Freud

Question 0

2. In Freud’s study of Hans, several dreams or fantasies are described. Outline two of these. (4 marks)

Answer 0

Any two dreams or fantasies from the following:
• The dream about the giraffes
• Criminal fantasies
• Origin of babies
Example:
• One dream was the dream about the giraffe. In the night there was a big giraffe in the room and a crumpled one; and the big one called out because I took the crumpled one away from it. Then it stopped calling out; and then I sat down on top of the crumpled one.
• One fantasy was about criminal fantasies. Hans dreamt about doing forbidden things with his father. He dreamt for example, with my father in the train, and we smashed a window and the policeman took us off with him.

Question 1

1. Freud suggested that Hans’ fear of horses symbolised his fear of his father. Outline two pieces of evidence that support this suggestion.
   (4 marks)

Answer 1

One piece of evidence that supports this suggestion is that…
• Freud considered such a white horse to look like a mature man with a moustache the black around the horse’s mouth and glasses the black blinkers used on horses.
A second piece of evidence is…
• Hans secretly wished his father would fall down dead. Seeing the horse fall over increased his anxiety about his death wish.

Question 2

3. Freud describes Hans’ as a ‘little Oedipus’.
   a) Explain briefly what the Oedipus complex is. (2)

b) Give one example from the study by Freud of how Hans was little Oedipus. (2)
.

Answer 2

• The Oedipus complex is a young boy having a desire to be with their mother but at the same time fearing that his father will castrate him. In order deal with this conflict the young boy identifies with his aggressor (father) by adopting his beliefs and attitudes.

• When Hans’ father returned from work he had to share his mother and wished to be permanently away. Hans expressed his conflicting aggression and love towards his father by hitting him and then kissing then kissing the spot.​OR
• His mother found him playing with his penis and said “if you do that, I shall send for a doctor to cut off your widdler”. This led him acquire a castration anxiety. Hans also felt sexual desire for his mother which was repressed and expressed as an interest in other girls and wanting to kiss them.

Question 3

Freud suggested that boys go through a phallic stage in the course of their early development.
a) Identify two features of the phallic stage which were shown by little Hans. (2)

b) Give one weakness in the evidence that was used to support this conclusion (2)

Answer 3

Two features of the phallic stage that were shown by Hans were…
• Getting erotic pleasure from the genitals
• Developing a sexual desire to be with his mother

• One weakness of the evidence used is that it is subjective and therefore not valid, as Hans’s father recorded the events and conversations who is a follower of Freud. And Freud and Hans’ father offered interpretations of Hans’ behaviour

Question 4

5. The study by Freud of Little Hans provided an explanation of how a phobia develops.
   a) Outline Freud’s explanation of the development of Hans’ phobia of horses. (2)

b) Suggest an alternative explanation of Han’s phobia of horses. (2)
.

Answer 4

• Freud proposed that Hans’ conflict between desire for his mother and castration anxiety led to anxiety. His defense mechanisms dealt with the anxiety by initially repressing his anxieties into his unconscious mind and later by displacing this feeling into a fear of horses.

An alternative explanation of Hans’ phobia of horses is that…
• Hans heard a father warn his daughter that a white horse might bite her if she touched it.

Question 5

6. The study by Freud contains the following extract of a conversation between Hans and his father:
   Father: When the horse fell down did you think of your daddy?
   Hans: Perhaps. Yes it is possible.
   a) Explain why Hans might think of his father when the horse fell down. (2)

b) Give one problem with this type of questioning. (2)

Answer 5

Hans might of thought of his dad when the horse fell down because…
• He has a death wish towards his father wanting him to fall down dead just like the horse so that he can be with his mother

• This is a leading question, this type of question leads the respondent to a certain answer therefore we can question the validity of such a question.