PSY.Freud

Bellringer

Reductionism is the argument that we can explain behavior and experiences by reference to only one factor, such as genes (nature) or learning (nurture).

Consider the findings in Bandura’s study. Could the findings be considered reductionist? Why or why not?

BackgroundA. Why is this study useful? (especially to Freud)

1. He had recently published Three Essays on The Theory of Sexuality in which he detailed his ideas about infantile sexuality and the Oedipal complex.2. He had been critiqued for formulating his theory on only the recollections of adults in psychoanalysis3. This case provided an opportunity to exam the phenomenon from a child’s point of view.4. It illustrates Freud’s methods

• B. Background information on Freud and Hans1. Sigmund Freud is father of psychoanalysis

• a. He was a doctor in Vienna• b. He studied Personality, personality development, & child development

and moral development• c. He proposed 5 psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital)• d. He studied several patients (mostly young women) who presented

with symptoms of hysteria• e. Much of his work is also based on his psychoanalysis of his own self.

2. Historical background• a. Published much of his work over 100 years ago when

England was dominated by Victorian morals about proper behaviour especially in regards to sex and the role of women

• b. Children at the time were punished brutally, put to work in factories and considered untrustworthy sources of information.

• C. Background on Hans– 1. Real name Herbert Graf– 2. Parents were good friends of Freud. Dad was a

famous music critic, mom was a former patient of Freud’s. Freud would attend birthday parties etc.

– 3. Hans parents were very “liberal” for the time. They didn’t beat Hans and raised him under many of Freud’s principles.

– 4. Case spans from age 3 ½ to 5 years of age– 5. Hans and sexuality

• a. He liked to coax (cuddle) with his mother• b. He was fascinated by his “widdler” since age 3 and

masturbated frequently• c. Once asked his mother to touch his widdler• d. Reportedly had dreams that involved his neighborhood girl

friends touching his widdler or watching him touch it.

II. Aim and Methodology• A. The AIM

– 1. This was a chance to test Freud’s theory about infantile sexuality and the Oedipus complex with a real child as opposed to using the recollections of adults.

– 2. Due to Hans’ development of a phobia this case also presented the opportunity to test Freud’s theory about how phobia’s develop3. Finally it was a report of the findings of the treatment of a five-year-old boy for his phobia of horses4. Hypothesis (implicit not explicit) that a 5 year old boy’s phobia of being bitten by a horse can be interpreted in terms of castration anxiety.

• B. Procedure/Method– 1. A case study in a clinical context of a little boy named Hans who

is between the ages of 3-5 during the time period of the study– 2. Freud only meets with Hans on one occasion, the majority of

the study was conducted through correspondence– 3. Conversations between Hans and his father are recorded by the

father.– 4.This is an example of the case study method– 5. Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based

on his interpretations of the father’s reports. – 6. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans

and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate.

– 7. first reports of Hans when 3

Cue 1: What is meant by the developmental approach? [2]Cue 2: Consult your AICE textbook and write down 2 strengths and 2 weakness of using a case study method. [4]Cue 3: List two of the aims of this study. [2]Cue 4: List two potential problems you see with how this case study is being conducted [4]

Little Hans Re-enactment

III. The study in detail• A. Hans – the early years

– 1. Hans and his Widdler• a. Early masturbation (3 y/o) fits well with Freud’s concept of the phallic stage.• b. He also found what seemed to be pleasure from both urinating and defecating• c. Mother caught him playing with his penis and threatened to send him to the doctor to have it cut off

(castration anxiety.) – 2. Death Wishes

• a. Would punch his dad and then kiss the spot (torn between jealousy-fear and love)• b. Hans reported that he wished his mother would drown his little sister in the bathtub• Engaged in a biting game with his dad that marked the end of his fear of horses.

• B. The Phobia Begins– 1. Hans was afraid that a horse would bite him– 2. Freud believes that the phobia is a result of repressing the anxiety that resulted from his

feelings for his mother and father.– 3. begins when he was 4 ½– 4. Based partly on a warning Hans overheard a grandfather give his daughter about white

horses.– 5. Freud believes the horse represents the father.

• a. The blinders on the horse represent the father’s glasses• b. The horses dark facial hair is like his father’s

– 6. Hans fear evolved from a fear of horses to a fear of horses pulling carts• a. Based on a real event where he saw a

work horse pulling a heavily laden cart fall over.

• b. Freud believes– i. Hans secretly wished his father

would fall over and die too.– ii. Hans was preoccupied with

defecating, and a full cart was like a full stomach and the horse falling made a sound like the splash in the toilet.

– iii. A full cart is like a pregnant woman, when the horse fell down it was like the woman giving birth and this reminded Hans of the anxiety caused by the birth of his sister.

Year Hans Age Event

1903 Hans born

1906 3 – 3 ½ First incidents of playing with “widdler” reported.Castration threat by motherLittle sister born

1907 3 ¾ First dreams about being the daddy

4 ½ Visit to grandmother’s house where he learned the white horse may bite if touched.

1908 4 ½ Falling horse incident

5 Recovery and end of analysis

B. Hans – fantasies and dreams• 1. The dream about giraffes

– a. Hans told his father that he dreamt of a big giraffe and a crumpled one.

– b. In the dream Hans took the crumpled one from the big one, but the big one complained. After the big one stopped complaining Hans sat on the crumpled one.

– c. Hans dad interpreted the dream in the following way:• i. The big giraffe represented the father or his

penis• ii. The crumpled giraffe represented the mother

or her genitals• iii. Represents his morning ritual of coming into

the bed with mom and dad with dad protesting that mom should not allow this.

– 3. Pregnancy fears• a. After the arrival of his sister Hans was curious about where babies come from – his

parents told him the stork brings them• b. Hans didn’t believe this – he saw mother’s swollen belly as similar to his when he

had to defecate. Giving birth must be pleasurable like the pleasure he had in going the bathroom.

– 4. He also had ongoing fantasies where he fathered children with mommy and daddy became the grandfather. – Because dad is still in the picture Freud saw this as identification• “Daddy, I though something: I was in the bath and then the plumber

came and unscrewed it. Then he took a big borer and stuck it into my stomach”

• This is seen as a fantasy about becoming pregnant• The “big borer” represents the father’s penis impregnating the mother• Later he had a similar fantasy reporting: “The plumber came and first

he took away my behind with a pair of pincers and then gave he another, and then the same with my widdler.

• Upon questioning from the father Hans revealed that the plumber gave him a bigger behind and penis like his father had.

• CUE 5: List 3 facts that you believe support Freud’s belief that Hans was in the phallic stage of development.

• CUE 6: What do you think the two giraffes represent?• CUE 7:Use one of the dreams to support the Freud’s belief that

Hans was in the phallic stage• Cue 8: In this study Hans is asked, “when the horse fell down,

did you think of your daddy?” – a. Give one problem with this type of question.– b. How did Freud interpret the fear of the horse?

Case Studies

• An in-depth investigation of a single person, group, or event

• Data is typically gathered observationally

• Data is analyzed using different theories.

• Continued for an extended period of time (longitudinal)

Case Studies

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

• Provides detailed (rich qualitative) information.

• Provides insight for further research.

• Permitting investigation of otherwise impractical (or unethical) situations.

• Can’t generalize the results to the wider population.

• Researchers' own subjective feeling may influence the case study (researcher bias).

• Difficult to replicate.• Time consuming.

V. The Discussion• A. Support for his theory

– 1. Critiques• a. 1st criticism – If Hans was abnormal (he was in treatment for phobias)

then you can’t draw conclusions about healthy kids from Hans• b. 2nd criticism. The analysis was conducted by his father and thus was

biased.

– 2. Freud’s response –• a. Neuroses in early childhood ARE NORMAL• b. Even if the father sometimes asked leading questions they were still

Hans’ answers and the close relationship allowed for more revealing answers.

– 3. Freud sees multiple levels of support for his theory• a. Hans interest in his widdler• b. His interest in his mother supports the Oedipal idea• c. His death wishes against his sister/father• d. The insight provided relief of the phobia.

– Freud believed that psychoanalysis did not lend itself to scientific study

– Therefore the proof lay in the fact that the therapy worked.

• B. Understanding phobias– 1. Freud believed that phobias were due to repressed

anxieties – this case fit the theory well.– 2. Freud believed that this anxiety and type of phobias

were normal so psychoanalysis might be appropriate for many children

VI. Evaluating the study

• A. Critique by other theorist– 1. Eric Fromm claims it was more a fear of the mother than

the father• a. Mother threatened castration• b. Mother gave birth to Hanna, a form of betrayal

– 2. John Bowlby believes it has to do with attachment issues• a. Mom threatens to leave Hans• b. Bowlby believes that Hans has insecure (anxious subtype)

attachment. • c. He experiences separation anxiety

– 3. Behaviorist see this as an example of classical conditioning (John Watson)

• B. Other weaknesses1. Methodological• a. What are the +/- of case studies• b. What are the +/- of longitudinal studies• c. What are the +/- of using children• d. What are the +/- of collecting qualitative data• c. Father was an adherent of Freud and mother was

a former client.

2. Bias – • a. Ethnocentric in that not all family units consist of

mother, father and child (children).• b. Androgenic in that he focuses on males. He also

believes girls develop penis envy

• Cue 9: Freud used a longitudinal method discuss one strength and one weakness of this method using Freud’s study as an example [4]

• Cue 10 Freud studied a young child what are the advantages and disadvantages of studying children

[4]

Homework

Research the case study method as used in psychology. Record the strengths and weaknesses.

Do this by going to www.aicepsych.com and watching videos 2 & 3.

Paper 2 Evaluation

a.) Describe one aim of the developmental approach.b.) Outline how Freud utilized the case study method in his work with “Little Hans”c.) From the study by Freud on Little Hans, evaluate the case study method as conducted by Freud.