History of Theories in Psychology (PSYC 493)

Third Force psychology is based on the premise that all people are inherently good; that through a conscious evolution of attitudes, values, and beliefs, one becomes a self actualized individual with the inner wisdom and confidence to guide their own life in a manner that is personally satisfying and socially constructive. This resonates with me and the way I was raised to think. As a whole, i find that third force psychology carries many of the attributes of existentialism like the search for self actualization and self formed attitudes and values. These things are, to me, a very important feature of any modern theory of human nature. I was raised to think for myself and not just believe everything everyone tells me. However, i was also raised in a certain religious background that didnt support certain sorts of critical thinking. This served to be a stumbling block for me in my search for self actualization, as i had to question things that i had never been permitted to question before. This is probably true for many more people than I would like to think. Most of our parents and families and churches, no matter how hard they may or may not have tried to let us find our own answers, burned certain ideas into our head without our permission. Ideas about God, about the good life, about morals and who we should and shouldnt associate with. Things like this are inevitable, though not necessarily wrong, and through a healthy amount of self knowledge through the lens of existentialism and third force psychology as a whole we can modify our learned ideals and form our own that we can be confident in.

It has been difficult for me to wrap my brain around Third Force Psychology. I believe that is so because I have a tendency to move past suface problems and attempt to solve my issues by getting to the root of the problem.  With Third Force, root issues may be present but are irrelevant to the way we deal with what is in front of us. While I believe it is important to focus on what is present and what we can deal with in the now, I also believe that avoiding the deeper issues crete band-aid solutions to problems. What has recently attracted me so much towards psychoanalysis is the break through component, or that moment of clarity that is reached by helping a patient or client realize the root of their issue. This would be similar to the feeling a teacher gets after seeing a student reach their “AHA” moment. Third Force Psychology requires a person to be more independent and reach the moment without help. Many people may not have the knowledge or drive to reach breakthrough moment on their own.

For me, what most reminds me of the Third Force Psychology movement is the fact that some people who behave without any motivation. For instance, people who give money to different organizations, because they can and want to, not necessarily because they see a need to. Sociopaths can also demonstrate Third Force Psychology because they have no emotional connections to everyday life. Those are just a few modern examples of Third Force Psychology.

Third force psychology is one of the most interesting schools of thought to me. I think this has to do with the way I as raised. My parents raised me to be creative and always do the best I can in everything. They new there were probably one or two things that I was very good at, and things that I genuinely enjoyed. So they pushed me in certain areas and I exhaled in those areas. I think this theory is appealing to alot of americans because this tends to be what american families do. Everyone wants there child to be the best, but not everyone can, they find something that they can be good at. While doing something just to be good at it is not very genuine, doing something you genuinely like, and happen to be good at seems to be fine.

A reaction to the Third Force Psychology movement.  For better or worse, what modern individuals (excluding psychologists), or contemporary movements & trends best illustrate the spirit of Third Force Psychology for you?

I am not sure if this seems applicable to anyone else, but something that resonates with me in connection with third force psychology is home-schooling. Mostly this is connected with the self-actualization aspects of the humanistic mindset. I personally was home schooled elementary school and some of high school, and my only experience with “real” or “standardized” schooling was in middle school and college. I firmly believe that I would be less driven to success as an individual and to discovering and fulfilling my true potential if I had not been homeschooled. In a similar manner to humanistic theory, my parents strove to encourage my individuality and creativity with unconditional positive regard. I am different than my siblings, even though we have a lot in common, and we all felt that we had the opportunity to discover ourselves and be “the best you you can be”. I was able to forge ahead in areas that I grasped quickly and spend time focusing on things that took me longer. My family was a place of support and guidance, but not control or demands.

I see this as connecting with third force psychology’s main spirit of allowing the individual to flourish in whatever unique way is healthiest for them.

Wouldn’t it be great if all parents were third force counselors for their kids? I am not saying that some parents do not have good approaches, but I am saying that some do not have great approaches, and some are just plain bad. I feel, and it is problaby just because of my experience, that many parents try too much to embrace the behaviorist model. Parents often attempt to program their kids, and start doing it as soon as possible. Sure it works, and often kids turn out to be just fine, and successfull and productive individuals, but did they become what they were “meant” to be?

If parents took on the client-centered approach and let the child have much more responsibility for the direction of what and how to change that would be awesome, or no? What if parents took a step back and let kids come up with what they wanted to become early in life based upon their own assessments, and with as little influence from parents? Would we have less kindergarteners saying they want to be doctors, and firefighters? Would less college students look at their college education as trade school because they would feel less pressure to make sure they do something with their education that makes as much money as possible?

Parents do not need to have a formal relationship with their children. They can still love passionately and and be invested, along with being attentive, supportive of the child’s opinion, non judgmental, informative without being very influential.

Parents claim they want to get their child ready to be capable of being on their own. I agree with that stance. However, kids will grow up and make their OWN choices someday, hopefully, but how much of their choice is theirs to begin with if they themselves are victim to transference from their parents?

I am a firm believer that just because you are the best it does not mean that you did not underachieve. Just because you are better than everyone else, it does not mean you are the best you can be. Is every great achiever doing what they are supposed to be? Could they have been better at something else? Do we even care if people are not living up to their true potential as long as they are living above the standard mean of success? I care! I do not want to see someone under achieve. The beauty and the beast of life is that we often do not know what we were meant for, if we ever know.

So lets let nature of passion take its course, and have parents do a better job of assisting their kids find their purpose in life.

There are many things I appreciate about the Third Force Psychology movement including the idea that humans are free to choose their own type of existence (Third Force Psychology does not assume determinism when explaining human behavior). From a Christian lens, I believe that God has given us free will with a choice to either live under the Law he gave to Moses and the Israelites or to live under the law of Christ. In Romans 9, Paul says that we are given this choice through God’s mercy. The message throughout Romans is that we are justified by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and that it is open for anyone to accept. The key to this is that if we accept all of this as truth, in God’s eyes we are deemed “not guilty” of our sins because of Jesus’ redemptive action. The way I see it, this lines up with the idea in Third Force Psychology that humans may choose their own path regardless of what science says or determines.

Another idea from Third Force Psychology that resonates with me is Carl Rogers’ view that experience is the highest authority. My housemates and I periodically watch a show on MTV called “Guy Code” (apologies for bad video quality) and have had many laughs while watching it. This tv show is an example of how the media shapes society by presenting an authority backed up by experience. The show is pretty ridiculous and at times offensive; it covers every topic that necessitates a code for guys to follow. The premise is that all of the people interviewed for the show have gained their knowledge through their own experiences. Although I do not necessarily agree with the tactfulness, much of what is said is true to some degree and I believe that is what attracts people to watch the show.

As I have learned and gotten a taste for all of the various psychological theories throughout history, I have usually found each theory to have something about it that I simply do not like or cannot accept. However, with third force psychology I have not felt that way. To me, this theory has combined many of the theories together in order to create a theory that can be universal and that can address all of the problems previous theories had. Because third force psychology takes from the romantics the wonderful view of life and the pursuit of a beautiful one at that while at the same time juxtaposing it with existentialists who understand that life is fleeting and we all must die in the end, I feel like it gives the client and the therapist a well rounded theory to base counseling on. It does not neglect the client or degrade the client in any way but allows the client to move through therapy in their own way and time while reminding them about all aspects of life. I also love that this theory does not have to be rooted within a religious context but it still can be. As a christian and possible future counselor, I think it is important to be able to tailor your counseling to the client while still maintaining your own beliefs and convictions and I believe that third force psychology allows the counselor and client to do just that.

Third Force Psychology focuses on the humanistic side of psychology. This approach deals with self-determination and free will. In North America free will is a very strong a prevalent topic, one that has been positively present in our culture. Third Force Psychology is actually being used in the classroom in order to change the current state of the children’s belief system. Beyond that is it being used as well for sensitivity training. It is all about changing the current mindset into something better; something more productive. With third force psychology this is possible. Another aspect that this effects is conflict resolution. With these being implemented in the school, children have a chance to receive a better education while still in public schools.

Of all of the theories of psychology we have studied so far, humanistic (third force) psychology is by far the most important to me. I enjoy studying the effects of depression and other negative areas of the human psyche, though my interest in the positive areas is far greater. I think humanistic psychology is a stepping stone to a greater understanding of human life. Finally we have a collection of thoughts based on past experience and older theories, rather than thoughts that simply contradict another theory. Humanistic psychology builds from other theories and uses what we have learned from them to build on. The focus on each human being as being an individual in charge of their own life is extremely appealing to me, as I believe that even with God in the universe, we are still responsible for our lives and it is up to us to live to our highest potential.

Third force psychology, for me at least, is a welcomed outlook into the greater field of psychology. It is refreshing to see the positive aspects of humanity like altruism and happiness under the microscope, than the usual depression and anxiety. Unlike the behaviorists focus conditioning, or the focus of psychoanalysis on the sexual and negative emotions, third force psychology offers a more affirming alternative. The other two schools of psychology lack the almost optimistic and more uplifting nature observed in third force psychology.

Third force psychology satisfies the the questions of the soul. The motivation of the existentialist being to overcome the fear of impending death meaninglessness and the humanist drive to achieve self-actualization. The drive to control your own life and become everything you can is something that I truly appreciate about third force psychology. Though, I find third force psychology cannot stand on its own.

Though I can appreciate the work of third force psychology, I believe that the other two schools are equally important to the whole of psychology. Every school has things they are particularly good at, or rather, each of the three schools possesses attributes that can prove helpful in different therapeutic situations. The positivity of third force psychology is its strength, but what would be perceived as a lack of research and inadequate basis of theory serve as a heavy basis for the critique of third force psychology. This accompanied with the ambiguous nature of individualism and subjectivity found in third force psychology make it a difficult school of thought for some to truly conceptualize, and thus enact as a therapy. And these critiques are not without their merits. However, accompanied with the other two schools of psychoanalysis and behaviorism, third force psychology is an excellent tool for helping all those who wish to self-actualize, be all they can be, and find meaning in life.