Freudian Psychoanalysis Flashcards
Define “conscious thought”.
The thoughts we can readily access.
Define the “preconscious mind”.
Conscious thoughts that are temporarily in hiding.
Define the “unconscious mind”.
Only with great difficulty can these thoughts be accessed. Hold the darkest and most unacceptable content.
What is the function of dreams, according to Freud?
To protect sleep.
What is the manifest content of dreams?
The actual storyline of the dream that you can think of.
What is the latent content of dreams?
Hidden meaning to dreams that is protected by devices such as symbolisation.
What two concepts defined previously represent primary process thinking?
The unconscious mind and the dream narrative.
What are the characteristics of primary process thinking and what is it driven by?
Illogical and disorganised. Pleasure principle aka the id.
What concept defined previously represents secondary process thinking?
Conscious mind.
What are the characteristics of secondary process thinking and what is it driven by?
Logical and organised. Reality principle aka the ego.
What is the key motivational construct in psychoanalytic thinking?
Libido aka sexual energy.
When is libido active?
All life stages.
What does libido exist alongside?
Life-preserving drives e.g. hunger and pain.
What are the names for the three aspects of personality within psychoanalytic theory?
The id, the ego, the superego.
Name the pleasure principle and identify the gratification of the pleasure principle, the location of the pleasure principle and the presence of libido.
The id, instant gratification, unconscious mind, all libido is here.
Name the reality principle and identify the gratification of the reality principle, the location of the reality principle and the presence of libido.
The ego, delayed gratification, partially conscious and some preconscious, libido flows to the ego as we grow.
Name the morality principle and explain what its purpose and location is.
The superego. It internalises what our parents say we should be doing and assists the ego. Partially unconscious, mostly conscious.
What two problems can result from conflict between the three parts of the mind?
Anxiety and mental disturbance.
Briefly explain how libido works in the context of the theory of psychosexual development.
Infants are polymorphously perverse, they receive pleasure from any stimulated body part due to libido being diffuse. Over time, libido cathetcs to different parts of the body.
Identify the first stage of psychosexual development and explain what it is.
Oral stage.
• Baby receives stimulation through the mouth (breast or bottlefeeding).
What are the two outcomes in the first stage of psychosexual development if libido gets stuck?
- Oral receptiveness - more likely to seek compensation i.e by taking up smoking.
- Oral aggressiveness - deals with their overcompensation by giving out i.e via sadism.
What is it called when libido gets stuck?
Fixation.
Identify the second stage of psychosexual development and explain what it is.
Anal stage.
• The child decides when it is appropriate to do a poo.
