PSYC 2110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Karen Horney, Social Forces, Operant Conditioning
10 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
A theory is a set of concepts and propositions that describe, organize, and explain a set of observations. Parsimony means good theories are concise and can explain a broad range of phenomena with a few principles or assumptions. Falsi ability means that good theories can be tested, and the results that are obtained will either support or refute the theory. A theory has heuristic value if it does not limit itself to simply explaining existing phenomena, but allows new predictions to be made. Freud"s theory focuses on the notion that we are all driven by unconscious needs and motivations and that our development depends on our early life experiences: three components of personality. Freud"s theory states that the human personality consists of three components that develop over ve stages of psychosexual growth. The three components of personality are the id, the ego, and the superego. The function of the id is to satisfy inborn biological instincts as soon as possible.
