Aggression: Freud Flashcards
What is the conscious mind?
anything you are aware of
What is the preconscious mind?
anything you could be aware of and bring into conscious (e.g. memories)
What is the unconscious mind?
anything you are unaware of (e.g. anxieties, thoughts, feelings)
What are the two instincts that Freud believes we focus our energy into?
- life instinct (eros): self preservation and sex
- death instinct (thanatos): provides energy to inhibit sexual instincts
- they balance each other out
What is the id?
- works on the pleasure principle
- driven by biological drives
- present from birth
- e.g. food, sex
What is the ego?
- aims to gratify the demands of the id
- works on the reality principle
- aims to protect us from harm e.g. using defence mechanisms
What is the superego?
- an internalised representation of the values and morals of society (what is right and wrong)
- works on the morality principle
What does conflict between the components result in?
- conflict leads to psychic energy
- this must be displaced as it can’t be destroyed
How does aggression arise?
- frustration
- through not getting something that leads to pleasure or not avoiding something that leads to pain
Summarise the Oedipus complex.
- boys are attracted to their mothers
- boys have conflict with their fathers
- they have castration fear
- this happens in the unconscious level
- boys internalise their father’s morals
- they develop superegos
- boys are attracted to girls who are similar to their mothers
Summarise the Electra complex.
- girls are attracted to their fathers
- girls have conflict with their mothers
- girls develop penis envy (never fully resolved)
- this happens in the unconscious level
- girls internalise their mother’s morals
- they develop superegos
- girls are attracted to males who are similar to their fathers
- girls want a male baby (as a result of penis envy)
Whose superego does the child take on?
the superego of their same sex parent
Why might the superego be weak?
- underdeveloped - unresolved Oedipus/Electra compex e.g. homosexual parents
- same sex parent may be aggressive (internalise morals of this parent)
Why is it suggested that females have weaker superegos?
- unresolved conflict
- they’re not over their penis envy
In terms of the strength of the components, when might aggression arise?
- when the id is strong and the superego is weak
- the individual seeks pleasure and immediate gratification irrespective of the possibility of punishment
