Week 6: Psychodynamic theories of personality Flashcards
In general terms, what was Freud’s contribution to knowledge about the unconscious?
He was the first to study the unconscious in a systematic way
Describe Freud’s first topography system: Unconscious, preconscious and conscious material
Unconscious: Material of which we’re unaware, and which has been dynamically repressed into the unconscious region.
Preconscious: Material which we can easily call to mind, although not actively engaging with
Conscious: Conscious thought
Describe Freud’s second topography system, from 1920-1923: Dynamic interaction between the preconscious, the conscious and the unconscious; and which contains the ego, superego and id.
What shift did this bring about, which still continues in psychoanalysis?
The unconscious was separated into the id, the ego and the super-ego. The preconscious and the conscious contain part of the super-ego and the ego, but only the unconscious contains the ego. There is a lot of dynamic interaction between the ego, the super-ego and the id.
This brought a shift into focus
Sexual, psychic energy and products of active repression manifests in which part of the ego system (ego/superego/id)?
Sexual, psychic energy and products of active repression manifests in the id
Some repression is inherited (phylogenetic). Which part of the ego system does this manifest itself in?
Inherited (phylogenetic) repression material comprises the id
What is intrapsychic conflict between the elements of the ego system?
The id conflicts with the ego and the superego
How are primary processes (hallucination, condensation and displacement) and secondary processes (attention, judgement, reasoning, planning and controlled action) organised in the ego system?
The id is organized according to the primary processes – hallucination, condensation, displacement, and the ego is organised according to the secondary processes: Attention, judgement, reasoning, planning and controlled action.
The ego is trying to navigate the world logically whilst the id’s agenda is unconscious material consisting of unacceptable fantasies etc
How much of the ego is unconscious, and what is the sole source of energy which motivates the ego?
The ego is mostly unconscious. It gets it’s energy from the id (no independent source of energy).
Since the ego merges with the id, how does this shape perception of reality?
The ego represents the part of the id that has been modified by reality (through perception).
The defensive processes are an example of what kind of function?
How does this relate to how the ego is trying to ‘keep face’ and deal with reality, in spite of the id’s agenda?
The defensive processes are an example of an ego function.
The ego is constantly trying to censor the id’s material to protect itself from guilt, shame and rejection; hence defensive processes.
At what age does the super-ego emerge developmentally? Which holds the balance of power: The ego or the super-ego?
The super-ego emerges developmentally from the ego, around the ages of 4-6, and comes to dominate it.
Why did Freud describe the super-ego as ‘the vehicle of tradition’?
Because the super-ego is shaped through parental prohibitions and demands. Initially it has the features of the parents super-ego
What is reification, and why is Freud guilty of it?
what is the better alternative to conceptualise Freud’s ideas?
Reification: Freud talked about abstract concepts as if they were tangible.
As particular styles of thinking
Amnesia, dissociative personalities, dreams, the psychopathology of everyday life, formation of symptoms in hysteria, the phenomenon of resistance & the use of defense mechanisms which constitute our personalities; are all examples of what kind of material?
Amnesia, dissociative personalities, dreams, the psychopathology of everyday life, formation of symptoms in hysteria, the phenomenon of resistance & the use of defense mechanisms which constitute our personalities; are all examples of unconscious material.
What is the psychopathology of everyday life?
eg Freudian slip; inconsistancies between words and manner of expression, conflicts between actions and words, that being in the presence of someone else can make you feel bad…?
