Freudian theory of Dreaming Research study: Freud (1918) - Dream analysis of the wolfman

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Freud was writing at a time when psychology was relatively a new subject, therefore his work was original.
His study was a pseudonym for one of his patients and an extension piece of research

Wolfman approached Freud in 1910 to seek help with depression.
Freud was a believer in power of therapy - particularly psychoanalysis - and was interested in origins of mental illness

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

Aim = Try to explain and treat Wolfman’s psychological problems, dream analysis played a key role in Freuds therapy

Question 3

Define psychoanalysis

Answer 3

A type of therapy that attempts to resolve psychological problems by accessing the unconscious and unresolved conflicts

Question 4

Method

Answer 4

He used the case study method to investigate wolfman’s mental illness. He carried out a series of interviews between 1910 - 1914, which he analysed 15 years later = longitudinal study

Question 5

Sample

Answer 5

He used a pseudonym to protect the identity of the patients but was later revealed as Pankejeff who was in his late 20s.
He was in a state of complete mental collapse. A nervous breakdown some years earlier, followed by the suicides of his father and sister, had left him severely depressed.

He was unable to travel alone, or even to dress himself, and felt as though he was cut off from the world by a veil.

Question 6

Procedure

Answer 6

Freuds first publication of the wolfman = from the History of an infantile neurosis 1918
Freud’s treatment centred on a dream pankejeff had as a young child and was described as..

” I dreamt that it was night and I was lying in bed - window opened of it own accord - see that white wolves were sitting on the big walnut tree. There were six or seven of them - I screamed and woke up - Went to sleep again “

Question 7

Results

Answer 7

Freud’s eventual analysis of the dream was that it was the results of Pankejeff having witnessed a ‘ primal scene ‘ - His parents having sex - Wolves watching the boy was a reversal of the boy watching the sex act.
Wolf = symbolises father
Tree = symbolises Christmas tree - dream occurred during Christmas time
White wolf = replace presents on the tree and symbolise white of the bedlinen and parents underclothes
Wolfs large tails = large penis which is frightening to a young boy

Question 8

What did Freud analysis of the dream lead to him suggesting??

Answer 8

Pankejeff has an unconscious desire to be seduced by his father - related to pleasure of receiving gift at Christmas

Believed mother face of pleasure -> Pankejeff wanted to experience the pleasure too

Mother had no penis - Believed mother had been castrated by father -> Afraid of father power -> Castration anxiety which is represented by the fear he has that the wolves would eat him.
Pankejeff repressed unconscious fear of his father displaced into wolves and manifested itself into his dreams

Question 9

Conclusion

Answer 9

The case showed that unconscious mind has a significant effect on behaviour.
- Illustrates process of repression, where traumatic event pushed into unconscious mind as safety mechanism
- shows repressed memories can find their way back to conscious through dreams and recall

Question 10

State 2 criticisms

Answer 10

• The sample size is too small to make any generalisability. Not reliable to base a theory on dreams, which is supposed to apply to all, on the case of one person. Perhaps other people don’t use dreams as a way of symbolising traumatic experience
• The wolfman may only represent people with Mental health problems. If we accept some generalisability based on wolfman experience, they may not apply to those with good psychological health. Not everyone has traumatic history.

Question 11

State 3 criticisms

Answer 11

• The study has a strong focus on the unconscious, yet this is an abstract concept that cannot be observed or reported on by the person. No hard evidence that dreams are product of unconscious mind
• There is no way of knowing the accuracy of the dream recall, Only the wolfman experienced the dream so it relies on him remember it accurately as possible. May be that Freud was analysing content that was never really in the dream
• The study is too subjective, results focused on one persons view on the dream so its biased. A diff psychologist can interpreted the content of the dream is a completely diff way.