Date of Award

1981

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Educational Psychology MA

First Advisor

Ruth R. Murdoch

Abstract

Problem Each psychological theory of behavior is based on a specific model of man. The models of man in turn , are built on particular presuppositions concerning the nature of man. To fully understand the implications and limitations of the different models and theories it is necessary to examine the presuppositions upon which each model and theory is built. The purpose of this study is to examine and critique the presuppositions of three models of man as presented in three psychological theories of behavior. Method The method of this study consisted of a search of literature using as primary sources the writings of the authors of the theories and as secondary sources commentaries on the theories. On the basis of the statements found in the primary sources, each theory's model of man was restructured and the underlying presuppositions critiqued. Conclusions The models and presuppositions of the three psychological theories of behavior underestimate the uniqueness and complexity of human nature. This leads to a theoretical dehumanization of man and to a psychological dilemma of meaninglessness in existence. A Christian model of man may provide a more complete, meaningful and coherent view of man and should be further studied in more detail.

Subject Area

Behaviorism (Psychology), Human behavior., Psychology, Comparative.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/12/

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