Freud’s Freud’s Psychodynamic Psychodynamic

TheoryTheory

IDID

EGOEGO

SUPEREGOSUPEREGO

Freud’s Freud’s Psychodynamic TheoryPsychodynamic Theory Freud believed:Freud believed: Human personality arises from Human personality arises from

conflicts between the pleasure-seeking conflicts between the pleasure-seeking biological impulses and social biological impulses and social restraints against them restraints against them

Conflict centered on three interacting Conflict centered on three interacting systems – id, ego and superegosystems – id, ego and superego

Goal is to bring satisfaction without Goal is to bring satisfaction without bringing punishment or guilt bringing punishment or guilt

The IdThe Id

pleasure seeking element of the pleasure seeking element of the subconscious mind subconscious mind

contains primitive parts of our contains primitive parts of our personality including aggression personality including aggression and sex driveand sex drive

if unrestrained by reality it will if unrestrained by reality it will seek immediate gratificationseek immediate gratification

can lead us to be self-destructivecan lead us to be self-destructive

EgoEgo

part of the personality that part of the personality that mediates the demands of the id, mediates the demands of the id, superego and realitysuperego and reality

Reality principle: Ego ensures that Reality principle: Ego ensures that gratification/action will not lead to gratification/action will not lead to punishment, regardless of morality punishment, regardless of morality

Ego protects itself against anxiety Ego protects itself against anxiety with with defense mechanismsdefense mechanisms

SuperegoSuperego

Represents internalized ideals and Represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment provides standards for judgment

Acts as our moral conscienceActs as our moral conscience Acts to control id and ego, to make Acts to control id and ego, to make

sure that what we do is safe, sure that what we do is safe, moral and ethicalmoral and ethical

Influenced by family and culture Influenced by family and culture 

Defence MechanismsDefence Mechanisms

Defence MechanismsDefence Mechanisms

Are ways of dealing with daily Are ways of dealing with daily events of your life in an ineffective events of your life in an ineffective way.way.

If they are used too often it could If they are used too often it could be unhealthy.be unhealthy.

They are ways of coping with They are ways of coping with certain issues and may temporarily certain issues and may temporarily relieve anxiety but do not offer a relieve anxiety but do not offer a true escape from the problem.true escape from the problem.

FantasyFantasy

Everyone daydreams (you Everyone daydreams (you probably are right now)probably are right now)

They may help us plan for the They may help us plan for the future, but if used excessively future, but if used excessively they will lead to disappointment they will lead to disappointment and unachieved goals.and unachieved goals.

RepressionRepression

Unpleasant thoughts that are Unpleasant thoughts that are pushed out of our conscious down pushed out of our conscious down into the unconscious.into the unconscious.

They can no longer be recalled or They can no longer be recalled or remembered but may resurface in remembered but may resurface in different means.different means.

RationalisationRationalisation

If we cannot face the real reasons for If we cannot face the real reasons for our behaviour, we convince ourselves our behaviour, we convince ourselves that we have other reasons.that we have other reasons.

Often we use excuses in order to Often we use excuses in order to explain a failure, error, loss or explain a failure, error, loss or behaviour.behaviour.

Sour Grapes – tell ourselves that a goal Sour Grapes – tell ourselves that a goal we did not attain was not worth it we did not attain was not worth it anyway.anyway.

RegressionRegression

When problems seem too big for When problems seem too big for us to handle in a mature way, we us to handle in a mature way, we may look back to behaviour may look back to behaviour patterns from an earlier period of patterns from an earlier period of our lives.our lives.

Crying, or throwing a tantrumCrying, or throwing a tantrum

DenialDenial

When reality is too unpleasant we When reality is too unpleasant we may deny its existence.may deny its existence.

You may ignore criticism or You may ignore criticism or pretend certain things never pretend certain things never happened.happened.

DisplacementDisplacement

Direct aggression against the Direct aggression against the actual cause of our frustration actual cause of our frustration may not be socially acceptable.may not be socially acceptable.

So we take out our aggression on So we take out our aggression on some innocent person or thing.some innocent person or thing.

Sublimation Sublimation

Type of displacement in which we Type of displacement in which we redirect the feeling into a socially redirect the feeling into a socially productive activity.productive activity.

Writing a song or story about your Writing a song or story about your anger or frustration.anger or frustration.

ProjectionProjection

We see traits and feelings in other We see traits and feelings in other people that we sense in ourselves people that we sense in ourselves but cannot admit openly.but cannot admit openly.

We project our inner feelings onto We project our inner feelings onto other people.other people.

WithdrawalWithdrawal

We respond to situations around We respond to situations around us by disconnecting to the effects us by disconnecting to the effects of what is going on around us.of what is going on around us.

CompartmentalizationCompartmentalization

is a process of separating parts of the is a process of separating parts of the self from awareness of other parts and self from awareness of other parts and behaving as if one had separate sets of behaving as if one had separate sets of values.values.

An example might be an honest person An example might be an honest person who cheats on their income tax return who cheats on their income tax return and keeps their two value systems and keeps their two value systems distinct and unintegrated while distinct and unintegrated while remaining unconscious of the cognitive remaining unconscious of the cognitive dissonance. dissonance.

Compensation Compensation

is a process of psychologically is a process of psychologically counterbalancing perceived counterbalancing perceived weaknesses by emphasizing weaknesses by emphasizing strength in other arenas. The "I'm strength in other arenas. The "I'm not a fighter, I'm a lover" not a fighter, I'm a lover" philosophy can be an example of philosophy can be an example of compensation as can the compensation as can the Napoleonic complex. Napoleonic complex.

Reaction FormationReaction Formation This is one of the most difficult defenses for This is one of the most difficult defenses for

some people to understand. When we have a some people to understand. When we have a reaction that is too painful or threatening to reaction that is too painful or threatening to feel (such as intense hate for someone with feel (such as intense hate for someone with power over us), we turn it into the opposite power over us), we turn it into the opposite (intense liking for that person). That way, we (intense liking for that person). That way, we aren't threatened by the feeling, or even the aren't threatened by the feeling, or even the awareness of the feeling. Like denial and awareness of the feeling. Like denial and repression, you can begin to do this repression, you can begin to do this automatically and as a result never know what automatically and as a result never know what your true feelings are. your true feelings are.

You turn the feeling into its opposite. You turn the feeling into its opposite.

"I think he's really great!""I think he's really great!"

ReviewReview

““I don’t mind failing this test. It I don’t mind failing this test. It builds character”builds character”

RationalizationRationalization

ReviewReview

A man who is disturbed about his A man who is disturbed about his attraction to another man, starts attraction to another man, starts a rumor that the other guy is a a rumor that the other guy is a homosexual.homosexual.

ProjectionProjection

ReviewReview

A young man who was sexually A young man who was sexually abused as a child has no abused as a child has no recollection of it.recollection of it.

RepressionRepression

ReviewReview

After watching a war movie a After watching a war movie a man thinks about one day being a man thinks about one day being a war hero.war hero.

FantasyFantasy

ReviewReview

To avoid being scared at night To avoid being scared at night this adult pulls the sheets of his this adult pulls the sheets of his bed over his head and curls into a bed over his head and curls into a ball.ball.

RegressionRegression

ReviewReview

Angry at her boyfriend, a girl Angry at her boyfriend, a girl punches her locker.punches her locker.

DisplacementDisplacement

ReviewReview

After being cut from the hockey After being cut from the hockey team, a boy says that he never team, a boy says that he never really liked hockey anyway.really liked hockey anyway.

Rationalization – sour grapesRationalization – sour grapes

ReviewReview

After losing his mother in a car After losing his mother in a car accident a boy writes a poem accident a boy writes a poem about his feelings.about his feelings.

SublimationSublimation

ActivityActivity

In groups of two you will develop In groups of two you will develop a 2 minute skit depicting a a 2 minute skit depicting a person using your chosen person using your chosen Defence MechanismDefence Mechanism..

You will have 10 minutes to You will have 10 minutes to develop your skit.develop your skit.

The class must be able to identify The class must be able to identify the presented mechanism by the the presented mechanism by the end of your skit.end of your skit.