PSYC2242 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Spontaneous Remission, Hans Eysenck, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Document Summary
Last time, we made the distinction between freud"s therapy and his theory. You can come and see a therapist every day for years, and it is thus really costly. Psychoanalysts can see a small number of patients for years and still earn a lot of money. Some psychoanalysts only see other psychoanalysts as patients. Spontaneous remission people improve with time even without any therapy. Thus, psychoanalysis was no better than, and sometimes worse than, spontaneous remission. In 1952, hans eysenck (extroversion - neuroticism guy) was interested in this very question. Pointed out that most problems, both psychological and medical, undergo spontaneous remission. You see them at their worst, and then over time they spontaneously get better. Ex. you get the flu, and then you get better. The argument is that with time, mental problems get better. Eysenck wanted to know if that was what was going on with psychological therapy.
