Freud and Psychoanalysis Flashcards
What is Hedonism
The pursuit of pleasure
What produces pleasure
Sexuality and Thanatos/Aggression
What impact does sexuality have on behaviour
Freud believed that every decision was motivated by sexual pleasure
What is Thanatos and how is it related to pleasure
Thanatos is the “death instinct” and implies that we have a desire to return to a state of no pressure. This state is believed to be achieved through aggression
Define Libido and how it works
Libido is the essence that powers every behaviour we have till the day we day. Our libido, in a sense, is our motivation, which is based off our need for sexual or aggressive pleasure. We often make decisions that satisfy both pleasures.
What is the Id
The id is the primitive instincts of the brain. It is located in the unconscious mind and is focused on the present. It wants pleasure, and it wants it now. Your id never changes because it has no sense of time.
What is the pleasure principle
The id doesn’t understand the consequences of its actions, just wants sexual or aggressive satisfaction.
What is primary process thinking?
Attaching energy to an image that has been associated with something pleasurable
i.e. The oedipus complex
Predicate thinking
Mistaking other objects for a different one. This is where symbolism comes in to play
i.e. mistaking tall rigid objects as penises
Cathexis
The bond between id and an image. The id attaches libido to this object or image
What is the Ego?
The ego is used to help the id. The ego determines whether it is safe to perform a behaviour, and what the consequences may be if you do it. It is mostly unconscious, but a small fraction isn’t. The ego learns from experience
Reality Principle
If it feels good, do it, but only if its safe
What is anti-cathexis
When the id is cathecting an image potentially dangerous, the ego can block that image from the id
What is the Superego?
The superego is shaped by culture and society. It is developed around 6 yrs old and determines whether doing something is good or bad (morality). It doesn’t care if something is dangerous, but if it is acceptable by society.
What is the Ego Ideal
The ego ideal is things that we should do because they are ethical. It is obtained through the values of parents.
What is our conscience
What we should or should not do, according to our own values. Our parents teach us what we should add to this list based off their own values.
What are erogenous zones
Places that provide pleasure
Describe the oral stage
The oral stage is the first stage a child experiences, usually from birth to about 1 year. The child experiences pleasure from the mouth and does this in two ways, either by sucking or chewing.
Describe the oral incorporative stage
This is the first sub-stage of the oral stage. It is based off the pleasure of sucking
Describe the oral aggressive stage
This is the second sub-stage of the oral stage. The child gets pleasure from biting and chewing now
What is the importance of the oral stage
The oral stage is when a child has to learn to control their impulses. They have to learn that they cannot get everything exactly when they want it. This stage has to go from demand feeding to scheduled feeding.
Describe the anal stage
This is the second stage in Freud’s psychosexual development, usually from 1-3 years old. The child begins to feel pleasure from the anal erogenous zone
Describe anal expulsive stage
This is the first sub-stage of the anal stage. The child gets pleasure from shitting
Describe the anal retentive stage
This is the second sub-stage of the anal stage. The child gets pleasure from holding in shit.
Describe the phallic stage
This is the third stage, occurring from approx. 3-5 yrs of age. The child first notices the pleasure they get from their phallus. This is the beginning of masturbation and also noticing the sexuality of other people for the first time.
Discuss the basics of the Oedipus Complex for boys
The child becomes cathected to their mother (or whoever their caregiver is). They realize that their mother is the supplier of all their current sexual pleasures, and because of this want to possess their mothers. They fight with their father for possession of their mother.
What is Castration Anxiety
The anxiety that their father will remove their penis because of of the fighting and the fact that he is stronger than the child.
What are the effects of Castration Anxiety?
The child will decathect most of the sexual libido from mom and decathect most of the aggressive libido from dad
How does the child deal with not being able to possess mother
The child will identify with father in order to attract mother and be less likely to be attacked by father. The child doesn’t do this for pleasure, but to avoid pain. The child will also identify (although less so) with their mother in order to possess a part of their mother within themselves. Boys also tend to be aggressive to dad-like objects (usually authoritative figures)
Why else does the child identify with their father
The child will attempt to attract girls that are like their mother, and by being like their father they are more likely to do so.
Describe the Oedipus Complex as it pertains to girls
Begins like boys, but soon they believe that their mother took away their penis since mother was mad she doesn’t have one. The child then decathects sexual libido from the mother and cathects the sexual libido to father’s penis. She then decathects aggressive libido from dad and cathects the aggressive libido to mom.
What are the consequences of becoming cathected to father’s penis and not mom
The child identifies less with parents than boys do, and in turn have less of a superego and are less bound by morals. Girls are also cathected to father’s penis, so wants to attract a guy who appears to have a live penis more than someone who reminds them of their father.
Describe the Latency Stage
The latency is the 4th stage and occurs from approx. 7-12 years old. The child has repressed most feelings in the Oedipus complex, and as a result enters a dissexual period. The child engages in almost no sexual activity, instead displacing sexual libido towards crushes, phallic objects, and symbols of sexuality.
Describe the Genital Stage
The final stage of Freud’s Psychosexual development. This stage occurs from 12 years old until death. The life choices we make in this stage are a reflection from choices we made in previous stages.
What is fixation and what are its implications on personality
Every time a child enters a new stage, most of the libido is brought over, but a little bit is left behind. When more libido is left behind than normal, that is considered a fixation. Fixation can help determine certain types of personality you may display when you are older.
Oral Incorporative Fixation
Taking something in is a from of pleasure, including food, information, or movies. People who are fixated on this stage tend to be needy, gullible, and trusting.
Oral Aggressive Fixation
Into aggressive oral pleasures including chewing and biting, whether that is food or someone’s ear. They are also commonly aggressive towards partners, doing things like bondage or whipping. These people are usually aggressive and critical of others.
What does stress have to do with fixation
The symptoms we show under stress tend to reflect the stage we are fixated on i.e. biting nails, or vomiting
Why is shit considered valuable to children
Parents react to kids shitting, and so the kids believe that parents value their shit. The child therefore shits as a thank you for providing sexual pleasure.
Anal Expulsive Fixation
As children these people tend to be dirty. They are usually generous people, but very messy. They are not dirty as adults, but may be into dirty jokes or dirty occupations/hobbies.
What are the 3 types of anxiety?
Reality anxiety, morality anxiety, and neurotic anxiety
Reality anxiety
Anxiety caused by the outside world.
i.e. tests, driving a car
Morality Anxiety
Anxiety cause by thinking or doing something bad/goes against your morals. Located in the superego
Neurotic Anxiety
Anxiety that our impulses are going to get so strong that we can’t control ourselves. Located in the ego
Defense Mechanisms
A way of dealing with anxiety by deceiving ourselves so we are not aware of what is causing the anxiety
i.e. anxiety that you want mom, deceive yourself that you don’t
What is another way of dealing with anxiety
Rationally dealing with the problem
i.e. if test causes anxiety, study for it
Repression
A form of defense mechanisms. Forms an anti-cathexis between id and anxiety causing image so ego doesn’t even know it wants this.
i.e. anti-cathexis blocks loving mom
Freudian Slips (Parapraxes)
When we make a mistake in language and say something else. That something else is libido slipping through the cracks.
Latent Dreams
Expressing your desires through a dreams, but so well that your ego doesn’t even realize what that hidden desire is. Uses symbols from memories of that desire.
i.e. loving mom, riding a bike with mom, her bike shows up in dream
Condensation
Piling up other repressed libido into a dream
Displacement
Another defense mechanism. Displaces your libido towards a symbol that represents the original desire.
i.e. I love mom to I love someone like mom
Sublimation (Displacement)
Displacement away from original desire to something more socially acceptable or even praised
i.e. I hate dad to I hate my opponent in football
Projection
Defense Mechanism. Attributing impulses onto original object.
i.e. I hate dad to dad hates me
Rationalization
Defense mechanism. Making a reason why you are doing what you do in order to fool ourselves about the real motives
i.e. I love mom to Mom needs my attention, its only what any good son would do
Reaction Formation
Defense mechanism. Turns original desire into opposite emotion
i.e. I hate dad to I love dad…“you shouldn’t travel anymore even though you love to because its not good for you”
Identification
Defense mechanism. Used when losing a loved one or thing. Identifying with your desire in order to love yourself and direct libido towards self.
i.e. I am Mom, and I love myself
Denial
Most primitive and disruptive defense mechanism. Used as a last resort. Used when anxiety causing action has been performed, and as a result the only way to protect self is by forgetting memory
I hurt dad to I would NEVER hurt dad
Scientific Cirticisms
Biased sample, hard to quantify and validate, self-validating
Philosophical Criticisms
Overemphasis on unconscious and base instincts, not enough change after puberty, pessimistic
Support for Freud
Acceptance of unconscious mind including subliminal influence and implicit attitudes.
