Freud

Question 1

psychoanalysis

Answer 1

refers to Freud’s theory in which your current behavior is determined by your past experiences that are embedded in your unconscious

Question 2

repetition compulsion

Answer 2

unconsciously repeating past traumas, such that to some extent you want to be traumatized again (you are not aware of this but this is also not accidental - it is a psychological process occurring)

Question 3

4 Subtheories of Psychoanalysis

Answer 3

1. Instincts and psychosexual development - motivation and influence of childhood experiences
2. Mind dynamics - intrapsychic conflicts between different parts of the mind
3. Method of treatment - psychoanalytic therapy
4. Set of clinical observations - basis from which Freud abstracted his constructs

Question 4

psychic determinism

Answer 4

Freud’s 1st philosophical assumption

all mental behavior has direction, purpose, and meaning -nothing is accidental

Question 5

unconscious motivation

Answer 5

Freud’s 2nd philosophical assumption

explanations for our behavior lies here - we are not aware of the purpose and direction of our behavior due to repression. in turn, conscious desires do not dictate our behavior and our belief for why we do things is typically inaccurate

Question 6

libido

Answer 6

Freud’s 3rd philosophical assumption

describes the psychic energy that is the driving force of all behavior that

-gives strength of motives
-is a conversion from psychic energy to physical energy
-is the fuel that drives the mind - it is bottled up and released with enough pressure
-is a reductionistic mistake

Question 7

recapitulate

Answer 7

Freud’s 4th philosophical assumption

-we tend to reenact the past unconsciously
-repetition compulsion: relive past traumas continuously and intentionally - this is not accidental, as a part of us wants to be traumatized unconsciously
-our present lives are dictated by our childhood relationships - we attempt to gratify our old, remaining wishes with people in the present

Question 8

conscious (level of mind)

Answer 8

surface-level; what you are aware of right NOW; this is a small portion of mental contents

Question 9

preconscious (level of mind)

Answer 9

not aware of it now, but can be aware easily because it is close to awareness; it is waiting to enter consciousness

Question 10

unconscious (level of mind)

Answer 10

-this is the largest part of the mind - contains the most energy
-motivates behavior - full of forbidden instinctual desires for sex and aggression
-animalistic - our answer is actually always ‘yes’ - there is never a ‘no’
-repressed - can never be directly aware of our ___ because it is too upsetting; actively keeps ___ buried

Question 11

view of symptoms

Answer 11

1st type of behavior revealing unconscious

-____ have symbolic meaning
-they are indirect expressions of repressed desires
-they develop because of past psychic traumas
-they often represent several unconscious processes simultaneously

Question 12

dreams

Answer 12

2nd type of behavior revealing unconscious

-unable to repress as much when asleep
-less distorted than waking behavior
-intended to protect sleep and disguise our impulses
-all __ in one night share one theme

Question 13

manifest content

Answer 13

part of the analysis of dreams - all the parts of the dream that we can remember; simply the content of the dream

Question 14

latent content

Answer 14

part of the analysis of dreams - hidden content of the dream; true unconscious meaning - the underlying meaning of these symbols

Question 15

parapraxes

Answer 15

3rd type of behavior revealing unconscious

-connections between the feelings for one person and the feelings of another
-“slips of the tongue” (Freudian slips)
-represents some sort of intention
-cannot keep unconscious material hidden, even if we want to
-e.g., calling someone by another name

Question 16

id

Answer 16

the part of the mind that is:

-unconscious (do not have access to it - only have post hoc awareness of its effect - introspection not possible)
-full of desires and urges that impinge on us
-works in primary process way
-the source of all psychic energy, and is our primary source of motivation that includes sexual and aggressive instincts
-is motivated by the pleasure principle - we want instant gratification to maximize pleasure

Question 17

primary process

Answer 17

how the id functions - primitive mental process that functions without regard for logic or reality and has an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality; this kind of magical thinking is most commonly observed in dreams

Question 18

ego

Answer 18

-parts of the mind we refer to as “I”
-developed out of ‘id’ in the sense that it rechannels and redirects the id’s urges, and it derives energy from the ‘id’ and is dependent on it
-governed by secondary process (part of the mind that thinks logically, responsible for planning)
-the practical part of the mind that mediates between the desires of the ‘id’ and the ‘superego’ (goal is to try to satisfy the id’s desires in a socially acceptable, practical way by using defense mechanisms)
-concerned with reality - aims to gain an understanding of how things actually are
-wants gratification in a socially acceptable way

Question 19

defense mechanisms

Answer 19

-“unconscious resources used by the ego to reduce conflict between the id and superego”; tools the ego uses to transform/redirect/delay social impulses so that expressions are more socially acceptable

Question 20

superego

Answer 20

the part of the mind that reflects the internalized values of society, and is composed of two parts:
1. conscience - pushes us to moral behavior because it tells us what bad behavior is (punished with guilt/shame if disobeyed)
2. ego ideal - contains morals and standards describing good behavior; holds image of ideal self

Question 21

primary gain

Answer 21

symptoms are disguised expression of impulses which protect you from expressing original impulse; symptom serves as an avoidance of dealing with conflict; in turn, do not fear punishment and this provides symbolic gratification

e.g., immediate relief from guilt, anxiety, or other feelings as a result of symptom

Question 22

secondary gain

Answer 22

because symptoms are disguised expressions of impulses, your symptoms allow for rewards, such as increased attention from others

e.g., being sick - loved ones worried about you - you can get out of doing your chores

Question 23

oral psychosexual stage

Answer 23

1st stage of psychosexual development - occurs between birth and 18 months

-baby begins with purely instinctual desires (‘id’), but not all desires are gratified (some are punished, some prevented due to reality)
–> infant achieves gratification thru sucking, chewing
-ego develops out of id to cope with reality - ego would not develop if individual always gratified - personality develops from disappointment
-fixation at this stage generates the most severe pathology (psychotic disorders and personality disorders)

Question 24

cathexis

Answer 24

temporary investment of libido in body part; investment of energy in body, object, or person; can be a mental projection of the thing desired or an actualization of that thing in reality

Question 25

fixation

Answer 25

a desire tied to a desire held in a previous psychosexual stage - you get stuck at a certain stage (this has different implications regarding symptoms of pathology depending on the stage you get stuck in)

Question 26

anal psychosexual stage

Answer 26

2nd stage of psychosexual development - occurs between 1.5 and 3.5 years

-child learns to respond to societal expectations (e.g., controlling bowels through toilet training)
-fixation in this stage leads to obsessive-compulsiveness (retentive vs. expulsive) and problems with authority in the future (either excessively defiant or overly compliant)

Question 27

phallic psychosexual stage

Answer 27

3rd stage of psychosexual development - occurs between 3.5 and 6 years

-oedipal complex leading to castration anxiety in boys
-healthy outcome for boys: let go of mom as sexual object and increased identification with dad (superego develops because of this identification –> son wants to be more like dad and incorporate dad’s values)
-unhealthy outcome for boys: repression of this conflict until puberty –> issues in heterosexual relationships or sexuality, become homosexual, marry person similar to mother, or view all men as competitors
-stage developed poorly for girls (unable to experience castration anxiety; instead, experience electra complex)
-healthy outcome for girls: identify with mom and reject dad - this is when the superego develops whereby the girl incorporates mom’s values and in turn accepts femininity
-unhealthy outcome for girls: reject femininity, become homosexual, marry man similar to father, or become sexually unresponsive.
-people avoid immoral behavior because of superego; therefore, superego is essential for civilization

Question 28

oedipal complex

Answer 28

occurs in the phallic psychosexual stage of development

boys develop sexual desires for their mothers and feel they must compete with their same-sex parent (father); they feel intense hatred/hostility/aggressiveness towards father (i.e., want to kill father) as father as seen as rival.

Question 29

castration anxiety

Answer 29

occurs in the phallic psychosexual stage of development

boy fears father will read boy’s mind about his sexual attraction for his mother & his desire to kill his father, and in turn, fears father will cut off his penis for thinking like this

Question 30

electra complex

Answer 30

occurs in the phallic psychosexual stage of development

girls develop penis envy, desiring to have their father’s child (own phallus), and viewing mother as rival for her father. however, the fear of losing mother’s love is greater than envy of mother (not as strong as castration anxiety).

Question 31

latency psychosexual stage

Answer 31

4th stage of psychosexual development

-libido becomes dormant and psychosexual development stops
-sexual interest and impulses briefly come to an end and cease to influence the person –> leading to a repression of sexual feelings

Question 32

genital psychosexual stage

Answer 32

final stage of psychosexual development, occurring during puberty and onwards

-show a sexual interest in the opposite sex - leads to normal heterosexual relationships
-if there is not too much fixation at the earlier stages, then the libido cathected back in genitals

Question 33

symptom substitution

Answer 33

the idea that another symptom will replace one that has been “resolved” because you have not truly resolved a symptom until you resolve the underlying dynamics of the symptom

Question 34

free association

Answer 34

main technique of psychoanalysis and a method of exposing the unconscious in which Freud would encourage patients to say exactly what was on their mind without filtering their words

Question 35

Psychoanalysis claims the cause of people’s problems occurs in . . .

Answer 35

the past, usually distant past

Question 36

According to psychoanalysis, do clients know the cause of their problems?

Answer 36

No, because it is hidden in our unconscious - it is either a trauma they have forgotten or have not faced OR it is a societally unacceptable unconscious sexual or aggressive impulse

Question 37

According to psychoanalysis, why do clients NOT know the cause of their problems?

Answer 37

Clients unconsciously defend against remembering their past through repression, which protects the anxiety associated with remembering.

Question 38

What is the goal of psychoanalysis?

Answer 38

Insight = emotional awareness of the underlying cause of the symptom –> individual no longer needs repression or defense mechanisms to block awareness when they feel the pain they were repressing –> symptom loses its function.

& to “transform neurotic misery into common unhappiness” –> ceases to act out on unconscious impulses without thought and is able to choose how to behave

Question 39

disadvantages of treating symptom directly

Answer 39

1) decreasing symptom results in decreased motivation for change, as individual perceives that all of their problems have been resolved and they do not need to exert anymore effort to experience therapeutic change.
2) “flight into health” - people only go to therapy when the symptom is too drastic to handle alone anymore: false perception of improvement –> strengthening of defenses –> individual not improved overall
3) comforting clients is a temporary relief - clients rely too much on the therapist and struggle to become independent

Question 40

psychoanalysis techniques

Answer 40

1. Free association: say whatever comes to mind
2. Dream analysis: connecting conscious manifest content back to unconscious latent content
3. Transference: directing desires/feelings for someone else onto your therapist
4. Interpretations: using the material obtained through previous techniques to make the connections for the patient about the meaning

Question 41

transference

Answer 41

-technique of psychoanalysis
-occurs when the patient inadvertently views/treats analyst like past figure, desires from the analyst what they did not get from past people in their life (typically what their parents did not provide them)
-reveals distortions in all interpersonal relationships
-Analyst’s neutral behavior is key - therapist’s personality does not contribute –> any reaction you have to analyst will reveal unconscious desires