Existential Psychology| Psychology of Subjective Experience | Unit 4 DOPT | DU BA Psychology

Описание: Welcome back to Lowkey Psychologist!
In this lecture, we move to Existential Psychology, an important approach within Unit 4: Psychology of Subjective Experience under Development of Psychological Thought (DOPT).

Existential psychology focuses on meaning, freedom, responsibility, choice, and the human condition.
It examines how individuals confront fundamental life concerns such as death, isolation, meaninglessness, and anxiety.

This video is designed to be conceptually clear, exam-oriented, and easy to revise.

🌟 Topics Covered in This Video
1. What is Existential Psychology?

✔ Focus on lived experience and subjective meaning
✔ Influence of existential philosophy
✔ Emphasis on freedom, choice, and responsibility
✔ Understanding anxiety as a normal part of existence

2. Key Assumptions of Existential Psychology

✔ Humans are free and responsible for their choices
✔ Search for meaning is central to human life
✔ Anxiety arises from awareness of freedom and mortality
✔ Authentic vs. inauthentic living
✔ Importance of personal values and commitment

3. Major Thinkers

✔ Viktor Frankl – Will to meaning, logotherapy
✔ Rollo May – Existential anxiety, courage to be
✔ Irvin Yalom – Ultimate concerns:
— Death
— Freedom
— Isolation
— Meaninglessness

4. Existential Therapy

✔ Focus on present experience
✔ Helping clients find meaning
✔ Encouraging responsibility and choice
✔ Therapist–client relationship as authentic encounter

5. Comparison with Humanistic Psychology

✔ Similarities: focus on experience, freedom, growth
✔ Differences: existential emphasis on anxiety, suffering, and meaning

📘 Why This Topic Matters

Existential psychology adds depth to psychology by addressing human suffering, purpose, and authenticity.
It is especially relevant in:

Counselling and psychotherapy

Trauma and crisis intervention

Understanding depression, anxiety, and identity struggles

Frequently asked in DU exams as short notes or comparative questions.

🎓 Best For

DU BA (Hons) Psychology Semester 3

Students studying DOPT

Counselling psychology aspirants

UPSC Psychology optional

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