LEARNING GOAL 8.2: DISCUSS FREUD'S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY AND EVALUATE ITS

CLAIMS.

Psychodynamics

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist, 1856-1939Introduced to hypnotic methods early on and

developed his practice around hypnosisUpon his father’s death, wrestled with

depressive episodes and dreams that recalled his childhood; self-analysis during this time played a crucial role in the development of his theories

The Mind According to Freud

Three parts: Conscious: thoughts and feelings that we’re

aware of Preconscious: information that we aren’t aware

of but which we can retrieve into consciousness Unconscious: unacceptable thoughts, wishes,

feelings, and memories locked deep in the mindTo Freud, the key to diagnosis and treatment

of problems was unlocking the unconscious

Personality According to Freud

Three parts: Id (the child): unconscious psychic energy

whose sole goal is pleasure; wants instant gratification for any basic physical drives

Superego (the parent): internalized societal ideals, also called your conscience; strives for discipline and perfection

Ego (the adult): the conscious part of the personality that mediates between the id and the superego; represents reason and reality

Freud’s Defense Mechanisms

Conflict between the id and superego causes anxiety; the ego reduces this anxiety with defense mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms

Repression: banishing unpleasant thoughts

Defense Mechanisms

Regression: retreating to a more comfortable life stage

Defense Mechanisms

Denial: refusing to acknowledge an unpleasant external event

Defense Mechanisms

Reaction formation: thinking the opposite of the unpleasant feeling

Defense Mechanisms

Projection: attributing your own problems to other people

Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization: offering excuses that feel more comfortable

Defense Mechanisms

Displacement: rerouting feelings to less threatening people

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Freud’s analyses led him to believe that personality problems were rooted in early childhood; more specifically, that an early conflict had not been resolved, causing a person to “fixate” in one of the five psychosexual stages of development

These psychosexual stages are defined by the id’s primary pleasure-seeking focus

Psychosexual Stages

Stage Experiences Signs of Fixation

1: Oral (ages 0-1)

• Gains pleasure from sucking, biting, or chewing

• May be anxious from weaning

• Gullibility• Dependency• Passivity

2: Anal (ages 1-3)

• Gains pleasure from bathroom activities

• May be anxious about toilet training

• Cleanliness• Messiness• Destructive

tendencies

3: Phallic (ages 3-6)

• Develops sexual curiosity and awareness of gender

• Theorized Oedipal / Electra complex

• Flirtatiousness or promiscuity

• Vanity or pride

Psychosexual Stages

Stage Experiences Signs of Fixation

4: Latency(ages 6-puberty)

• Sexual feelings are dormant as the id is repressed

• Focuses on further developing the ego

• Unfulfilled sexuality

5: Genital(puberty onward)

• Gains pleasure from intimate (sexual) relationships

• Unsatisfactory relationships

Neo-Freudian Theories

Alfred Adler Emphasized social tensions over sexual tensions Coined the term “inferiority complex”

Carl Jung Believed in a collective unconscious, in which we share

memories from our ancestors; theory based on common archetypes throughout history (e.g. the hero, the quest)

Karen Horney (pronounced horn-eye) Criticized Freud’s male bias Thought social expectations played a bigger role in

personality than biological factors

Check Your Understanding

You’re feeling a little too warm right now. How does your id want to respond? How does your superego want to respond? How might your ego handle the situation?

Which psychosexual stage would Freud say each person below is fixated in? A child who refuses to fingerpaint because it’s too

messy A teenager who bites her nails whenever she’s

upset A successful businessman who’s always trying to

outdo his father

Check Your Understanding

Fill in the blanks in the comic below: