Freud Flashcards
Area/ Theme?
Individual differences, understanding disorders
Analysis of phobias in a five year old boys
Individual differences area
Understanding how peoples behaviour differs.
Tries to measure through psychometric tests
Individual differences strengths
Useful- to understand disorders
Looks at all behaviours
tries to answer freewill/determinism debate
Individual differences Weaknesses
Socially sensitive-offend people
Lack generalisability when studying uncommon things
Psychodynamic perspective
An attempt to explain how the disorders of his patients developed
What are the 3 elements Freud thinks our personality is made up of?
Id, Ego, Super Ego
Id- Present at birth. It contains our unconscious instincts. Tries to get immediate gratification and avoid pain.
Ego- Negotiates the desires of the ID with the rules of the super ego.
Super Ego- Consists of the values and morals of the persons conscious mind. This develops at 5.
Name the 4 defence mechanisms that Freud believes our ego make to protect ourselves from the desires of the id?
Repression-Blocking disturbing or painful memories
Displacement- Directing feelings from one object to another. Eg slamming door when angry.
Projection- Believing others have aspects of your personality that you don’t like
Denial- Refusal to accept a painful event.
What is the Phallic stage?
Stage from the Psychosexual stages of development
Where children become aware of their genitals and sexual differences. 3-5 years
Children develop the desire to posses their opposite gender parent. This is called the Oedipus complex
Aim
Document ‘Little Hans’ to see if Freuds theories on the unconscious and Oedipus Complex were true
Procedure
Hans Father would send weekly letters about his behaviour to Freud
Freud replied with interpretations of his behaviour.
1- Littles Hans in Phallic stage
gained fascination with his “widdler” He would play with it a lot. Mother said “stop playing with it or I’ll get Dr.A to cut it off!”
2 Evidence of the Oedipus complex
When in a bath he asked his mum why she doesn’t touch his “widdler”. (Claimed it was an attempt to seduce his Mother)
When his sister was born, he didn’t want her because she would steal his mother away. He also developed a phobia of baths. ( Claimed this represented an unconscious wish to see Hanna drown in the bath)
3- More phobias and evidence of the Oedipus complex (horses)
Fear of horses, could be because his father said “don’t touch the horse it will bite you” (Freud believed it was a connection between his phobia of horses and castration.)
