Psychoanalysis Flashcards
Who was the founder of psychoanalysis?
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
What did Freud suggest about sexual drives?
That they are extremely important and central to human life, actions and behaviours.
What did Freud believe about libido?
That it is the single most important motivating force in adult life.
Which two instincts did Freud suggest were present at birth?
Eros (life instinct): self-preserving and erotic instinct
Thanatos (death instinct): self-destructive, aggression and cruelty
Freud believed the mind was divided into which three parts?
The id, the ego and the superego
Define the id.
The id contains both sexual and aggressive instincts and is located in the unconscious mind and is present at birth.
Define the ego.
The ego is the conscious and rational part of the mind. It develops during the first two years of life.
Define the superego.
The superego develops around the age of 5, partly conscious and partly unconscious. It consists of the conscience and the ego ideal and can be seen as an inner parent.
What were Freud’s three levels of the mind?
The conscious, preconscious and subconscious.
Define the conscious.
The conscious consists of the thoughts that are present and the focus of attention.
Define the preconscious.
The preconscious is information that can be retrieved easily from memory and brought into conscious awareness.
Define the unconscious.
The unconscious holds information that is very difficult if not impossible to bring into conscious awareness.
What is the conflict between the id, ego and the superego?
The id’s demand for satisfaction often clashes with the superego’s moral standards.
The ego then protects itself by using defence mechanisms, which are designed to reduce anxiety.
What are the stages of psychosexual development?
- Oral stage: 0-18 months
- Anal stage: 18-36 months
- Phallic stage: 3-5 years (include the Oedipus and Electra complex)
- Latency stage: 6 years to puberty
- Genital stage: from the onset of puberty and continues throughout adult life
What did Freud believe about unresolved conflicts in childhood?
That they could often affect an adult in later life.
