M1. Lesson 2: Psychoanalysis Flashcards
What was Freud associated with?
Freud, of course, was fortunate that his name did not become indelibly tied to cocaine. Instead, his name has become associated with psychoanalysis, the most famous of all personality theories.
What makes Freud’s theory really interesting?
First, the twin cornerstones of psychoanalysis, sex and aggression, are two subjects of continuing popularity.
Second, the theory was spread beyond its Viennese origins by an ardent and dedicated group of followers, many of whom romanticized Freud as a nearly mythological and lonely hero.
Third, Freud’s brilliant command of language enabled him to present his theories in a stimulating and exciting manner.
What are the twin cornerstones of psychoanalysis?
Sex and aggression
What did Freud’s ardent and dedicated group of followers romanticize him as?
Many of whom romanticized Freud as a nearly mythological and lonely hero.
What did Freud’s brilliant command of language enable him to do?
Freud’s brilliant command of language enabled him to present his theories in a stimulating and exciting manner.
What was Freud’s understanding of human personality based on?
Freud’s understanding of human personality was based on:
- his experiences with patients,
- his analysis of his own dreams, and
- his vast readings in the various sciences and humanities
What did Freud’s experiences, analysis, and vast readings provide him with?
These experiences provided the basic data for the evolution of his theories.
What was theory followed by according to Freud?
To him, theory followed observation.
For how many years did Freud’s concept of personality undergo revisions for?
Freud’s concept of personality underwent constant revisions during the last 50 years of his life.
What did Freud insist that psychoanalysis could not be subjected to? And what did he do to the disciples who deviated from his basic ideas?
Evolutionary though it was, Freud insisted that psychoanalysis could not be subjected to eclecticism, and disciples who deviated from his basic ideas soon found themselves personally and professionally ostracized by Freud.
Although Freud regarded himself primarily as a scientist, his definition of science would be somewhat different from that held by most psychologists today. Why is that so?
Freud relied more on deductive reasoning than on rigorous research methods, and he made observations subjectively and on a relatively small sample of patients, most of whom were from the upper-middle and upper classes. He did not quantify his data, nor did he make observations under controlled conditions. He utilized the case study approach almost exclusively, typically formulating hypotheses after the facts of the case were known.
What were the three levels of mental life identified by Freud?
unconscious, preconscious, and conscious
What happens to early childhood experiences that create high levels of anxiety?
Early childhood experiences that create high levels of anxiety are repressed into the unconscious.
What might early childhood experiences do when repressed into the unconscious?
They may influence behavior, emotions, and attitudes for years.
What happens to events that are not associated with anxiety but are merely forgotten?
Events that are not associated with anxiety but are merely forgotten make up the contents of the preconscious.
What are conscious images?
Conscious images are those in awareness at any given time.
What were the three provinces of the mind that Freud recognized?
ID, ego, and superego
What is the ID?
The id is unconscious, chaotic, out of contact with reality, and in service of the pleasure principle.
What is the ego?
The ego is the executive of personality, in contact with the real world, and in service of the reality principle.
What is the superego?
The superego serves the moral and idealistic principles and begins to form after the Oedipus complex is resolved.
Where can motivation be traced to? (Psychoanalysis)
All motivation can be traced to sexual and aggressive drives.
What happens when childhood behaviors related to sex and aggression are punished?
It leads to either repression or anxiety.
What does the ego initiate to protect itself against anxiety? And what is the most basic one?
To protect itself against anxiety, the ego initiates various defense mechanisms, the most basic of which is repression.
What were the three major stages of development that Freud outlined and what was the stage he devoted most attention to?
Freud outlined three major stages of development—infancy, latency, and a genital period—but he devoted most attention to the infantile stage.
What are the three substages of the infantile stage?
The infantile stage is divided into three substages—oral, anal, and phallic, the last of which is accompanied by the Oedipus complex.
What happens during the Oedipal stage?
During the simple Oedipal stage, a child desires sexual union with one parent while harboring hostility for the other.
What did Freud believed that dreams and Freudian slips were disguised as?
Freud believed that dreams and Freudian slips are disguised means of expressing unconscious impulses.
