Freud (1909) Flashcards
What was the aim?
To develop his theory of infantile sexuality and the Oedipus complex genesis of phobias.
What was the sample?
Hans, born in 1903, in Vienna, Austria.
Describe the ‘widdler’.
3.5 years old, hand on his penis mother threatened to send him to Dr. A to cut of his ‘widdler’. Freud said anxiety began here castration anxiety. 4.5 year olds mother was bathing him - ‘why don’t you put your finger there’ - seducing mother part one. Part two - Hans in mother’s bed, ‘don’t you know what great aunt M said?’ - ‘he’s got a dear little thingummy.’
Describe the giraffe.
March 1908 - climbing onto parent’s bed - crumpled giraffe and big giraffe - big one called out when Hans took away the crumpled giraffe and sat on it.
Describe the horse - phobia.
Developed fear of being bitten - afraid of going outside in the street. ‘Don’t put your finger near the white horse or it will bite you’ - castration anxiety. Deferred effect from 15 months earlier. Freud visited before Hans developed a fear for horse’s blinkers and muzzle. Blinkers - father’s glasses. Muzzle - father’s beard. Also afraid of carts because he was worried it would fall over - wishes his father would fall down too so he could have his mother.
Describe the defecation.
Hans preoccupied with faeces and told his dad about it. Had seen his mother ‘widdling’ and ‘lumfing’. When he was younger, he was constipated. Father believed that his fear of defecation comes from his fear of heavily loaded carts falling over. Hans was also grappling with the idea of babies being born - ‘lumf’ represented babies. Scaffolodi - sausage type and Hans called babies ‘lodi’ because his father sad that they looked like ‘lumf’. Heavily loaded cart - fear of father or assumptively his mother in childbirth.
Describe the ‘plumber’.
‘In bath and plumber unscrewed it. Then, took a large borer and stuck into his stomach.’ Admitted later that he was afraid his mother would let go and his head would go under. Han’s father asked asked if he thought he had ‘perhaps been bad and she didn’t love him anymore’ or if wished that his mum would let go of his sister Hanna and that she’d drown. Fera being punished for death wish on sister - wanted mother for himself. Father said anxiety had disappeared and he was playing with imaginary children - Hans is dad, mum is mum, and dad is grandad. Oedipus complex resolved - pushed father away. Plumber came and took Han’s behind and his ‘widdler’ with princers and replaced them with bigger ones - like ‘daddy’. Wanted hair and moustache like his father. Horse phobia resolved, castration anxiety overcome.
