freud's psychodynamic explanation of aggression Flashcards
what is the unconscious?
the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behaviour
what is the ID?
the part of the personality driven by the pleasure principle, which functions only the unconscious and is made up of the selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
what is the EGO?
the reality check that balances the conflicting demands of the id and the superego
what is the superego?
the moralistic part of the personality which represents the ideal self - how we ought to be
what is catharsis?
the process of releasing pent up psychic energy
what does the unconscious contain?
the part of the mind containing thoughts, memories and desires of which we are unaware
- he describes it by using an iceberg - the unconscious is the largest part, below the surface of water and hidden from the view.
- but the unconcious is far from being a passive and static storage where nothing happens but is an active processor of its contents, requiring alot of psychic energy to keep them unconcious.
what is the id?
the id exists from birth and is the most primitive element, contained entirely in the unconcious mind.
- it is the origin of the energy that motivates all of our behaviour, including aggression.
- it contains instincts, impulses and drives that are socially acceptable.
- the id obeys the pleasure principle - it demands the immediate gratification of its desires with no consideration of other factors
what is the ego?
the ego is the logical, rational and mostly concious part of the personality that begins developing shortly after birth.
- it follows the reality principle - it is the interface between the unrealistic desires of the id and social reality.
- the ego does not fulfil the id’s aggressive urges directly
- it satisfies the id by fulfilling its urges indirectly and symbollically - the ego has no moral sense - it does not judge the id but tries to control its urges.
what is the superego?
the superego fulfils the moral role and emerges later in development, around the age of about 5 or 6 years. it represents our conscious and moral sense of right and wrong as well as the idea image we have of ourselves.
- because aggression is destructive, the superego opposes the id’s aggressive drive through guilt and shame when we fail to meet the higher moral standards
how can aggression be satisfied?
aggression is an instinctive drive that can be satisfied by catharsis - expressing aggression releases psychic energy, reduces the aggressive drive and makes further aggression less likely
what does preventing catharsis do?
preventing catharsis creates a build-up of energy which will eventually produce a destructive aggressive outburst directed either inwards (suicide) or outwards (violent assault)
how can catharsis be achieved?
- displacement - where aggression towards one person is redirected agaisnt a less powerful and more available substitute e.g. sibling
- observing others behaving aggressively
what is a strength of freud’s theory?
it can explain the traditional distinction between hot blooded and cold blooded aggression
- hot blooded aggression is impulsive, angry and has no purpose other than its own satisfaction - this is the domain of the id. this represents a failure of the ego’s normal function
- cold blooded aggression is the deliberate, rational and instrumental. it is the outcome of the ego’s successful control of id impulses
what is the weakness of freud’s theory?
letting off steam may lead to more aggression rather than less
- Bushman(2002) made 600 college students angry by getting a confederate to criticise an essay each had written
- one group of ppts was then allowed to vent their anger by punching a bag while thinking of the confederate
- he found that these ppts blasted the confederate with the loudest and longest sounds in a subsequent task compared to ppts who did not vent
what is the competing argument of the weakness?
there is evidence that expressing anger can be cathartic.
- graham (2008) suggests we whould rant rather than vent. ranting (especially writing) involves consideration of the reasons why someone is angry.
- venting is an uncontrolled expression of anger, but ranting allows the individual to gain control over their feelings and avoid aggressive behaviour
how can freud’s theory be applied?
catharsis can be used practically to prevent a build-up of destructive aggressive energy
- people can build into their lives harmless ways of expressing anger. these are based on freudian concepts such as displacement e.g. hitting an object
- freudian psychoanalysis says that catharsis can be achieved just by bringing unconscious and forgotten memories into the conscious mind
