Unit 2.1: The intrapsychic domain

Question 1

What was Freud’s first solo book?

Answer 1

The interpretation of dreams (1900)

Question 2

What is the starting idea of psychoanalysis?

Answer 2

The existence of a psychic energy motivating human activity

Question 3

Which basic instincts are there?

Answer 3

Eros/ libido: desire to satisfy need or obtain pleasure
Thanatos: desire to destroy, hurt or assault

Question 4

Which levels of consciousness are there?

Answer 4

Conscious: thoughts, feelings and perceptions you are aware of atm
Preconscious: information that you’re not aware of but that can be retreived
Unconscious: Inadmissable, hidden information

Question 5

What does psychic determinism say?

Answer 5

Everything we do, think, feel and say is an expression of the mind

Question 6

What is a freudian slip?

Answer 6

Calling someone the wrong name, forgetting a date, etc.
-> expression of unconscious motivation

Question 7

What does psychoanalytic personality theory describe and why?

Answer 7

how people deal with instincts
-> often leads to impulses conflicting with reality

Question 8

ID

Answer 8

Works according to principle of immediate pleasure/ gratification
most primitive part of the mind

Question 9

Ego

Answer 9

limits mind to reality
secondary thinking process developing strategies to solve problems and gain satisfaction

Question 10

Superego

Answer 10

Internalizes values, morals and ideals of society
makes us feel guilty, embarrassed or proud
own moral standards/ goals of perfection
-> not governed by reality

Question 11

What does the interaction of Id, ego and superego result in?

Answer 11

Conflics

Question 12

What is anxiety?

Answer 12

unpleasant experience
people try to overcome it via defense mechanism

Question 13

Which are the function of defense mechanisms?

Answer 13

protect the ego
minimize anxiety and discomfort

Question 14

Repression

Answer 14

preventing unacceptable thoughts, feelings and desires by preventing them from reaching conscious awareness

Question 15

Denial

Answer 15

refusing to see facts

Question 16

Displacement

Answer 16

Channeling/ redirecting unacceptable threat or impulse from original source to less threatening one

Question 17

Rationalization

Answer 17

generating acceptable solutions to situations that might otherwise seem unacceptable

Question 18

Reaction formation

Answer 18

attempt to suppress unacceptable desires
-> display behaviours indicating opposite impulse

Question 19

Projection

Answer 19

seeing traits and desires that are undesirable in oneself in others

Question 20

Sublimation

Answer 20

channeling instincts towards socially accepted activities

Question 21

When are defense mechanisms negative?

Answer 21

when they inhibit the ability to be productive
when they limit the ability to maintain social relationships

Question 22

What is it called when a person gets stuck in a stage of development according to freud?

Answer 22

fixation

Question 23

Oral stage

Answer 23

<18m
source of pleasure: mouth, tongue, lips
main conflict: breast/ bottle withdrawal
fixation
-> nail biting; hostile personalities

Question 24

Anal stage

Answer 24

18m-3y
source of pleasure: anal sphincter
fixation
-> development of excessive self-control

Question 25

Phallic stage

Answer 25

3y-5y
sexual desire directed outward
oedipus/ electra conflict
-> fear of father: castration anxiety
-> Penis envy (females)

Question 26

Latency stage

Answer 26

6y-puberty
learning of skills necessary for adult role (decision-making, interaction)
absence of specific sexual conflicts

Question 27

Genital stage

Answer 27

> puberty
sexual awakening
libido focused on genitals (not as self-manipulation)
available when others acheived

Question 28

Free association

Answer 28

allows mind to wander
-> recognise important verbal and nonverbal indicators

Question 29

What are dreams?

Answer 29

inaccessible messages from deep regions of the mind
-> purpose to satisfy impulses and fullfill unconscious longings and desires

Question 30

Where do differences exist in dreams?

Answer 30

manifest content
latent content

Question 31

What does the projective hypothesis say?

Answer 31

people project own personalities into an ambiguous stimulus

Question 32

What are some major contributions of freudian psychoanalysis?

Answer 32

improving understanding of the mind
“talking cure”
ideas relevant to psychotherapy
everyday language
-> big historical value

Question 33

How can you criticise Psychoanalysis?

Answer 33

little/ no contemporary research
(e.g. claim that personality is determined at age 5)
evidence based on case studies
sexual urges in child development not representative of reality
primitive, negative, impulsive view on nature of humans
view of women