Psychodynamic Perspectives Flashcards
Psychodynamic theories
include all of the diverse theories descended from the work of Sigmund freud, which focus on unconscious mental forces.
Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud eventually devoted himself to the treatment of mental disorders using an innovative procedure he had developed, called psychoanalysis, that require lengthy verbal interactions with patients during which Freud probed deeply into their lives.
This theory attempts to explain personality, motivation, and psychological disorders by focusing on the influence of early childhood experiences, on unconscious motives and conflicts, and on the methods people use to cope with their sexual aggressive urges.
Why most were uncomfortable with Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory
1st - by saying that people’s behaviour is governed by unconscious factors of which they are unaware, Freud made the disconcerting suggestion that individuals are not masters of their own minds
2nd- in claiming that adult personalities are shaped by childhood experiences and other factors beyond one’s control, he suggested that people are no masters of their own destinies.
3rd- by emphasizing the great importance of how people cop with their sexual urges, he offended those who help the conservative, Victorian values of his time.
Structure of Personality
Freud divided personality structure into three components: the id, the ego and the superego.
He saw person’s behaviour as the outcome of interactions among these components.
The Id
- is the primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle. The id operates according to the pleasure principle.
The Id engages in primary-process thinking, which is primitive, illogical, irrational and fantasy-oriented
The Pleasure principle
which demands immediate gratification of its urges
The ego
is the decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principles.
The ego is guided by the reality principle.
To stay out of the ego often works to tame the unbridled desires of the id.
the ego engages in secondary-process thinking, which is relatively rational, realistic, and oriented toward problem solving
The Reality principle
which seeks to delay gratification of the id’s urges until appropriate outlets and situations can be found he moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong
The Superego
is the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents the right and wrong
emerges out of the ego at around three to five years of age.
Levels of awareness
Conscious, unconscious, preconscious
Conscious
consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time
Preconscious
contains material just beaneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved
The unconscious
contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behaviour
Conflict and the Tyranny of Sex and Aggression
Freud assumed that behaviour is the outcome of ongoing series of internal conflicts. He saw interal battles between the id, ego, and superego as routine.
He believed that conflicts centring on sexual and aggressive impulses are especially likely to have far-reaching consequences. He had two reasons for his promote his thinking:
- he though that sex and aggression are subject to more complex and ambiguous social controls than other basic motives.
- he noted that sexual and aggressive drives are thwarted more regularly than other basic biological urges.
Axniety and Defence Mechanisms
The arousal of anxiety is a crucial event in Freud’s theory of personality function.
Anxiety is distressing, so people try to rid themselves of this unpleasant emotion any way they can. This effort toward anxiety often involves the use of defence mechanisms
Defence mechanisms
are largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety.
Defence mechanisms – Repression
Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious
i.e. A traumatized soldier had no recollection of the details of a close brush with death
Defence mechanisms – Projection
Attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another
i.e. A woman who dislikes her boss thinks she likes her boss but feels that the boss doesn’t like her
Defence mechanisms – Displacement
Diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original sources to a substitute target
i.e. After parental scold, a young girl takes her anger out on her little brother
Defence mechanisms – Reaction Formation
Behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite of one’s true feelings
i.e. A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts
Defence mechanisms– Regression
A reversion to immature patterns of behaviour
ie. an adult has a temper tantrum when he doesn’t get his way
Defence mechanisms – Rationalization
Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behaviour
i.e. A student watched TV instead of studying saying that “additional studying wouldn’t do anything”
Defence mechanisms – Identication
Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group
i.e. An insecure young man joins a fraternity to boost his self-esteem
Defence mechanism – Sublimation
Occurs when unconscious, unacceptable impulses are channelled into social acceptable, perhaps even admirable, behaviours
i.e. a young man’s longing for intimacy is channeled into his creative artwork.
Development: Psychosexual stages
are developmental periods with a characteristic sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality
Freud theorize that each stage has its own unique developmental challenges or tasks. The way these challenges are handled supposedly shapes personality. The process of FIXATION plays an important role in this process.
5 psychosexual stages: Oral Stage, Anal Stage, Phallic Stage, Latency, Genital
Oral Stage
Age: 0-1
Erotic Focus: Mouth (Sucking, biting)
Key Tasks and Experiences: Weaning (From Breast or Bottle)
Anal Stage
Age: 2-3
Erotic Focus: Anus (expelling or retaining feces)
Key Tasks: Toilet Training
Phallic Stage
Age: 4-5
Erotic Focus: Genitals (Masturbating)
Key Tasks: Identifying with adult role models; coping with Oedipal Crisis
Latency Stage
Age: 6-12
Erotic Focus: None (sexually repressed)
Key Tasks: Expanding social contacts
Genital Stage
Age: Puberty onward
Erotic Focus: Genitals (being sexually intimate)
Key Tasks: Establishing intimate relationships; contributing to society through working
Fixation
is a failure to move forward from one stage to another as expected –> excessive gratification or frustration. Overemphasis on psychosexual needs during fixated stage
Jung’s Analytical Psychology
emphasized the unconscious determinants of personality. He proposed that the unconscious consists of two layers: Personal and collective unconscious.
Personal unconscious
houses material that is not within one’s conscious awareness because it has been repressed or forgotten
Collective unconscious
is a storehouse a latent memory traces inherited from people’s ancestral past
Jung’s Analytical Psychology: Archetypes
according to jung, each person shares the collective unconscious with the entire human race
he called these ancestral memories archetypes
- -> emotionally charged images and thought forms that have universal meaning
- cultures around the world see the same thing, but interpret it differently (magic circle)
Jung : Introverted/Extraverted
Jung was the first to describe the introverted and extraverted personality types
Introverts: tend to be preoccupied with the internal world of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Extraverts: tend to be interested in the external world of people and things.
Alder’s Individual Psychology
argued that Freud ad gone overboard in centre his theory on sexual conflict.s According to Alder, the foremost source of human motivations is a striving for superiority. This striving does not necessarily translate into the pursuit of dominance or high status.
Alder’s view on the strive for superiority
a universal drive to adapt, improve oneself, and master life’s challenges.
maintained that striving for superiority is the prime goal of life rather than physical gratification.
Alder: Compensation
Alder asserted that everyone has to work to overcome some feelings of inferiority– a process he called compensation
Compensation: involves efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one’s abilities.
Alder: Inferiority Complex
in some people, inferiority feelings can become excessive, resulting in inferiority complex – exaggerated feelings of weakness and inadequacy.
alder: Overcompensaton
some people engage in overcompensation to conceal, even from themselves, their feelings of inferiority. They do this by rather than trying to complete life’s challenges by tying to achieve status, control over others, fancier things.
Alder: Birth Order
Alder was first to focus on the possible importance of birth order as a factor governing personality. children born at different times entered in a variety of home environments and are treated differently by the parents –> these experiences are likely to affect their personality.
Evaluating Psychodynamic Perspectives
Pros: - Insights regarding –> the unconscious, the role of internal conflict, the importance of early childhood experience
Cons: Poor testability, inadequte empirical base, sexist views
