Blog #6

4 Commentsby   |  04.23.13  |  Student Posts

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.

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4 Comments

  1. Emily Bibb
    11:30 pm, 04.23.13

    Jonathan,

    I like that you addressed how Third Force Psychology has built upon theories from the past, rather than it just being another theory that contradicts the other theories we have learned about. Knowing this is helpful for me to more fully understand everything this theory entails. I also like the point at the end of your post. Although God wants us to be in relationship with him, he has given us free will to be in charge of our own lives and to even decide whether or not we want to have a relationship with him. I really like knowing that my choices and decisions do matter and affect my life and everything is not predetermined. Thank you for your thoughts!

  2. Jason Hendrix
    12:52 am, 04.24.13

    Definitely Agree. With all these contradicting theories, there’s no way to decide which ones right and everything just becomes confusing. I also think that humanistic psychology has done a great job building on the works of others and blending ideas from multiple traditions, even those not part of the third force tradition. Free will is always a tough one for me, but I appreciate third force for being willing to take the stand. Thanks for the post

  3. Raymond Lowe
    12:37 pm, 04.24.13

    I agree with Emily, it is important that you state the fact that third force psychology was built and founded on the aspects of other and past theories. Third force psychology has done a good job effectively stressing the overall appeal of free will and why it is a necessary component of humanity.

  4. Stephanie Heron
    5:01 pm, 04.24.13

    I like that you brought religion into your discussion. I agree that God has given us free will and it is up to us to choose to follow Him or not. Third Force Psychology focuses on the aspects of human behavior that are influenced by uncontrollable factors (other’s actions that affect one’s own life) and how we react to them.

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