The Grand Theories

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The Grand Theories Why do people do what they do? It is a question that has baffled people since the dawn of time and will continue to do so as it is difficult to explain others’ actions and their origins. When attempting to identify and explain unique behavior or problems, it is important to use the Grand Theories as they form a sturdy base for the field that is psychology. The Psychoanalytic Theory, Cognitive Theory, and Behaviorism are three unique and different theories that can be used to help answer the age old question. In this essay I will analyze and explain five different scenarios with the help of the Grand Theories. Mora has an irrational fear of thunderstorms. Why is a fear of thunderstorms irrational? First off, thunder, as defined by dictionary.com, is “a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.” Thunder does not cause any physical damage, unlike lightening, and meerly causes discomfort for those who have to endure the loud racket. So, how would one come to have this “irrational” fear? Using the Psychoanalytic Theory, which has the term irrational in its very definition, one would decern that this fear arouse unconsciously due to prior events in one’s life. As a child, Mora may have been forgotten at home during a storm. This event would have been traumatizing for an infant and the time spent alone could have given her the fear that her parents would not return. Years later, with no recollection of the event, thunderstorms may bring about those same scared feelings and fear of being left alone. Jose and Tara misbehave in the supermarket but are well-behaved in the car. With this scenario, Behaviorism is the obvious choice to use to explain it as it deals directly with one’s actions. All behavior is learned and thus, for starters, we must ask where two children would learn that this
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