The Wolfman Flashcards
F - Aim
To show that dream analysis would help treat psychological problems by releasing repressed memories.
F - Type
Longitudinal case study with interviews.
F - Sample
A man in his twenties from a wealthy Russian family, the name, ‘Wolfman’ was used for confidentiality.
F - Procedure
The Wolfman lost his sister and father to suicide and became depressed, and experienced physical issues such as bowel problems. Freud attempted to treat the Wolfman through dream analysis, centring on a dream about white wolves and a tree.
F - Results
The wolves watching the Wolfman - him seeing his parents having sex when he was a child.
Wolf - his father.
The wolves being white - his parent’s bed sheets.
Tree - a Christmas tree, Freud thought the Wolfman saw that receiving a Christmas present was similar to being seduced by his father.
He said the Wolfman both wanted to be seduced by his father, and feared being castrated by him.
F - Conclusion
Freud found that dreams can represent repressed thoughts which can hide in the unconscious mind.
F - Criticisms
Difficult to make generalisations, the Wolfman had mental health issues so may not apply to the mentally healthy, cannot be tested objectively, Wolfman’s recall may not be accurate, interview method may be unreliable, social desirability bias could have an effect.
