Psychoanalysis Post and Reflection

Previous to the readings this past week, particularly Hornstein's "The Return of the Repressed: Psychology's Problematic Relations with Psychoanalysis, 1909-1960", I had no idea that psychoanalysis and the larger psychology community in the United States were at odds with each other. Having always learned about psycholanalysis in the context of a psychology class, I was unaware that they had previously tried to establish separate spheres for themselves, and that psychoanalysis was competing with the new psychology in America for scientific authority and establishment. As Horstein's article states, at first psychology was just amused by psychoanalysis and thought it was a passing craze. To some extent it was. Some people tried to capitalize on psychoanalysis by offering fake services. One such person was Alphonse Animus in Chicago. Follow this link to read his story: http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue153/psychoanalysis.html. It seems to me a shame that the two sides had to fight so bitterly to defend themselves. Even though I mostly agree with psychoanalysis's critics, I think new and different ideas are at least worth being explored. If creativity in psychology is suppressed, the field will stagnate. However, I agree with Hornstein that this battle turned out to be a positive experience for psychology: "The psychology that emerged from these wrenching experiences was stronger and more resilient, able to tolerate a greater degree of diversity among its members that would once have been unthinkable." Psychology needed to challenge an opponent and more definately define itself in defense to shake up the field enough for it to be able to move forward