general psychology

Question

What is the primary way psychology achieves its goals to describe, explain, predict and control or influence behavior?  

Answer 1

This is a difficult question as it is very broad. Different approches to psychology have developed various methods in order to predict, control, and influence behavior. Depending on what type of psychologist you ask you will get a different answer. For example:

-Behaviorist: This person would examine your behaviors and alter the environment to achieve these goals.

-Psychoanalyst: This person would eradicate underlying cognitive conflicts to achieve these goals.

-Humanist: This person would help you examine your own feelings and behaviors so that you could begin to achieve these goals through your own means.

Although there are primary methods under each approach, there is no single primary method to the prediction, control, and prediction of behavior.