Chapter 3: Psychoanalytic Theory Flashcards
what did Freud’s theory emphasize
the unconscious mind
what was the first theory of personality?
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory
what scientific notion influenced Freud’s theory
the idea of energy
how did Freud begin to understand the power of the unconscious?
treating patients with hysteria
free association
having patients say whatever came into their mind, including previously hidden material
what did Freud conclude about the nature of hysterical symptoms in adults?
He concluded that early sexual experiences were responsible for hysterical symptoms in adult patients
the topographic model
The division of human personality into the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious
conscious
contains thoughts you are currently aware of
preconscious
contains thoughts that could be brought into consciousness fairly easily
unconscious
the material to which you have no immediate access
the structural model
The division of human personality into the id, the ego, and the superego
id
the selfish part of one’s personality that is only concerned with satisfying personal desires
what principle is the id based on?
the pleasure principle
the pleasure principle
bringing immediate personal satisfaction
what technique does the id use to satisfy it needs?
wish fulfillment
wish fulfillment
imagining
what part of the brain is the id located in?
the unconscious
development of the id
the id is present at birth
ego
the part of one’s personality that keeps id impulses in the unconscious
development of the ego
develops during the first two years of life
what principle is the ego based on?
the reality principle
the reality principle
satisfying the id impulses, while considering the realities of the world
what part of the brain is the ego located in?
Moves freely among the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious parts of the mind
superego
the part of one’s personality that reinforces a strict moral code
development of the superego
Develops around 5 years old
what does the superego represent?
society’s values and standards
what is the superego’s primary weapon
guilt
moral anxiety
an ever-present feeling of shame and guilt
where is the superego located in the brain?
Moves freely among the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious parts of the mind
triebe/ instincts
strong internal forces that drive human behaviour
what are the two forms of triebe?
libido & thanatos
libido
the life or sexual instinct
how is libido expressed?
Expressed as any action aimed at receiving pleasure
thanatos
the death or aggressive instinct
how is thanatos expressed?
Expressed as outward aggression against others
are the forces of triebe mutually exclusive?
no, they often combine
what force of triebe is most of human behaviour attributed to?
libido
psychic energy
the force that lies behind all mental processes
Freud on psychic energy
Freud argued that we have a finite amount of psychic energy
neurotic anxiety
vague feelings of anxiety sparked by the sensation that unacceptable unconscious thoughts are about to burst through the awareness barrier
what makes up a healthy personality according to Freud?
A healthy personality is one in which the ego controls id impulses and superego demands
defence mechanisms
techniques the ego uses to deal with unconscious thoughts or desires
9 types of defence mechanisms
- repression
- sublimation
- displacement
- denial
- reaction formation
- intellectualization
- projection
- regression
- rationalization
(4 r’s, 2 d’s, spi)
repression
an active effort by the ego to push threatening material out of consciousness or to keep that material from ever reaching consciousness
consequences of repression
drains our ability to function
the Repressed Memories Epidemic
convicted hundreds of people based on fictional creations
do most psychologists accept the notion of repressed memories?
no
sublimation
the ego channels threatening unconscious impulses into socially acceptable actions
consequences of sublimation
allows us to become more productive
example of sublimation
participating in aggressive sports to express unconscious aggression in a socially acceptable manner
displacement
involves channelling our impulses to non-threatening objects
consequences of displacement
Doesn’t lead to social rewards
denial
refusing to accept that certain facts exist
consequences of denial
The more one uses this technique, the less in touch with reality they become
reaction formation
hiding threatening unconscious ideas or urges by acting in a manner opposite to our unconscious desires
intellectualization
removing the emotional content from thought before allowing it into awareness
projection
attributing an unconscious impulse to other people instead of to ourselves
Freud on the formation of adult personalities
Freud argued that our adult personalities are heavily influenced by what happens to us in the first 5-6 years of life
psychosexual stages of development
a series of developmental stages that children undergo in the first 5-6 years of life, where the chief characteristic of each stage is the primary erogenous zone
fixation
the tying up of psychic energy
when does fixation occur?
Occurs when children have a difficult time moving through a particular stage
what are the consequences of fixation?
The adult expresses behavioural characteristics of the stage at which energy is fixed
what are the five psychosexual stages of development?
- oral stage
- anal stage
- phallic stage
- latency stage
- genital stage
oral stage
the first stage of developmemt, where the mouth, lips, and tongue are the primary erogenous zones
when does the oral stage occur?
Spans the first 18 months of life
what causes an oral personality?
Traumatic weaning or feeding problems result in a fixation and an oral personality
oral personality
people express an infantile need for oral satisfaction
examples of an oral personality
smoking or drinking excessively
anal stage
the second stage of development, where the anal region becomes the most important erogenous zone
when does the anal stage occur?
18 months- 3 years
anal personality
people are either orderly and rigid or stubborn depending on how the toilet training progressed
phallic stage
the third stage of development, where the penis or clitoris becomes the most important erogenous zone
when does the phallic stage occur?
3-6 years
what happens at the end of the phallic stage?
children experience the Oedipus complex
the Oedipus complex
children develop a sexual attraction to their opposite-sex parent
consequences of the Oedipus complex
Results in castration anxiety for boys and penis envy for girls
castration anxiety
a fear that boys’ fathers will discover their thoughts and cut off their penis
penis envy
a desire to have a penis, coupled with feelings of inferiority and jealousy because of its absence
latency stage
the fourth stage of development, where, eventually, children repress their desire for their opposite-sex parent
when does the latency stage occur
6 years-puberty
what characterizes the latency stage?
- They begin to associate with those of the same gender
- Sexual desires abate
Functions of the Oedipus complex’s latency stage
- Boys begin to take on masculine characteristics and girls acquire feminine characteristics
- Adopting the parents’ values paves the way for the emergence of the superego
genital stage
the fifth stage of development, where erogenous urges return and are focused in the adult genital regions
when does normal sexual functioning occur, according to Freud
Normal sexual functioning occurs if a child has progressed to the genital stage without leaving large amounts of libido fixated at earlier stages
when are Oedipus desires eliminated?
Oedipus’s desires are never fully eliminated and can influence behaviour in later life
7 methods of getting at unconscious material
- dreams
- projective tests
- free association
- Freudian slips
- hynosis
- accidents
- symbollic behaviour
dreams
dreams provide id impulses with a stage for expression. they represent the things we desire
dreams are a form of ____
wish fulfillment
two types of content of dreams
manifest & latent content
manifest content
what the dreamer sees and remembers
latent content
what is really being expressed
how did Freud interpret dreams?
through latent content and common dream symbols
projective tests
present test takers with ambiguous stimuli and ask them to respond by identifying objects, telling a story, or drawing a picture. The responses are said to provide insight into the unconscious
why is free association difficult to implement
because the ego invests considerable energy in repressing threatening thoughts
Freudian slips
misstatements that are said to provide insight into the unconscious
hypnosis
putting the ego into a hypnotic trance, allowing the hypnotist to bypass it and get directly to unconscious material
accidents
apparent accidents are intentional actions stemming from unconscious impulses
symbolic behaviour
many of our daily behaviours can be interpreted as symbolic representations of unconscious desires
Rorschach inkblot test
consists of 10 cards, each containing a blot of ink. Test takers are instructed to describe what they see in the images
how are results from the Rorschach inkblot test interpreted?
Analyzed with several different scoring systems. Most psychologists rely on their insight and intuition when interpreting responses
The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
consists of a series of ambiguous pictures. Test takers are asked to tell a story about each picture
how are results from the TAT interpreted?
Some therapists use objective scoring procedures, while others use their intuition
the human figure drawing test
participants are given a blank piece of paper and instructions to draw a picture for the psychologist
why was the human figure test initially developped?
as a measure of intelligence
what is the human figure drawing test used to evaluate?
Seen as an indicator of psychological problems, particularly in children
efficacy of projective tests
- Projective tests have low reliability and validity
- Many projective tests continue to be widely used because they can uncover information not easily obtained through other procedures
- We can’t overinterpret responses to projective tests; they should be viewed as one source of information
strenghts of Freud’s theory
- The first comprehensive theory of human behaviour and personality
- Developed the first system of psychotherapy
- Popularized and promoted many important psychological concepts
criticisms of Freud’s theory
- His ideas weren’t new; he wasn’t the first person to consider the unconscious
- Many of his hypotheses are not testable
- Relies heavily on biased case studies (not representative of the population)
what causes an anal personality?
traumatic toilet training
why are projective tests largely ineffective?
the interpretation of results is subjective
3 main types of projective tests
- Rorschach Inkblot Technique
- Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
- Word association and sentence completion
how much time is assigned for the TAT assessment?
The total time duration assigned for 10 picture is 50 minutes
what do participants have to describe in the TAT assessment?
- The present situation
- Thoughts and feelings of the characters
- Preceding events (the events leading up to the story)
- Final outcome
TAT recording procedure
- Complete responses presented by a subject should be recorded
- Along with behavioural observation: stuttering, voice tone, body posture, hand movements, etc.
- The practitioner should engage in questioning and inquiry to produce a continuous flow of the subject’s fantasy
- The cards should be administered in the sequence they were presented to the subject
Freud’s life
- Lived from 1856-1939
- Lived primarily in Vienna
- Create theories from personal experiences & memories
- Worked as a clinical neurologist
- Studied with Charcot
- Explored the benefits of cocaine
- Developed psychoanalytic practice
- Developed a group of disciples
- Escaped Nazi invasion
Freud’s Austria
- Characterized by an even more rigorous form of Victorian sexual morality than England
- Intense moral preoccupation with sexuality, particularly in women and children
- Young women were expected to be chaste before marriage
- Sexual exploration and masturbation were assiduously suppressed
Freud’s main ideas
- Argued that unusual or perverse sexual desires dominate the mind in both adults and children (These become unconscious; they’re no longer under the control of a person’s self-conscious and voluntary choices)
- Had a very pessimistic view of human nature
life instincts
- Oriented towards survival
- Libido
- Cathexis
cathexis
transforming the self-destruction instinct into harmony with others
death instincts
- Compulsion to destroy & conquer
- Aggressive
Freud on individual differences
people differ in their ego denfence mechanisms, which control expression of primitive forces in personality
Freud on adaptation and adjustment
mental health invovles the ability to love and work. Psychoanalysis provides a method for overcoming unconscious psychological conflict
Freud on cognitive processes
conscious experience often cannot be trusted because of distortions produced by unconscious defence mechanisms
Freud on culture
all societies deal with universal human conflicts and lead to repression of individual desires. traditional religion is challenged as a shared defence mechanism
Freud on biological influences
Psychiatric symptoms are explained in psychodynamic terms. Biological drives, particularly sexual motivation, provide the basis of personality. Hereditary differences may influecne the level of sexual drive and phenomena such as homosexuality.
Freud on development
Experience in the first 5 years is critical for personality development. The oral, anal, and phallic (Oedipal) psychosexual conflicts are central. Adult personality changes very little.
what does Freud mean by instincts?
drives
what do traumatic events lead to according to Freud?
Traumatic events -> physical changes in the nervous system -> symptoms of anxiety later in life
psychic determinism
the idea that unconscious forces have the power to influence behaviour
why did Freud study clinical material?
because physical changes could not be observed
catharsis
relieving pressure by making the unconscious conscious
what is anxiety caused by according to Freud?
conflicts that threaten the ego
three types of anxiety
- reality anxiety
- neurotic anxiety
- moral anxiety
reality anxiety
anxiety about tangible dangers
what causes neurotic anxiety?
a conflict between the id and ego
what causes moral anxiety?
a conflict between the id and the superego
what provokes defence mechanisms?
everyday conflicts
are defence mechanisms adaptive according to Freud?
yes
who uses defence mechanisms?
everyone
what is the most extreme form of defence?
denial
consequence of projection
Frees a person from the perception that they are the one who holds a certain thought
regression
retreating to an earlier period of life
rationalization
generating self-justifying explanations for our negative behaviours
consequence of intellectualization
Helps bring difficult thoughts into consciousness without anxiety
a person who witnesses their parents having sex is unable to remember the event later is an example of
repression
Jane is sexually attracted to her friend, but she claims in public that she intensely dislikes him is an example of
reaction formation
A man with powerful unconscious sexual desires for women claims women use him as a sex object is an example of
projection
a college student who is worried about an important test begins to suck on his finger is an example of
regression
a drama student convinces herself that getting the part in the play is not that important after all is an example of
rationalization
a student who is angry at her professor for a low grade lashes out at her roommate, who is a safer target for her anger is an example of
displacement
a person who participates in sports to reduce aggressive drives is an example of
sublimation
how did Freud treat Anna O’s hysteria?
hypnosis
repression vs. denial
- Repression involves people not remembering something because it’s too traumatic (ex. Not remembering childhood sexual abuse)
- With denial, someone knows that a threat exists but refuses to accept it (ex. alcoholism)
evidence for psychosexual development
there is none
benefit of the psychosexual stages of development
they got people thinking about the influence of early childhood on development
what happens when children realize that they cannot be with their opposite-sex parent?
they begin to identify with the same-sex parent
evidence for methods of getting at unconscious material
there is none
