Contemporary Psychoanalytic Approaches Flashcards
What part’s have we kept and let go of Freud’s theory?
Desire to keep the parts of Freudian theory
that work
– Unconscious influences
– Behavior reflects conflicts between desires and
societal norms
– Childhood influences adulthood
– Unconscious (implicit) representations of self and
others guide relationships
But cut the parts that don’t work
– Unconscious is all about sex
– Psychosexual stages
Freud’s Repression and Contemporary view of Repressed Memories?
Freud’s view: unacceptable thoughts pushed into the unconscious
- Very difficult to prove whether a recovered memory is true
- It is possible to implant memories of
mundane events - Traumatic events tend to be
particularly memorable
Repressed Memories: Conclusion?
- Very difficult to prove whether a
recovered memory is true - It is possible to implant memories of
mundane events - Traumatic events tend to be
particularly memorable - Yet, many therapists still encourage
patients to uncover repressed
memories of trauma
– Patients whose therapists suggest this are
20 times more likely to report a previously
repressed memory of abuse - Therapists’ suggestion may lead to
false memories - Or… therapists help patients recall
real instances of abuse
Modern view of the Unconscious: Motivated vs. Cognitive?
– Motivated view: We bury hidden needs/desires
in the unconscious
– Cognitive view: information perceived may
become unconscious and influence us, but it’s
not “buried” there
* Similar to Freud’s pre-conscious
Subliminal Priming?
- The cognitive Unconscious
- Concepts may be perceived and influence
us, without our even knowing it - But, not clear that subliminal
priming of concepts actually
influences BEHAVIOR
Priming and Advertising (Lipton study + most effective)?
- Lipton Ice Tea study
– Participants subliminally primed with tea or
nonsense words
– Results:
More likely to buy tea over other drink
But, ONLY if thirsty to begin with - Most effective priming is when product
is embedded (product placement)
– If it’s subtle, observer is engrossed in film/TV,
so can’t use cognitive resources to prevent the
impact of the ad
Modern view od the ego, Anna Freud & Erik Erikson?
– Students of Freud
* More complex view of ego
* Focus on the strengths of conscious self
* Control over one’s environment
– Goal is to establish a secure identity
– Failure to do so creates identity crisis
* Beginning of research on the Self
Erikson’s 8 Stages of Development, how is it different and similar to Freud’s psychosexual development?
- Different from Freud’s psychosexual
development
– Cover the full lifespan
– Allow for development during “latency” and
adulthood - Similar to Freud’s
– Each stage marked by conflict
– Failure to resolve conflict leads to fixation, or
crisis
Narcissistic Paradox?
People who seem to
think they’re great may feel insecure
underneath
– Narcissism is a defense
* Reaction formation
Narcissism in DSM and non-clinical setting?
- DSM characteristics: grandiosity,
dominance, entitlement, superiority - In normal (non-clinical) populations,
characterized by self-enhancement
– i.e., excessively positive view of self and
negative view of others
– bragging, egotism, superiority, derogation of
others, entitlement
What Causes Narcissism?
- Parents over-idealize child, set up
unrealistic standards - Simultaneously, they excessively criticize
child for failing to meet unrealistic
standards - “Narcissistic wound” – early humiliation
experience - Narcissists overcompensate for
insecurities by self-aggrandizing
Measuring Narcissism, (4)?
- Unrealistically positive beliefs about abilities and achievements
- Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, and beauty
- Strong sense of entitlement
- Grandiose sense of self-importance
Narcissism and Therapy?
- Narcissists typically go to therapy for
external life problems
– Work
Repeated failures
Not living up to their own career expectations
– Love
Idealization and devaluation of romantic partners
Always need to be center of attention
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is very difficult to treat in therapy
Research Findings on Normal-Range Narcissism - what do they do?
- Look in the mirror more frequently
- Take credit for their accomplishments but
blame others for their failures - Self-promote more on social-networking
sites like Facebook - Tend to adopt a ‘game-playing’ style in
relationships - Become angry and aggressive in
response to failure or negative feedback
– But, new research suggests, more likely to admit
shame after success
Narcissism as Pathology
* Two types?
– Grandiose Narcissist
– Fragile narcissist
Grandiose narcissist?
- Has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
- Appears to feel privileged and entitled
- Has little empathy
- Tends to blame own failures or shortcomings
on other people or circumstances - Tends to be critical of others
- Tends to be controlling
- Has little psychological insight into own
motives, behavior, etc
Fragile narcissist
- Tends to feel unhappy, depressed, or
despondent - Tends to be critical of others
- Has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
- Tends to feel anxious
- Tends to feel envious
- Is prone to painful feelings of emptiness
- Appears to feel privileged and entitled
- Tends to feel s/he is inadequate, inferior, or a
failure
Object Relations Theory
Modern research on influence of childhood on adulthood relationships
- Emphasis on social relationships
- Origins of adult relationships in
childhood - Internalized representations (i.e.,
unconscious) of parents become
basis for relating to others
Early Childhood Attachment?
Early bond with parents influences
child’s personality
Harlow (1958) and easily childhood attachement?
– Raised monkeys apart from mother
* Provided surrogate “wire” mom or surrogate “cloth mom”
* Surrogate wire mom provided food and water
Even when wire mom provided food, infant monkeys stayed close to cloth mom.
Importance of physical contact between infant and caregiver.
Infant monkeys deprived of real mothers
became anxious, insecure, abnormal sexually
Ainsworth: Strange Situation Procedure?
Ainsworth: Strange Situation Procedure
– How does a child respond to being left with a
friendly stranger for a few minutes?
* 3 Responses
1. Continue exploration, play, happy to see mother upon return
2. Unfazed when mother left, and avoidant upon return
3. Very anxious throughout procedure, clingy and angry upon return
* 3 Attachment styles
– Secure, Avoidant, Anxious-Ambivalent
Child’s response in Strange Situation
predicts…?
– Mother’s behavior toward child
* How responsive to child’s needs?
– “Internal working models” for later
relationships
* Unconscious expectations for how people will
treat them
– Adult attachment styles
Adult Attachment
* Hazan and Shaver (1987) ?
Found similar patterns of attachment
in adult relationships
– Secure relationship style
– Avoidant relationship style
– Anxious-Ambivalent (Preoccupied)
relationship style
What can we learn from attachemnt stykles?
- Important part of personality
- Related to relationship behaviors
- Research shows that many relationship
behaviors are predicted by attachment
style - For example…
– Preoccupied have most sex, Avoidant least
(except for Avoidant males)
– Preoccupied feel greatest need for intimacy
– Avoidants have worse memory for relationshiprelated
concepts
