chapter 14 personality Flashcards
What shapes Freud’s thinking?
Psychodynamic model, theories of personality
What is the psychodynamic model?
A model that explains human behavior through the interaction of unconscious and conscious forces
Define ‘ID’ in Freud’s theory.
The most primitive portion of personality, containing basic biological urges like eating, drinking, and sex
What does the ‘ID’ operate on?
Pleasure principle: maximum pleasure and minimum pain
What is primary process thinking?
The mental process where if needs cannot be met in reality, fantasy will do
What is the role of the Ego?
Serves the ID and obeys the reality principle
Define ‘Ego’.
The ‘I’ that manages the demands of the ID and the constraints of the real world
What is the Superego?
The agency that internalizes rules of parents and society and decides if the ego has been good or bad
How does the Superego influence the Ego?
By giving rewards for compliance (pride) and punishment for non-compliance (guilt)
What is the Iceberg analogy in Freud’s theory?
Conscious mind is above water, unconscious mind is underwater; ID is underwater, Ego and Superego are both
What types of anxiety are identified in Freud’s theory?
- Reality anxiety
- Neurotic anxiety
- Moral anxiety
What is repression?
A defense mechanism where the Ego removes threatening thoughts from consciousness
What is displacement in Freud’s theory?
When ID cannot achieve its primary goal, a secondary goal is fashioned as an outlet
What does sublimation refer to?
Redirecting urges into socially acceptable activities like art or sports
Define reaction formation.
Engaging in the opposite of a repressed wish to ward it off
What is rationalization?
Reinterpreting an urge in acceptable terms
What is projection?
Seeing one’s own urges in others
What is isolation in the context of defense mechanisms?
Allowing memories back into consciousness without associated motives or emotions
What is regression?
Mentally returning to an earlier safer state, such as thumb-sucking or bed-wetting
What is conversion in Freud’s theory?
Converting psychological conflict into physical symptoms
What is ‘The Royal Road’ according to Freud?
Dreams as an attempt at wish fulfillment
What is the difference between latent and manifest content in dreams?
- Latent: actual desire
- Manifest: laundered version containing symbols
What is free association?
A method where the patient speaks freely and the analyst looks for associations and resistance
What are some critiques of Freud’s theory?
- Limited data
- Bias in observations
- Vague conceptual terms
