Personality - Psychodynamic Flashcards
Who developed the psychodynamic theory of personality?
Sigmund Freud
Freud was a physician who observed his patients and believed many of their problems were psychological.
What is the central idea of psychodynamic theory?
Unconscious forces determine behavior and influence personality
These forces include wishes, desires, and hidden memories.
What does Freud believe about hidden motives?
They influence personality and drive behavior
People are typically unaware of these hidden motives.
According to Freud, how does conscious awareness compare to mental activity?
Conscious awareness is only a small fraction of mental activity
It represents the tip of the iceberg, with most processes occurring unconsciously.
What are the three levels of mental activity in Freud’s model?
Conscious, preconscious, and unconscious
The conscious level includes thoughts we are aware of, the preconscious level includes retrievable content, and the unconscious level contains hard-to-retrieve material.
What is the id in Freud’s model of personality?
The id is the most basic structure, operating on the pleasure principle
It seeks pleasure and avoids pain.
What principle does the superego operate on?
The superego operates as a moral conscience
It develops in childhood and internalizes parental and societal standards.
What is the role of the ego in Freud’s model?
The ego mediates between the id and the superego
What leads to anxiety according to psychodynamic theory?
Conflicts between the id and the superego
The ego copes with this anxiety through defense mechanisms.
What are defense mechanisms?
Unconscious mental strategies to protect from distress
Who contributed significantly to the theoretical work on defense mechanisms?
Anna Freud
She expanded on her father’s ideas regarding defense mechanisms.
What do contemporary researchers believe about defense mechanisms?
They protect self-esteem rather than relieve unconscious conflict
This contrasts with Freud’s original thoughts on libidinal desires.
What is object relations theory?
A theory focusing on social interactions and emotional attachments
It suggests that personality develops in relation to others in the environment.
How has Freud’s work been viewed in contemporary psychology?
Largely abandoned due to lack of scientific examination
However, his ideas still influence personality psychology and research.
True or False: Freud’s theories can be empirically tested using current scientific methods.
False
Freud’s central premises cannot be examined with objective methods.
Define Personality according to Psychodynamic/Freud’s Theory
A person’s unique and consistent emotional and behavioral patterns
According to Freud, what can result in the conflict between the 3 personality structures?
Unconsious Mental Activity
What is the “pleasure principle”, according to Freud?
A priciple that pushes you to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
List some descriptions of the ID.
Impulsive, reactive, self-centered, extremely emotional, completely submerged in the unconscious.
Define libido, according to Freud.
refers to the energy that promotes pleasure seeking and acts on impulses and desires.
Libido DRIVES the “pleasure principle”
How does the EGO mediate between the ID and the SuperEGO?
The EGO tries to satisfy the desires of the ID and be responsive to the rules of the SuperEGO
Define the Freud’s reality principle.
It operates on the reality principle, involving rational thought and problem solving.
How does the SuperEGO interact with the ID?
The SuperEGO acts as a “brake” to the ID.
List the 7 Defense Mechanisms.
- Denial
- Rationalization
- Displacement
- Repression
- Projection
- Reaction Formation
- Sublimation
