Final answer:
Psychoanalytic therapy, rooted in Freudian theory, emphasizes insight into the unconscious as central, using techniques like dream analysis. In contrast, behavioral therapy focuses on modifying observable behavior, regarding insight as irrelevant, basing on principles of conditioning by Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner.
Step-by-step explanation:
A comparison between psychoanalytic and behavioral therapy reveals differing approaches to treatment. For psychoanalytic therapy, spearheaded by Sigmund Freud, insight into the unconscious mind is considered central to the healing process. Freudian theory emphasizes understanding the inner workings of the mind, utilizing techniques like dream analysis and free association to access and interpret the unconscious. In contrast, behavioral therapy, influenced by the work of psychologists such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner, considers insight largely irrelevant. Its focus lies on observable behavior and modifying it through conditioning, without delving deeply into the psychological underpinnings of that behavior.
This fundamental divergence stems from the psychoanalytic belief in the profound impact of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences on behavior, vs. the behavioral approach which operates on the principle that behavior is learned and can be altered through behavior modification techniques.