Freud & Psychoanalysis Flashcards
Name the original 11 Defence Mechanisms suggested by Freud, and the 1 added by Anna Freud.
Repression
Regression
Denial
Displacement
Undoing
Reaction Formation
Conversion Reaction
Projection
Phobic Avoidance
Isolation
Rationalisation
Sublimation (Anna Freud)
What are the developmental stages (in order) according to Freud?
Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
(Pneumonic: Only Angry Peacocks Like Green)
What is the Id?
the primitive part of the personality; part of the unconscious that contains instinctual urges (i.e. libido)
What is the Ego and it’s function? (Freud).
Ego is everything external to the Id, oriented to perceptions of the real world; enforces the reality-principle; keeps the Id in check; uses DMs
Function: to mediate conflicts between superego and id
Explain the Oedipal complex.
psychically ➝ child separating from mother (dyad); accepting presence of father (triad); child must accept “smallness” compared to the father figure
What is the Super-Ego?
The mechanism that polices the desires of the Id; our morality; critical conscious; judgement
What are the components of Freud’s tripartite structural model?
Id, Ego, Super-Ego
Freud trained as a…
neurologist
Freuds theories are based on research into what type of population?
clinical population, largely single cases
What is ‘free association’ and what was its use and what were Freud’s rules on it?
stream of consciousness style conversation used to help recover past memories or explore “hidden” parts of themselves
rules:
- must be honest with the therapist
- must not omit anything
What was the purpose of the couch in psychoanalytic practice?
created visual separation between therapist and patient, allowing them to explore thoughts and fantasies more freely
What are the components of Freud’s topographical model of the mind? Incl. explanations of each.
Conscious - what we reveal
Preconscious - Latent parts of the brain that are available to the conscious mind but not actively in use
Unconscious - what we conceal
What is the pleasure-principle?
the drive to seek out pleasure and avoid pain
What is the reality-principle?
deferral of gratification resulting from external demands that must be addressed before obtaining pleasure; still seeks pleasure just delayed
How do the pleasure-principle and the reality-principle relate to each other?
As we age, we (theoretically) become aware of the demands of the world and as such we move to a more “rational” state where we are no longer governed by the pleasure-principle but by the reality-principle
What are parapraxes? Give examples.
Unintentional conscious behaviours that result from (and reveal) unconscious thoughts, desires, wishes, urges…
E.g., “Freudian slip”; speech, hearing, memory errors, etc.
Explain the unconscious and its role in the tripartite model.
Unconscious is central to the psychoanalytic approach.
Contains repressed feelings/thoughts/memories/desires that are potentially painful/traumatic
What are the consequences of the superego?
- can be too harsh/unrealistic fostering guilt at not living up to expectations
- distress caused by difference between ego ideal and who we actually are
- underdeveloped superego could result in poor sense of right and wrong
What part of the structural model is linked to the Oedipal Complex and psycho-sexual stages?
Super-ego
What is libido?
The mental representation of the sex instinct
What is the modern perception of libidinal-sexual stages?
That they are phases that can be regressed to during treatment or in times of stress
What are the libidinal-sexual stages (incl. associated ages)?
Oral (baby) ➝ hunger; breastfeeding
Anal (toddler) ➝ control; feces; anus
Phallic (~5yrs) ➝ Oedipal stage; acceptance of their place in family unit; separating from mum; accepting authority figures
Latency (pre-puberty) ➝ pre-sexual; energy given to socialisation & learning
Genital (teenager - early adulthood) ➝ more mature sexuality; focus on forming stable relationships outside family
What is Eros? (Freud)
The life instinct ➝ focus on survival, pleasure and reproduction
Energy created by eros is the libido
What is Thanatos? (Freud)
death instinct ➝ self-destructive instincts expressed as aggression & violence
What was Freud’s first and central DM?
Repression
What are the biological instincts? What are the Psychic/Cultural instincts?
Biological ➝ instincts i.e. food, water, sex
Psychic / Cultural ➝ Eros & Thanatos
What is a current research study that empirically supports psychoanalysis?
Tavistock Adults Depression Study (TADS)
