PSY 362 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Philippe Pinel, Sympathetic Magic, Lightner Witmer
11 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Early approaches to the treatment of mental illness. Psychotherapy: any attempt to help a person with a mental disturbance. What all versions of psychotherapy have had in common throughout history are a sufferer, a helper, and some form of ritualistic activity. When psychological factors such as fear, anxiety, frustration, guilt, or conflict were viewed as causes of mental illness, treatment was aimed at said factors. Natural law: belief prevalent in 18th century that undesirable or sinful behavior has negative consequences such as mental or physical disease or poverty, and virtuous behavior has positive consequences such as good health or prosperity. Sympathetic magic: belief that by influencing things that are similar to a person or that were once close to that person, one can influence the person. Homeopathic magic: type of sympathetic magic involving the belief that doing something to a likeness of a person will influence that person.
