WEEK 7 Flashcards
Psychodynamic approach…
a view developed by Freud that emphasises the interplay of unconscious mental processes in determining human thought, feelings and behaviour.
Assumes that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are determined by various unconscious psychological processes
id…
the unconscious portion of personality that contains basic impulses and urges. Operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate satisfaction of both kinds of instincts, regardless of society’s rules or the rights and feelings of others.
e.g. seeking immediate gratification, sexual impulses
Pleasure principle…
the id’s operating principle, which guides people towards whatever feels good
Ego…
the part of the personality that mediates conflicts between
and among the demands of the id, the superego and the real world. The ego is responsible for organising ways to get what a person wants in the real world, as opposed to the fantasy world of the id.
Operates on the reality principle
Reality principle
the operating principle of the ego that creates compromises between the id’s demands and those of the real world
The reality principle, influences that hungry person at a cafe to wait in line and think about what to order rather than risk punishment by pushing ahead.
Superego…
the component of personality that tells people what they should and should not do.
Defence mechanisms…
Psychological responses that help protect people from anxiety and guilt
Clashes among the three personality components were referred to as…
Intrapsychic, or psychodynamic conflictsW
List the types of defence mechanisms
Repression
Rationalisation
Projection
Reaction formation
Sublimation
Displacement
Denial
Compensation
Repression…
unconsciously pushing threatening memories, urges or ideas from conscious awareness
e.g. Loss of memory of an unpleasant event
Rationalisation…
attempting to make actions or mistakes seem reaonsable
e.g. the reasons given for behaviour (e.g. I hit my kids because it’s good for them) sound rational, but may not be the real reason
Projection…
unconsciously attributing one’s unacceptable thoughts or impulses to another person
e.g. Instead of recognising ones own dislike of someone, feeling as though that person dislikes them
Reaction formation…
Defending against unacceptable impulses by acting opposite to them
e.g. sexual interest in a married co-worker may appear as a strong dislike
Sublimation…
converting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions and perhaps expressing them symbolically
e.g. sexual or aggressive desires may appear as artistic creativity or devotion to athletic excellence
Displacement…
Deflecting an impulse from its original target to a less threatening one
e.g. directing anger felt towards your wife onto your co-workers
Denial…
Simply discounting the existence of threatening impulses
e.g. vehemently denying having even the slightest attraction to a member of the same sex
Compensation…
Striving to make up for undesirable impulses or fears
e.g. extreme competitiveness may be compensating for feeling of inferiority
Psychosexual development
periods of personality development in which, according to Freud, conflicts focus on particular issues
Fixation…
occurs when Failure to resolve the problems and conflicts that appear at a given stage can leave a person fixated; that is, unconsciously preoccupied with the area of pleasure associated with that stage. Freud believed that the stage at which a person became fixated in childhood can be seen in adult personality characteristics.
Oral stage…
the first of Freud’s psychosexual stages of personality development, in which the mouth is the centre
of pleasure and conflict
Freud said fixation at the oral stage can stem from weaning that is too early or too late and may result in adult characteristics ranging from overeating or childlike dependence (late weaning) to the use of ‘biting’ sarcasm (early weaning).
Anal stage…
the second of Freud’s psychosexual stages of personality development, in which the focus of pleasure and conflict shifts from the mouth to the anus
Freud said that if toilet training is too harsh or begins too early, it can produce an anal fixation that leads, in adulthood, to stinginess or excessive neatness (symbolically withholding faeces). If toilet training is too late or too lax, however, the result could be a kind of anal fixation that is reflected in adults who are disorganised or impulsive
Phallic stage…
the third of Freud’s psychosexual stages of personality development, in which the focus of pleasure and conflict shifts to the genital area
During this stage, (according to Freud) the male is said to develop sexual desires towards his mother, and the urge to slay his father- know as the Oedipal Complex
(Freud) A girl is said to begin her phallic phase with a strong attachment to her mother. When she
realises that boys have penises and girls do not, though, she supposedly develops penis envy and transfers her love to her father. This pattern has become known as the Electra complex
Freud believed that unresolved conflicts from the phallic stage can lead to many problems in
adulthood, including difficulties in dealing with authority figures and an inability to maintain a stable love relationship.
Oedipal Complex…
a pattern described by Freud in which a boy has sexual desire for his mother and wants to eliminate his father’s competition for her attention
The boy’s fantasies make him fear that his powerful ‘rival’ (his father) will castrate him. To reduce this fear, the boy’s ego represses his incestuous desires and leads him to ‘identify’ with his father and try to be like him. It is during this stage that the male’s superego begins to develop.
Electra complex…
a pattern described by Freud in which a young girl develops an attachment to her father and competes with her mother for attention.
To avoid her mother’s disapproval, the girl identifies with and imitates her, thus forming the basis for her own superego
