PYSC 325 AMU ****DUE 9PM Sunday-July 24th EST*******

Running head: RESEARCH PAPER 1

Paper Preparation Assignment

Student Name

University Name

Date

RESEARCH PAPER 2

Psychoanalysis and the Need for Neuroscience

Topic

The purpose of this paper is to show that in order to completely understand the workings of the mind through psychoanalysis there is a need for the understanding of neuroscience. By researching deeper into the subject of psychoanalysis combined with neuroscience, this paper will show that understanding neuroscience will benefit psychoanalysis when it comes to studying the inner workings of the mind, which will in turn aid in a more effective diagnosis of individual patients. Using the applied research method during the course of writing this paper will allow for the evaluation of multiple studies related to the subject of psychoanalysis and neuroscience in order to prove the necessity of having the two sciences work together in the study of the human mind, as well as for the diagnosis of individual patients. The interest in preparing this paper comes from the interest in the need for psychoanalysis to be intertwined with the understanding and advancements in neuroscience in order to continue to advance the knowledge gained about the human mind.

The purpose of these studies is to show that a combined effort between psychoanalysis and neuroscience will lead to an increased knowledge of the human minds inner workings. One of the studies that will be presented in this paper states that psychoanalysis is at a standstill with advancement and by incorporating neuroscience, advancement may be achieved by allowing the possibility of testing psychoanalytic theory through the use of neuroimaging and other neuroscientific means (Kandel, 1999, p. 505). Another study that will be incorporated into this paper focuses on neuroplasticity

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and the effects of the environment on the human mind (Vaslamatzis, 2007, p. 479). This study shows that psychotherapy requires cognitive neuroscience for memory research, more specifically when learning about implicit and explicit memory. All of the studies that will be presented in this research paper in some way support the intertwining of psychoanalytic psychology and neuroscience as a benefit towards the advancement of knowledge of the mind that will allow for an improved form of treatment for patients.

Thesis

The purpose of this paper is to show that by combining psychoanalysis with the understanding of neuroscience there will be a benefit towards gaining more knowledge about the human mind as well as an advance towards patient diagnosis. By reviewing multiple studies, this paper will be able to show that neuroscience is able to aid psychoanalysis by using neuroimaging as well as a knowledge base about the nervous system, which will allow for better understanding about the inner workings of the human mind. The interest in preparing this paper comes from the interest in the need for psychoanalysis to be intertwined with the understanding and advancements in neuroscience, in order to continue to advance the knowledge gained about the human mind.

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Annotated Bibliography

Bray, J. H. (2010). The Future of Psychology Practice and Science. American Psychological Association, 65(5), 355-369. Retrieved from http://ft.csa.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=ogjk4vpg2b84p3tolho2qv6r30&server=csaweb116v.csa.com&check=7625a102db9fcf92952235953e20c973&db=psycarticles-set-c&key=AMP/65/amp_65_5_355&mode=pdf

This article discusses the need for more scientific training in the psychological career field in order to compete with the ever changing environment of patient care. With the frequent need to work with different medical aspects in order to assist in the diagnosis process for each individual patient psychologists’ would be without a starting point towards diagnosis without a knowledge of human biology. This article is relevant to my research by showing that biological sciences such as neuroscience and cognitive science are necessary knowledge areas for the proper diagnosis of patients seeking psychological help.

Chiesa, M. (2010). Research and Psychoanalysis: Still Time to Bridge the Great Divide?. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 27(2), 99-114. Retrieved from http://ft.csa.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=ogjk4vpg2b84p3tolho2qv6r30&server=csaweb116v.csa.com&check=548d31ed40ef61fec408208bb1072d4b&db=psycarticles-set-c&key=PAP/27/pap_27_2_99&mode=pdf

Chiesa’s article discusses a need to combine neuroscience and psychology in order to come to a better diagnosis for patients. Neuroscientists and psychoanalysts

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working together to determine diseases of the brain and mind versus staying separated and in the darkness about part of the underlying issue surrounding the brain and mind is the major topic of this research article. This article will be used in my study to further illustrate the need for the understanding of neuroscience during psychoanalysis.

Fuchs, T. (2004). Neurobiology and psychotherapy: an emerging dialogue. Current Opinion Psychiatry, 17, 479-485. Retrieved from http://experimentalchirurgie.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/fileadmin/zpm/psychatrie/pdf/Neurobiology-PT.pdf

This research from Current Opinion Psychiatry brings to light neurobiological research and its relevance to the study of the effects of psychotherapy on patients. By using neuroimaging a patient can be monitored for the possible effects of psychotherapy. This article points out that psychotherapeutic concepts have been influenced by the biological findings of mental disorders. The future of neuroscience combined with psychotherapy is also discussed along with some of the negative aspects when moving towards neuro-psychotherapy .

Gabbard, G. O. (2000). A neurobiologically informed perspective of psychotherapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 17(7), 117-122. Retrieved from http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/177/2/117

This article is relevant to my study because it presents neurobiology and psychotherapy as a necessary integrative approach to treating patients. Glen Gabbard writes about the interaction of the brain and the environment which ultimately leads to

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the conclusion that psychotherapy can be seen to affect brain functioning with the use of neuroscience.

Kandel, E. R. (1999). Biology and the Future of Psychoanalysis: A New Intellectual Framework for Psychiatry Revisited. Am J Psychiatry, 156(4), 505-524. Retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/156/4/505

This article, from AM J Psychiatry, discusses neuroscience and biology as a combined science for the future. Eric Kandel discusses the background of psychoanalysis to include Freud’s early influence as well as the psychoanalytic view of the mind. Also discussed in this article are current arguments for and against the combination of biology with psychoanalysis. The conclusion of this article is that a dialogue between the two sciences is a necessity in the total understanding of the mind. This is relevant to my study by supporting my theory that neuroscience is needed for proper diagnosis during psychoanalysis.

Knafo, D. (2009). Freud’s Memory Erased. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 26(2), 171-190. Retrieved from http://ft.csa.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=ogjk4vpg2b84p3tolho2qv6r30&server=csaweb116v.csa.com&check=08eb85528a5e0be39b72b4cca8cb5239&db=psycarticles-set-c&key=PAP/26/pap_26_2_171&mode=pdf

Danielle Knafo’s article is useful to this study because it shows Sigmund Freud’s historical involvement in psychoanalysis and his interest in the functioning of memory. In this article the author reminds that Freud’s “Project for a Scientific Psychology” once

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presented neurophysiologic language to show that the nervous system is tied in with the functioning of memory. This article is useful to my study by showing the background of neuroscience in combination with psychoanalytic psychology.

Meissner, W. W. (2007). Mind, Brain, and Self in Psychoanalysis: Therapeutic Implications of the Mind-Body Relation. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 24(2), 333-354. Retrieved from http://ft.csa.com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=n736dppgi99fks48sf5a6a8461&server=csaweb106v.csa.com&check=e882e6e987ffbba09cdecda32afe1cc8&db=psycarticles-set-c&key=PAP/24/pap_24_2_333&mode=pdf

Meissner’s article gives a background of mind-brain treatment while also discussing the combination of neuroscience with psychoanalytic psychology. This article discusses the need for neuroscience to be considered with psychotherapy in order to come to an understanding of a disease of the brain leading to an illness of the mind. The relevance of this article to my study lies with discussing the background of mind-brain treatment and the use of neuroscience in combination with psychological procedures.

Thorne, B. M., & Henley, T. B. (2005). Mind and Brain: Clinical Psychology Meets Neurosciecne. In Connections in the History and Systems of Psychology (pp. 458-483). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

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The text book chapter, Mind and Brain: Clinical Psychology Meets Neuroscience is significant to my study because it outlines the historical background needed to further understand the importance of neuroscience in the practice of psychology.

Vaslamatzis, G. (2007). Framework for a new dialogue between psychoanalysis and neuroscience: is the combined neuro-psychoanalytic approach the missing link? Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 2(25), 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2169226/pdf/1747-5341-2-25.pdf

This article is necessary for my research paper because it gives insight into the reasons that psychology needs to take into account the understanding of neuroscience during the diagnosis process. This article discusses three rapprochements between psychoanalysis and neuroscience that will be touched on in my research paper.