Chapter 9: Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality Flashcards
What is Freud’s theory?
unconscious needs or desires are at the heart of human motivation
Freud’s model of human nature relied on the notion of what?
psychic energy = motivates all human activity
True or False: the amount of psychic energy a person possesses remains constant throughout their lifetime
True
So how does Freud view personality change?
perceived as a redirection of a person’s psychic energy
Drive Theory: Where does all energy come from in the psychic system?
instincts = provide all energy
The Drive Theory was influenced by which scientists theory of evolution?
Darwin’s theory of evolution
What were two fundamental categories of instincts in the
initial formulation of Darwin’s theory?
- Self-preservation instincts
- Sexual instincts
How does Freud collapse self-preservation and sexual instincts into one?
Collapses into one life instinct or libido
Also developed a death instinct, what is this?
Thanatos = humans lean towards destruction and that this instinct often manifested in aggression towards others
Believes this can be combines with libidio into a single motive
Freud started a private practice to treat patients with
nervous disorders
Freud develops what idea about the human mind?
that the human mind is outside conscious awareness = part of the mind where consciousness/conscious thought is not present
Human mind consists of three parts?
- conscious = contains all the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that a person is presently aware of
- preconscious = vast number of memories, dreams, and thoughts that you could easily bring to mind if you so desired
- unconscious = (largest part of the mind) unacceptable information/thoughts hidden from conscious view, so well that cannot be considered unconscious
Does anything happen by chance according to Freud?
Nothing happens by chance or accident, rather there is a reason behind every act, thought, and feeling → an expression of the mind (any three parts listed above)
What are the little accidents of everyday life?
Driven by motivated unconscious
ex: someone calling you the wrong name/missing the bus
- these typically cause most symptoms of mental illnesses
Psychoanalytic theory describes how people cope with _________ and __________ instincts within the constraints of civilized society
sexual and aggressive instincts within the constraints of a civilized society
What is the Id?
Reservoir of Psychic Energy
- division of the psyche that is completely unconscious
- where our desires and needs come from
- has needs that need to be met
The “id” operates according to the ___
Pleasure principle = the desire for immediate gratification, will not tolerate delays
Wants needs to be met– not met, the person will experience anxiety, anger, or even tension
Id dominates in what stage of development?
During infancy the Id dominates → child wanting a toy who does not listen to reason or logic
The “id” operates with
primary process thinking = thinking without logical rules of conscious thought or an anchor in reality (aka dreams and fantasies)
What is wish fulfillment
something unavailable to the id is conjured up adn the image of it is temporarily satisfied
Ego
Executive of the personality –> ego’s job is to meet the desires of the id by using the reality principle and delaying gratification or satisfaction
part of the mind that constrains the id to reality
- Develops in first two to three years of life
Ego operates according to the
Much like the id, the ego seeks out pleasure by reducing tension
Operates with…
secondary process thinking = the development of strategies for solving problems and obtaining satisfaction
Superego
Upholder of Societal Values and Ideals
the part of the mind that internalizes the values, morals, and ideals of society
The part of the personality that makes us feel guilty, ashamed or embarrassed when we do something “wrong” and makes us feel pride when we do something “right”
Its function is to control the impulses of the id by using the rules of society, what is forbidden and what is allowed
When does the Superego emerge?
Age 5
How is superego usually shaped?
instilled into the child by social agents (parents, schools, religion)
True or False: the superego is bound to reality
No! Like the id it is NOT bound to reality
What is the interaction between the Id, Ego and Superego like?
often interact harmoniously but sometimes collide
- psychological distress results from conflict among these three or an internal conflict
Internal conflict = conflict between desires (id), morality and being a good person (superego), and consciousness (ego)
What does a well balanced mind look like to Freud?
one that is free from anxiety, is achieved by having a strong ego –> mediates the desires of id and superego
Generally explain how Freud views anxiety?
develops when our id and superego overpower the ego
- think of therapy session with Yvonne*
How does Freud define anxiety?
signals that the control of the ego is being threatened by reality, by impulses from the id, or by harsh controls exerted by the superego
What are the three types of anxiety?
- objective = occurs in response to real, external threat to a person
- neurotic = occurs when there is a direct conflict between the id and the ego
- moral = caused by a conflict between the ego and the superego
In all three types of anxiety, the function of the ego is…
to cope with threats and defend against dangers in order to reduce anxiety
What are defense mechanisms?
way in which ego relieves anxiety caused by clash of id and superego
What are some types of defense mechanisms?
Saying to help remember them:
Ran
Down
Pastor’s
Road
Don’t
Stop
;) as a defense mechanism I will not be stopping to talk with Mr. Pastor
*Repression = Blocking out, ignoring
Example: think of phobias, got attacked by a dog when you were younger, but through repression, you block out that memory or completely ignore the anxieties associated
*Denial = insisting that things are not the way they seem, refusal to see facts—If accused, defense is saying it’s not you, but you know it is
- Example: Denying that you have depression because you still wake up and go to class
*Projection = Project own anxieties onto other people
- Example: if you are cheating on a partner you begin to accuse them of being unfaithful
*Rationalization = Create excuse, convince yourself it’s okay
Example: you woke up late and missed class, rationalize by assuring yourself the extra sleep is beneficial for studying later
*Displacement = Displace your energy onto an object/person
Example: superior yells at you, you take it out on family/object
*Sublimation = channel anxieties into a productive outlet
Example: you get laid off at work, begin deep cleaning the house to compensate with the anxiety
What are the psychosexual stages of personality development?
Freud argued that all people pass through a series of stages in personality development
- At each of the first three stages, young children must face and resolve specific conflicts
- Conflicts revolve around ways of obtaining sexual gratification
What if a child fails to resolve a conflict at a particular stage?
He or she may get stuck in the stage or fixated
as you progress, shows mature mode of obtaining sexual gratification
What are the psychosexual stages?
- Oral
- Anal
- Phallic
- Latency
- Genital
Oral stage
Duration: birth to 18 months
Focus: oral pleasures
Struggle: Weaning from breast or bottle
Too much or too little oral gratification results in stagnation in the phase
Anal stage
Duration: 18-36 months
Focus: pleasure from expelling feces
Struggle: during toilet training period, need to learn to retain feces
If they cannot, struggle with self-control
Phallic Stage
Duration: 3-5 years old
Focus: child discovers he has (or she doesn’t have) a penis
If not recognized, can create an Oedipal conflict, involves the unconscious wish to have the opposite sex parent all to self by eliminating same-sex parent
Latency Stage
Duration: 6-puberty (dormant sexual feelings during this period)
Focus: child learning skills and abilities necessary to succeed as an adult
Genital Stage
Duration: puberty through adult life
Focus of libido: on genitals, but not like the phallic stage
*people reach this stage only if the conflicts at the previous stages are resolved
Psychoanalysis is also a method of
psychotherapy
What is psychotherapy?
the treatment of mental disorder by psychological rather than medical means
What is psychoanalysis?
method of psychotherapy, a technique for helping individuals who are experiencing a mental disorder or even relatively minor problems with living
What is the goal of psychoanalysis?
to bring the unconscious conscious
- Once a patient is aware of this material, the second aim is to enable the person to deal with it realistically and maturely
What is the process of psychoanalysis?
REMEMBER - REPEAT - WORK THROUGH
To remember:
Interpretations = led to view problematic thoughts, dreams, behaviors, symptoms, or feelings as all having unconscious roots
- offers them insight, made aware of the emotions associated with that previously repressed material
To repeat:
Transference is another step = patient begins reacting to the analyst as if he or she were an important figure from the patient’s own life
- The interpersonal problems between a patient and the important people in his or her life will be reenacted in therapy session with the analyst
- Also known as reptition compulsion = wherby the person reenacts his or her interpersonal problems with new people, including the psychoanalyst
Patients may need to work through…
Resistance = forces that have worked to repress the disturbing impulse or trauma now work to resist the psychoanalytic process
Techniques of psychoanalysis?
- Free Association
- Dream Analysis
- Projective Techniques
How is free association used to explore the unconscious?
the patient relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing
- expanding on the story will help bring the unconscious to conscious
How is dream analysis used to explore the unconscious?
the unconscious is revealed in dreams and those dreams are then analyzed
According to Freud, dreams have two types of content. What are they?
- Latent content = underlying meaning of symbols in dream
- hidden in the unconscious and must be discovered
- Manifest content = remembered narrative dream/the literal subject matter
- consciously known and seen
Why is psychoanalysis important?
- Continuing influence on modern psychotherapy
- Continuing influence on research topics, including the unconscious and defense mechanisms
- Continuing influence on popular Western culture
- Laid foundation for topics and questions that psychologists still interested in today
What is the collectivist unconscious?
Part of everyone’s unconscious mind/Deepest level of psyche
- Universal & inherited –> comes from our shared evolutionary past
Is the collectivist unconscious identical to all human beings?
Yes
Is the collectivist unconscious different from the personal unconscious?
Yes
What are Jungian archetypes?
- pre-existing, universal patterns
- underlying forms or concepts that give rise to archetypal images which may differ between cultures
What are the 12 archetypes?
- innocent
- explorer
- sage
- hero
- outlaw
- magician
- everyman
- lover
- jester
- caregiver
- creator
- ruler
What are the differences between Freud and Jung?
FREUD:
- Emphasis on sexuality & first 6 years of life (childhood)
- Personal unconscious
- Dreams: wish fufillments
JUNG:
- Emphasis on lifespan
- Collective unconscious
- Moved away from focusing on logical reasoning * focused of creative & symbolic ways to understand personality.
Freud’s impact
Psychoanalysis has had a major impact on psychology, psychiatry, and Western thought
Criticisms of Freud
Freud’s theory is primarily of historical value and does not directly inform much of the current personality research
- Freud did not believe in the value of experimentation or hypothesis testing in establishing the validity of psychoanalysis
- Freud relied on case studies of a selected group of wealthy women to generate his theory of human nature
- Some personality psychologists take issue with Freud’s negative view of human nature
What is the collectivist unconscious?
Part of everyone’s unconscious mind
Universal & inherited
Identical to all human beings
Different from personal unconscious
Deepest level of psyche
