Freud (Little Hans) Flashcards
Define Oedipus complex.
Where boys have intense sexual desire for their mother and feat their father will castrate them
Define psychoanalysis.
‘Talking cure’ (therapy)
Define psychosexual stages
Development of certain body parts sensitive to sexual stimulation
Define identification with the aggressor.
End of Oedipus complex where boys identify with their fathers rather than fearing castration from them
Define id.
Strong instinctual drive within our unconscious.
Define ego
Balances/compromises demands of the id and superego within the unconscious
Define superego
Moralistic side of our unconscious
Define defence mechanisms
Used by the ego to protect itself from overloading conflicts and anxieties
Define case study
Main method used in psychodynamic perspective
Define phobia
Innate irrational fear
Define unconscious mind
Thought processses we are unaware
What, according to Freud are the 3 aspects to the personality?
- The id
- The ego
- The superego
What is the id?
Instinctual drive - the animalistic, survival instincts we have (such as aggression and sexuality)
What does Freud believe is the source of our motivation for action?
Libidinous/sexual drive
What is the superego?
Our morality principle that argues we should behave morally and in a socially acceptable way at all times.
a) What is the superego?
b) What does this cause?
a) Our morality principle that argues we should behave morally and in a socially acceptable way at all times.
b) It is in a permanent state of conflict with the id
Why is the superego in a permanent state of conflict with the id?
Because the superego argues we should behave morally and in a socially acceptable way at all times, whereas the id just wants to follow our survival instincts.
What is the ego?
The part of the mind that compromises the demands of the id and the superego.
What, according to Freud, is needed in order to behave and enjoy ourselves appropriately?
A strong ego
What does Freud argue we need a strong ego for?
In order for us to behave and enjoy ourselves appropriately.
Where does the id/superego conflicts occur?
In the unconscious mind
What does Freud believe about the conflicts of the id/superego within the unconscious mind?
That it is always erupting into the conscious mind (i.e. in dreams, humour and through slips of the tongue/’Freudian slips’)
In what psychosexual stage of development does Freud believe the Oedipus complex occurs?
The phallic stage
a) In what psychosexual stage of development does Freud believe the Oedipus complex occurs?
b) What age is this?
a) The phallic stage
b) 3-5/6 years old
What is the Oedipus complex?
During the phallic stage of psychosexual development, a boy develops an intense sexual love for his mother. Because of this, he sees his father as a rival, and wants to get rid of him. The father, however, is far bigger and more powerful than the boy and so the child develops a fear, that, seeing him as a rival, his father will castrate him.
How/why does the ‘identification with the aggressor’ occur within the Oedipus complex?
Because it is impossible to live with the continual castration-threat anxiety, the young boy will develop a mechanism for coping (called a defence mechanism) - this is known as ‘identification with the aggressor’ because the child wants to become more like his father, feeling that if his father sees him as similar he will not feel hostile towards him.
Why does the boy develop a fear of castration for his father during the Oedipus complex?
Because he sees his father as a rival (in desiring sex with his mother) and so wants to get rid of him. The father is bigger and more powerful so the boy feels that when the father picks up on the competition between them, he will try and castrate the boy.
Why does the boy develop the defence mechanism in the Oedipus complex?
Because it is impossible to live with the continual castration-threat anxiety, so a mechanism needs to be developed for coping.
What is the type of defence mechanism produced in the Oedipus complex and what does this entail?
‘Identification with the aggressor’ - the boy adopts the mannerisms and actions of his father (the aggressor) in the hope that his father will see him as similar, and so will not feel hostile towards him.
What does identification with the aggressor signify in the progression of the Oedipus complex?
That the boy has found a way of coping with the conflicts and so nearing the end of the Oedipus complex in the phallic stage of psychosexual development
What are defence mechanisms?
Things that take the anxiety away from the ego, onto something or someone else.
What does the defence mechanism projection mean?
Projecting the fear/anxiety of something onto something else, to control it
What does the defence mechanism repression mean?
Unconsciously pushing things to the back of your mind
What was the aim of the Little Hans study?
To report on the treatment of a five-year-old boy’s phobia of horses.
What was the sample used in the the Little Hans study?
The sample consisted of one boy, called ‘Little Hans’.
Why is it important to know that Little Hans was the son of one of Freud’s friends?
Potential experimenter bias; Hans’ father was a supporter of Freud’s ideas
What kind of method was used in the Little Hans study?
Case study method
What is a case study method, as used in the Little Hans study?
Where one person, or small group is investigated in great depth.