed. Included will be discussion of some of the major contributors and developers of this approach and practical applications for its use. The paper will explain the need for this new theoretical approach and relate it to modern times.

Final Paper: Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology

Thoughts to Behavior

While the behavioristic view owes a foundational bases debt to the Freudian theory, it historically was being mulled pre-Freudian theory. The idea of a cognitive theory and the concept of human consciousness have links to some of the well known philosophers. Best known could be Descartes with "I think, therefore I am." It only makes sense that cognition (the mind) controls and influences the actions (the behavior). Human thoughts, reason and consciousness must have direct affects on behavior, because the mind is the operator of all action. The object of the cognitive-behavioral approach in therapy is to make changes in thoughts that will result in changes to behavior. The techniques used are aimed to make the changes in the thought, behavior and feeling while examining values, priorities and barriers as they apply to the clients functioning in their daily life and work to achieve client happiness.

Early Behavioral Psychology Influences

Some feel that Aristotle's naturalistic psychology was the first thoughts of behaviorism. He described in De Anima that the sensation functions of the body were acts of the sensory organs of the body. He held there was a separation between the body (which was the sense organ) and the mind. The sense organ communicates the particular forms that the world imprints on to it, to the mind so that the mind can