Freud (key study) (Sleep and Dreaming) Flashcards
1
Q
What was the background?
A
- Freud thought that he could treat depression through analysing dreams.
2
Q
What was the design?
A
- Freud used the case study method to investigate the Wolfman’s mental illness.
- Freud carried out interviews from 1910 to 1914, which he analysed 15 years later.
- Longitudinal study
3
Q
What was the sample?
A
- 1 person
- Wolfman (Sergei Pankejeff)
- Depression patient
4
Q
What was the procedure?
A
He listened to the Wolfman’s story about:
- Him lying in bed
- The window opening
- 6 or 7 wolves in the tree
- Him waking up from the dream
5
Q
What were the results?
A
- Wolves represented Wolfman’s father
- The white represented linen bedsheets and underclothing
- The wolves large tails represented penises
- The tree represented a Christmas tree
- The wolves (his father) were in place of Christmas presents, which imply that he wants the pleasure of Christmas presents from his father.
- He thought his father castrated his mother as she didn’t have a penis, leading to Wolfman’s castration anxiety. This was shown as he was scared of being eaten by the wolves.
- Freud believed that Wolfman had seen the look of pleasure on his mother’s face and wanted to experience it.
- Freud concluded that Wolfman had an unconscious desire to be seduced by his father.
6
Q
What was the conclusion?
A
- Some harmful memories can be subconsciously repressed.
- These repressed memories find their way into the conscious through dreams.
- The unconscious mind can have a significant effect on behaviour.
7
Q
What were the criticisms?
A
- The sample size is too small to be generalisable
- The Wolfman may only represent people with mental health problems
- The study has a strong focus on the unconscious, which cannot be observed or reported on
- There is no way of knowing the accuracy of the dream recall
- The study is too subjective as it is only Freud’s interpretation and is therefore very biased
