Week 2 (Psychodynamic approaches) Flashcards
What latin word does personality derive from.
“Persona” meaning “mask”
What does does empirical validity mean?
Means that theory is shown to be valid
When was Sigmund Freud alive?
1856-1939
What was Freud’s main belief?
That the unconscious mind was far more powerful than previously thought.
Freud’s topographic model
The conscious (tip of the iceberg)
-We pay attention to objects perceived, events recalled, thoughts.
The preconscious
-Memories, plans, wishes, ideas which in the present are out of consciousness but can be made out of conscious.
The unconscious
-Mental contents and processes that cannot be made conscious.
What is the primary and secondary process thinking
Primary
-Irrational mental activity
-Making the logically impossible, possible.
-Pleasure principle
Secondary
-Rational, logical, organised
-Conscious and preconscious
-Reality principle
What does Freud believe to be the two fundamental drives
- Libido- born with a fixed amount of mental energy which will later become adult sexual drives.
- Life-preserving drives (e.g., hunger, pain)
Freud’s theoretical models
-The topographic model
-The structural model
-The psychosexual model
What does Freud’s structural model consist of?
Consists of the ego, the superego, and the ID
What is ID in Freud’s structural model
ID:
-Instinctual drives powered by a reservoir of instinctual “psychic energy”
-Source of survival drives, sexual drives, and aggressive drives
-Freud believed only ID is present in infants
-Derives from the ‘pleasure principle’ - all urges strive to obtain pleasure and avoid displeasure.
Delayed gratification = “If you wait patiently your needs will be met”
Immediate gratification = ‘I want it all now’
What is the Ego in Freud’s structural model
The Ego:
-Through development, libido energy transfers into ego
-Executive part of personality which regulates behaviour and channels it in a particular direction in accordance with the external environment.
-Follows the “reality principle” and becomes the mediator between the child and external world
-Still trying to get what they want but now taking social expectations into account.
What is the superego in Freud’s structural model
Superego:
-Conscience of the child and helps make judgements about what is right or wrong
-Comprised of internalised moral values and parental attitudes
-It is in the opposition of ID and it helps ego rechannel immoral impulses
-If ego would allow immoral ID impulses, superego would turn against ego.
What are the developmental stages of Freud’s psychosexual model?
-Oral stage
-Anal stage
-Phallic stage
-Latency stage
-Genital stage
What is the Oral stage in Freud’s psychosexual model?
-From birth - 12 months
-Dependency: Feeding, weaning, teething.
-Fixation: (when stuck on this stage in later life) Excessive enjoyment on food, gum, smoking, chewing.
Over-indulged as a child: Oral receptive personality. Overly dependent, too trusting and gullible
Under-indulged as a child: Oral aggressive personality.
-Exploitative attitudes towards others.
What is the anal stage in Freud’s psychosexual model?
-From 18 months - 3 years
-Orderliness / control: Mobility, language, potty. training.
-Fixation can occur is potty training is done poorly
-Anally expulsive personality- untidy, disorganised and disregard accepted rules
-Anally retentive personality - orderly, stingy, and stubborn with tendency to hoard things
What is the phallic stage in Freud’s psychosexual model?
-From 3 - 5 years
-Identification/ Conscience: Gaining awareness of sex and gender
-Fixation: guilt feelings, problems with intimacy and romantic/ sexual relationships.
-Phallic personality - boastful, narcissistic and vain.
What is the latency stage in Freud’s psychosexual model?
-From 5-12 years
-Sublimation of impulses: Play and socialising
-Characterised by low levels of sexual feelings are repressed or displaced onto there activities. “Dormant sexual feelings are repressed or displaced onto other activities.
-Fixation on this stage –> lack of close friends and inability to make meaningful friendships as an adult.
What is the genital stage in Freud’s psychosexual model?
-From 12-18 years
-Maturing sexuality & relationships: Developing independence
-Changes in the body reawaken the libido
-Maturation of sexual interests & romantic interests
-Usually eats to normal adult sexual/ psychological development.
What is the Oedipus complex?
-Occurs during the phallic stage, when a boy becomes aware of his mother as a sexual object and feels hostility towards his father.
-Castration anxiety - sees father as powerful, threatening figure.
-Ends successfully by accepting the impossibility of this fantasy and the eventual identification with the father.
-The “Law of the father” is the first major ‘touchstone’ for superego formation.
What is the Electra complex?
-Parallel to the Oedipus complex
-Girl wishes to selfishly possess her father and feels hostility towards her mother.
-Penis envy (realisation of genitals difference) - equivalent of castration anxiety.
-Ends ‘successfully’ by accepting the impossibility of this fantasy and eventual identification with the mother
-However, Freud believed that girls cannot fully resolve this stage resulting in weaker ego functioning.
What are theories evaluated on?
-Description = identify behaviour
-Explanation = understand behaviour
-Empirical validity = shown to be valid
-Testable concepts = can be measured
-Comprehensiveness = wide variety of behaviours
-Parsimony =all concepts are measured
-Heuristic value = stimulate interest
-Applied value =practical usefulness
Pros and cons of the “description” of freud’s theory
Pros
-Addressed the complexities of human behaviour
-Opened doors for future research and debates on personality and development
Cons
-Published very few case studies
-Did not annotate his case studies - poor qualitative data
-Based on his theories on neurotic individuals - not general sample
Pros and Cons of the “explanation” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Good face validity: we are all aware of the conflicts caused by making choices and anxiety this can cause. E.g. By doing X we still feel guilty.
Cons
-Some vagueness on what is exactly needed for normal development
-E.g. not clear how much oral stimulation is sufficient
Pros and Cons of the “Empirical Validity” and “Testable concepts” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Support for some of the concepts despite methodological difficulties for the studies
-E.g. ego defence mechanism
Cons
-Large areas of Freud’s work remain untested and little attempts in recent psychology to do so
-Very weak evidence for the Oedipus complex, and seemingly none for the Electra complex (Hunt, 1979)
Pros and Cons of “Comprehensiveness” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Very comprehensive including wealth of topics
Cons
N/A
Pros and Cons of “Parsimony” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Fairly parsimonious with the rest
Cons
-Does not meet parsimony criteria in terms of the motivational drives - too restrictive.
Pros and Cons of “Heuristic Value” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Enormous impact which still provokes debate 100 years later
-Influenced treatment and motivated others to develop alternative approaches
Cons
N/A
Pros and Cons of “Applied Value” of Freud’s theory
Pros
-Huge advances in treatment and humane treatment f patients
-Psychoanalysis shown to be effective with certain disorders.
Cons
N/A
What were the differences of Jung and Freud’s beliefs about “Nature and purpose of the libido”
Jung: A generalised source of psychic energy motivating a range of behaviours
Freud: A source oh psychic energy specific to sexual gratification
What were the differences of Jung and Freud’s beliefs about the “nature of the unconscious”
Jung: A storehouse of repressed memories specific to the individual and our ancestral past
Freud: A storehouse for unacceptable repressed desires specific to the individual
What were the differences of Jung and Freud’s beliefs about the “Cause of behaviour”
Jung: Past experiences in addition to future aspiration
Freud: Past experiences particularly in childhood/
What did Alfred Adler argue?
-Argued for role of children’s feelings of inferiority and need to compensate –> striving for superiority
-Social interest and desire to contribute to society
-Birth order contributes significantly to individual development.
What were Karen Horney’s beliefs on Freud’s theory?
-AGREED that anxiety-provoking experiences in childhood can result in maladjustment
-BUT argued that environmental forces have a greater role in mental life than Freud theorised: and that need for security and warmth is ore important than instinctual drives.
