Basics of Psychoanalysis Part 1 Flashcards
Freud and his Historical Context
-Nineteenth century Europe and Psychiatry
◦ Darwin and Liberalism and Nietzsche; the family and the “sexual instinct”
-Charcot, clinical psychiatry and hysteria
What did Freud notice?
Freud noticed that sometimes patients got better just
by talking about their psychological problems; also noticed that often the “symptoms” had meaning
What did Freud Do?
Abandoned many of Charcot’s methods (especially
hypnosis) and theories
◦ Formulated the hypothesis that most of what occurs in the psyche is unconscious
◦ Free association: saying whatever comes to mind; the talking cure
◦ Allows problems to become available and dealt with by the conscious, rational mind and with the support of the psychotherapist
The Psyche & psychic determinism (Part one out of Two)
First to articulate the psychological as distinct from either biology or society; the existential dilemma
The Psyche & psychic determinism (Part two out of Two)
Everything that happens in a person’s mind (and in much of their life), including everything a person thinks and does, has a specific cause
Free will and random accidents do not exist (except in a very limited sense)
Things that look like contradictions of thoughts, motivation, and behavior can be resolved, usually by looking at the unconscious part of the mind
What is the Internal Structure ?
The mind is made of “separate” functions that operate (more or less) independently and can conflict with each other
What is the Mind (or “psyche”):
the psychological result of what the brain and the rest of the body do in relation to the world
Id: non-rational and emotional (in a sense)
Ego: rational (the “reality principle”)
Superego: “moral”/authoritarian; cultural
What is the Id?
non-rational and emotional (in a sense)
What is the Ego?
rational (the “reality principle”)
What is the Superego?
“moral”/authoritarian; cultural
What is the Psychic Conflict and Compromise?
The mind can conflict with itself; in fact the psyche is essentially a result of these conflicts
What is the Compromise Formation?
the ego’s main job, which is to find a compromise among the different structures of the mind and the many different things the individual wants all at the same time
Used in modern psychoanalytic thought
The middle ground is conscious thought and behavior
What the compromise formation used in?
Used in modern psychoanalytic thought
The middle ground is conscious thought and behavior
What is Psychic Energy (Part one of three)?
Assumption that the psychological part of the mind needs energy
Psychic Energy: What is the Libido:
the mental or psychic energy used by the mind and for life
What is Psychic energy (part two of three)?
The amount of energy is fixed and finite
What is psychic energy (part three of three)?
Repression and other primitive means of managing conflict cost energy, which is then unavailable for other purposes
Psychoanalysis, Life and Death
Two fundamental motives (or three)
Psychoanalysis: Libido?
The life drive or sexual drive
What is eros?
Creation, protection, and enjoyment of life; creativity; productivity; growth (aka the pleasure principle)
What is Thanatos?
drive toward death
Introduced later to account for destructive activity such as war, self-destruction, and the drive to stop forward movement
What is Nirvana?
return to unity or oneness
Thought to underlie (and sort of unify) Eros and Thanatos functions
What is the doctrine of opposites?
The doctrine of opposites: everything implies, and even requires, its opposite
Life and death, happiness and sadness
“extremes on any scale may be more similar to each other than either extreme is to the middle”
Example of the doctrine of opposites?
Some emotion is normal: no emotion makes people unable to love and too much emotion makes people unable to work
What is Psychological Development: From polymorphous perversity to fulfillment of adult social obligations?
Becoming “Human” Focus on where the psychic energy is concentrated and how it is used Stage theory of development Aspects of Each Stage Fixation and Regression
What are aspects of each stage of Psychological Development: from polymorphous perversity to fulfillment of adult social obligations?
Aspects of Each Stage:
A Physical Focus
A Psychological Theme
An Adult Character Type
What is Physical Focus?
where energy is concentrated and gratification is obtained
What is a Psychological Theme?
related to the physical focus and the demands from the outside world
What is An Adult Character Type?
An adult character type: associated with being fixated, or not resolving the psychological issues, in a stage
What is Regression?
when under stress, the retreat to a stage on which the person fixated
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What is the timing of this stage?
Timing: birth to 18 months (Only the id exists)
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What is the physical focus of this stage?
Physical focus (the erogenous zone): mouth, lips, and tongue
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What is the psychological theme of this stage?
Psychological theme: dependency everything must be provided by someone else
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What are two things that can go wrong?
Two ways things can go wrong: needs are not fulfilled or needs are fulfilled instantly and automatically
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What needs are not fulfilled?
needs are not fulfilled: basic mistrust is developed (“cutting” or “sharp” tongued)
Psychological Development Oral Stage: Needs are fulfilled instantly and automatically?
needs are fulfilled instantly and automatically: anxiety is common for issues involving dependency, passivity, and activity
Psychological Development Oral Stage: What is that Adult Character Type?
Adult character type: too independent vs. passive (oral aggressive vs. oral passive); spend more time thinking about what they want than how to get it
The Anal Stage: What is the timing of this stage?
Timing: about 18 months to 3 years
The Anal Stage: What is the Physical Focus of this stage?
Physical focus: anus and organs of elimination (and poop, or autonomous creation)
The Anal Stage: What is the development of the ego?
Development of the ego: to find compromises between what is wanted and what is possible;
The Anal Stage: What is the psychological theme?
Psychological theme is self-control: of emotions, behavior (following orders), toilet training and other milestones of self-regulation (walking and talking). (aka, shame versus autonomy
What is Over controlled?
obsessive, compulsive, stingy, orderly, rigid, subservient to authority
What is Undercontrolled?
unable to do anything on time, chaotic, disorganized, compulsive need to defy authority
The Phallic Stage: What is the timing of this stage?
about 3 ½ to 7 years
The Phallic Stage: What is the physical Focus?
penis (for boys and girls)
The Phallic Stage: What is the Basic Task?
coming to terms with sex differences and their implications
In the Phallic Stage it is important to
get the difference between the phallus and the penis (and their symbolic connections
The Phallic Stage includes the
Oedipus complex and Castration Complex
The Phallic Stage: What is the Psychological Theme?
Identity, including gender identity and sexuality; also love, fear, and jealousy
The Phallic Stage: What is Identification?
taking on many of the same-sex parent’s attitudes, values, and ways of relating to the opposite sex (identification and objectification; having and wanting)
What is the Oedipus complex
fall in love with opposite-sex parent, fear of same-sex parent (castration anxiety for boys), leading to identification with same-sex parent
What is the gender identity and sexuality?
Figure out what it means to be a boy or a girl
The Phallic Stage: Development of what occurs?
morality, conscience, and the superego
By-product of identification/introjection (and the castration complex), and the attendant repression
The Phallic Stage: What is the Adult Character type?
rigid moral code (repressed/anxious) vs. lack of moral code (perverse/impulsive)
Psychological Development Latency: What is the Timing of this stage?
about 7 years to puberty
Psychological Development: Latency: What does this stage concentrate on?
Concentrate on learning the tasks of childhood
