Volume 30, Issue 34 (12-2026)
JNIP 2026, 30(34): 1-14 |
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Zaree B, Erfani N. Freedom and Psychological Determinism in Existential Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (EISTDP): A Theoretical Examination. , JNIP. 2026; 30 (34) :1-14
URL: http://jnip.ir/article-1-1416-en.html
URL: http://jnip.ir/article-1-1416-en.html
Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O. Box 19395-4697, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (24 Views)
The relationship between free will and psychological determinism is one of the fundamental issues in understanding human behavior and psychological change in psychotherapy. The present study aims to theoretically examine this relationship within the framework of Existential Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (EISTDP), with particular emphasis on unconscious processes, psychological defenses, and personal construct systems. This study adopts a theoretical-conceptual approach based on the selective review and analysis of scholarly literature concerning free will, psychological agency, unconscious processes, psychological defenses, and personal construct theory. The conceptual analysis suggests that psychological constraints on choice can be examined through the potential relationships among personal construct systems, emotional conflicts, and defensive processes. Accordingly, certain personal constructs may, under specific circumstances, serve not only to organize meaning and anticipate experience but also to perform defensive functions, thereby making certain behavioral options less tolerable or less accessible to the individual. Conversely, increased awareness of these processes may contribute to expanding the capacity for choice and strengthening psychological agency. The proposed theoretical framework conceptualizes psychological agency in terms of an individual's capacity to recognize, evaluate, and select among available behavioral options, without adopting a definitive position on the existence or non-existence of free will. Ultimately, the proposed relationships, particularly those linking personal constructs, defensive functions, and the capacity for choice, remain theoretical hypotheses whose validity requires further empirical investigation.
Keywords: Free Will, Psychological Determinism, Psychological Agency, Existential Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (EISTDP), Personal Construct Theory.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/10/10 | Revised: 2026/11/9 | Accepted: 2026/11/4 | Published: 2026/11/11
Received: 2026/10/10 | Revised: 2026/11/9 | Accepted: 2026/11/4 | Published: 2026/11/11
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