Purchase Solution

Contemporary Influences on Freud's Way of Thinking

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Sigmund Freud was influenced by and embraced the evolutionary theories of Darwin and adapted them to psychology.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

The significant nineteenth century theory coming out around the time of Sigmund Freud that influenced his way of thinking was the theory of evolution/natural selection.

Solution Preview

The significant nineteenth century theory coming out around the time of Sigmund Freud that influenced his way of thinking was the theory of evolution/natural selection. Borrowing from the basic theorizing of the English biologist Charles Darwin, psychologists were paying increasing attention to the information provided by both physical and social features of living creatures. Sigmund Freud was influenced by and embraced the evolutionary theories of Darwin and adapted them to psychology. Natural selection explained the origin of species; contingencies of reinforcement and punishment explain the origin of classes of responses. The environment selects in both cases. In operant psychology, the role of the environment is to reinforce differentially and ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
The Psychology of Sleep

This quiz is to check your understanding of the sleep-related part of psychology.

How can you tell if your loved one is suicidal?

This is a small quiz to help determine if a loved one is suicidal and what steps should be taken to help stop suicide.

Developmental Psychology

This quiz explores the concepts, theories and key terminology associated with human psychological development.

Health Psychology

This quiz speaks to the general concepts, themes, and terminology associated with the field of health psychology.

Key Psychology Theories and their Developers

Match which psychologist developed and/or contributed to which theory.