Exam 1_Freud Flashcards
Explain the assessment of symbols in psychoanalysis assessments.
Symbols indicate unconscious motives. Symbols from dreams are a passageway to the unconscious mind.
What is repetitive compulsion and how does it reveal itself in relationships and psychological assessments?
Things outside of awareness. It is a recurring pattern until you face it.
How did Sigmund Freud access the unconscious mind? Did he use hypnosis or a different method?
Freud abandoned hypnosis and used a “waking” state for clients to remember wishes, desires, and conflicts that were repressed in the unconscious.
- Free association (the patient verbalizes whatever comes to mind and reflects on those associations.)
- Dream Interpretation
According to Freud, explain how behavior is determined and the role of the unconscious mind.
The unconscious mind directs behavior without our full awareness. The unconscious contains deeply hidden secrets and desires. It enters the consciousness in disguised or symbolic form. The Ego sees the unconscious as a threat, and will often reject.
In terms of libido and psyche energy, discuss how energy is “fixed.”
People are born with a fixed level of libido (emotional and psychic energy derived from sexuality impulse). Energy cannot be added or taken away.
Explain Cathexis and anti-Cathexis.
Cathexis: A temporary investment of psychic energy to a person, object or idea i.e.; fantasies. It is the charge of energy.
Anti-Cathexis: The attempt by the ego (self-deception) to block expression, true desires, or motives.
Explain the goal of each personality structure like the id, superego, and ego.
Ego: Rational, mediating dimension of persona. (Rationalizes using snooze alarm)
Superego: Moralistic, perfectionist dimension of persona. (Feels guilty using snooze alarm)
Id: Irrational, impulsive dimension of persona. (Uses snooze alarm)
What are the types of anxiety?
Moral: A person feels guilty about things she should not have done.
Neurotic: A person fears an impulsive discharge of impulses or instincts that could lead to harm (paranoia).
Objective: Realistic external threat.
Explain the difference between the three levels of consciousness.
Conscious: Info in your immediate awareness.
Subconscious/Preconscious: Info that can be easily made conscious.
Unconscious: Thoughts, feelings, urges, and wishes that are difficult to bring to conscious awareness.
Explain the difference between reality and pleasure principles.
Pleasure: Demands immediate tension reduction. Instant pleasure, no pain.
Reality: Delays discharge of energy until an appropriate situation occurs.
Explain each of the defense mechanisms and give examples. Also, define defense mechanisms.
Defense Mechanisms: Ego’s attempt to remove or alleviate anxiety to make reality more bearable.
Repression: Blocking a desire from conscious expression. (Unaware of hostilities towards parents)
Denial: Refusing to believe reality. (refusing to believe one has cancer)
Projection: Attributing an unconscious impulse to another. (Blaming someone else for your actions)
Reaction formation: Expressing impulse by its opposite. (Treating someone you dislike in a friendly manner)
Regression: Returning to an earlier form of expressing impulse. (Resuming bed-wetting after one has long stopped.
Rationalization: Dealing with emotion intellectually to avoid emotional concern. (Arguing that “everybody else does it, so I don’t have to feel guilty”.)
Identification: Modeling behavior after someone else. (Imitating one’s mother or father)
Displacement: Satisfying an impulse into a more socially desirable outlet. (Satisfying sexual curiosity by researching sexual behaviors.)
Undoing: Attempting to take back behavior or thoughts that are unacceptable. (Excessively praising someone after insulting them)
Compensation: Process of psychologically counterbalancing perceived weakness by emphasizing strength in other areas. (Working out a lot because you think you aren’t intelligent)
Explain the 5 psychosexual stages of development. At what stage do the Oedipal issues occur. Explain the difference between male and female (Electra) issues.
Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latent, and Genital. Oedipal issues occur at the Phallic stage. Males become aggressive and fearful. Females desire male power and wish to conquer.
Explain Chodorow’s revision of the Oedipal complex.
Forming love and hate objects. Females have a greater need for differentiation. Males naturally separate from the mother by identifying with the father. Females never fully separate from the mother, making them yearn for independence.
What is fixation and how does it occur?
Fixation: A person is “stuck” at an earlier stage of psychosexual development.
Caused by:
- Overindulgence (mother gives them everything)
- Deprivation or severe frustration (mother is unavailable)
- Excessive conflict at a psychosexual stage, which is usually unconscious
