Personality: Freud Flashcards
What is the unconscious mind?
Thoughts, feelings, urges or fantasies we’re unaware of as we keep them in our unconscious
What is preconscious thought?
Thoughts that are unconscious at this instant but can be easily recalled into our conscious mind
What is conscious thought?
What we are actively aware of at any given time
Identify the 3 levels of consciousness
- Conscious thought
- Preconscious thought
- Unconscious mind
What are dreams?
Direct route into our conscious
What is the latent (hidden) content?
Must be identified and interpreted by the analyst.
-Freud would get patients to keep dream diaries and analyze them to uncover the latent content
Why are some thoughts, feelings, urges, etc. kept in the unconscious mind?
For their aggressive nature - repression. At times repression may weaken and previously unconscious material will usually manifest as a dream or under the influence of drugs/alcohol
Identify the two important elements to dreams
1) The manifest content
2) The latent (hidden) content
What is the manifest content?
The description of the dream as recalled by the dreamer.
-Not a true representation of the unconscious mind, we unconsciously censor some true meaning to avoid becoming too disturbed by the recall.
What do dreams represent?
Primary process thinking. The logically impossible becomes possible in our dreams because we’re governed by pleasure principal
What is secondary process thinking?
Rational thought governed by the reality principle
What is the ID?
(Instincts)
- Basic storehouse for raw, uninhibited, instinctual energy
- Source of all cravings (food, warmth, sex, etc.)
- Pleasure principal with related primary process thinking operates in the ID
How do the 3 personality structures (ID, ego, superego) interact/work?
Ego- The mediator, role is to protect/defend itself from rising psychological conflict by using defense mechanisms.
-3 structures are in constant battle, this can cause anxiety
What is the ego?
(Reality)
- Executive part of personality (planning, thinking, organizing)
- Operates according to the reality principle with secondary process thinking
What is the superego?
(Morality)
Around 4-5 years (age)
-The perfectionist part, leading to positive feelings of pride or negative feelings of guilt
-Makes judgements about right/wrong
-Acts in opposition to the ID and helps ego re-channel immoral id impulses
How do the 3 personality structures (ID, ego, superego) interact/work?
Ego- The mediator, role is to protect/defend itself from rising psychological conflict by using defense mechanisms.
-3 structures are in constant battle, this can cause anxiety