Maslow and Freud: Humanistic and Psychodynamic

Abraham Maslow was one of the important people to deal with the humanistic theory. Sigmund Freud has always been associated with the psychodynamic theory. Both theories have been studied and applied. What does each theory say? How are they similar and how are they different? The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which translates into "You", and "your" perception of "your" experiences. This view argues that you are free to choose your own behavior, rather than reacting to environmental stimuli and reinforcers. Issues dealing with selfesteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount. Maslow feels that individuals have certain needs that must be met in a hierarchical fashion, from the lowest to highest. These include basic needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, achievement needs, and ultimately, selfactualization. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the needs must be achieved in order. For instance, one would be unable to fulfill their safety needs if their physiological needs have not been met (Humanistic Perspective, 1997). Freud was attempting to make psychology into a believable science, so he tried to merge the 1 Law of Thermodynamics with though process, psychodynamics. He described three different parts of the mind. First was the id. The id focuses on our biological needs and drives, as: hunger, thirst, and sex. As fire provides energy in thermodynamics, so does the id in the mind. Second was the super ego. The super ego is concerned with societys rules. It is our voice of conscious. It is equivalent to the lid of the apparatus containing water, which will convert to steam. The ego is the conscious mind that contains a persons memories, thoughts, and judgments. The ego was the wheels and the escape valves where the steam is released. Freud used this metaphorical talk to explain how psychodynamics was like thermodynamics. Emotion is a form of psychic energy. Like in thermodynamics, it can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be converted. He theorized that from a child's birth until the child has gone through puberty, he or she goes through psychosexual stages of development. The id's "pleasure seeking energy" centers on different pleasure-sensitive zones of the body during different stages in a child's life. Freud believed that an adult's personality developed because of how a child dealt with conflicts during any one particular psychosexual stage. The psychodynamic theory depends strongly on what happens to a person during different phases of development (Freuds Psychodynamic Theory and Thermodynamics [1873-1923], 2005).
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There are similarities between the two theories. Both theories are concerned about peoples experiences. The Humanistic Theory and The Psychodynamic Theory both focus on differing levels. Both theories are used to differing degrees by psychologists and psychiatrists today. There are distinct differences in the two theories. The Humanistic Theory focuses a lot on the individual. The individual is responsible for everything. The Psychodynamic Theory conflicts with this. What you do and think is dependent on what experiences you had during particular stages in growing up. With Maslow, needs are dependent on a level. Freud would say

that the need is dependent on rather it was satisfied at an earlier stage. Humanistic Theory tends to be against the behavioral concepts of environment creating reinforcers, and putting the entire causation on the self. Psychodynamic Theory would want to understand which stage of development caused the behavior or reactions. The Psychodynamic Theory and The Humanistic Theory may have their similarities and differences. The psychologists that worked on them had differing concepts and views. Both theories are be utilized today. Both theories have advanced the fields of science and psychology.

Works Cited

Humanistic Perspective (1997). Retrieved on July 7, 2009 from Mesa Community College Web site: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d46/psy/dev/Fall98/Theories/humanistic.html Freuds Psychodynamic Theory and Thermodynamics [1873-1923] (2005). Retrieved on July 7, 2009 from Institute of Human Thermodynamics Web site: http://www.humanthermodynamics.com/Freud.html