Me 4.5a Psychodynamic and Humanistic: Theories of Personality: Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Theories Flashcards
psychoanalysis
Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.
unconscious
according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware.
free association
in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.
preconscious
something that one is not currently aware of but could be brought into consciousness at any given moment.
For example, someone may forget to grab cheese during a grocery trip until they see a sign that advertises a half-off cheese sale.
Repression
Burying distressing thoughts in the unconscious, thus allowing them to influence us.
Example: Forgetting traumatic experiences
id
the primitive, basic, and fully unconscious part of personality
pleasure principle
the psychic force that motivates people to seek immediate gratification of instinctual, or libidinal, impulses, such as sex, hunger, thirst, and elimination
libido
the psychic energy of the life instinct in general or the energy of the sexual instinct in particular.
ego
The part of a person’s personality that is controlled by the reality principle as it mediates between a person’s animalistic desires and conscience.
superego
The superego incorporates values and morals from society which are learned from one’s parents or others. It is how we ought to behave, so we strive for the ideal
reality principle
the segment of personality based on logical decisions to preserve the safety of an individual.
erogenous zones
areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to touch and can be stimulated to increase arousal and sexual pleasure.
psychosexual stage
individuals pass through five psychosexual stages of development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital, each focusing on a different erogenous zone and impacting personality development.
Anal-psychosexual stage
(18-36 months):
Pleasure and conflict centre around bowel and bladder control, with the child learning to control their urges and gain a sense of autonomy
Oral-psychosexual stage
(Birth to 18 months):
The primary focus is on oral activities like sucking, chewing, and swallowing, which are sources of pleasure and gratification.
Genital Stage-psychosexual stage
(Puberty onward):
Sexual interests reemerge, and the focus shifts to mature sexual relationships and reproduction.
Phallic-psychosexual stage
(3-6 years):
The child becomes aware of their genitals and experiences sexual curiosity, leading to the Oedipus (boys) or Electra (girls) complex, where they develop feelings for the opposite-sex parent.
Latency-psychosexual stage
(6 years to puberty):
Sexual interests become dormant as the child focuses on social and intellectual development, forming friendships and engaging in hobbies.
Oedipus Complex
The attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex
Electra complex
the state of a young girl being attracted to the parent of the opposite sex during the phallic developmental stage while also developing a sense of competition with her mother.
identification process-psychosexual stage
Children cope with threatened feelings of same sex parents, and eventually try to become like them.
What creates our early gender identity?
identification process-psychosexual stage
fixate-psychosexual stage
A stage locking in and continuing thanks to it being overindulged or deprived.
defence mechanisms
in psychoanalytic theory, the egos’ protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.
Displacement
Redirecting emotions to a safer outlet
Example: Taking out frustration on a pet instead of a boss
Denial
Refusing to acknowledge reality
Example: Ignoring evidence of a partner’s infidelity
Projection
Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts to others
Example: Accusing others of being angry when you are the one who is angry
Rationalisation
Justifying behaviors with plausible but inaccurate explanations
Example: Saying you failed a test because it was unfair, not because you didn’t study
Reaction Formation
Acting in a manner opposite to one’s true feelings
Example: Treating someone you dislike in an overly friendly way
Regression
Reverting to childlike behaviours
Example: Throwing a tantrum when upset
Repression
Burying distressing thoughts in the unconscious
Example: Forgetting traumatic experiences
Sublimation
Channeling unacceptable impulses into acceptable activities
Example: Aggressive impulses redirected into sports
dream’s manifest content
the dream that the conscious individual remembers experiencing
inferiority complex
constant feelings of inadequacy or insecurity in your daily life due to a belief that you are physically or mentally inferior to others
dream’s latent content
the underlying, hidden meaning or unconscious thoughts, desires, and fears that are believed to be expressed symbolically in a dream
neo-Freudians
adopted Freud’s interviewing techniques and accepted his basic ideas: the personality structures of id, ego, and superego; the importance of the unconscious; the childhood roots of personality; and the dynamics of anxiety and the defence mechanisms.
collective unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history.
false consensus effect
a cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate how many others share their beliefs, values, and behaviours
terror-management theory
a social-psychological theory that explains how people deal with their fear of death.
people feel threatened by their own death and therefore adopt worldviews that allow them to find meaning and worth in their lives
projective test
a personality test, such as the TAT or Rorschach, that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection
of one’s inner dynamics and explore the preconscious and unconscious mind.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through
Thirty-one picture cards serve as stimuli for stories and descriptions about relationships or social situations.
the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.
Rorschach inkblot test
Interpreting inkblots to uncover unconscious thoughts.
affiliation motivation
the desire to form and maintain positive relationships with others
