Freud (1909)

Question 1

(Freud) List the 5 stages of ‘Psychosexual Development’.

Answer 1

1) Oral
2) Anal
3) Phallic
4) Latency
5) Gential

Question 2

(Freud) Describe the ‘oral’ stage of the ‘Stages of Psychosexual Development’ theory.

Answer 2

The child is fascinated with putting things in their mouth.
This can manifest through thumb sucking as a replacement for the sensation of breastfeeding.

Question 3

(Freud) Describe the ‘anal’ stage of the ‘Stages of Psychosexual Development’ theory.

Answer 3

This manifests usually during potty training, when children keep their excrement inside them until they feel contractions.

Question 4

(Freud) Describe the ‘phallic’ stage of the ‘Stages of Psychosexual Development’ theory.

Answer 4

The child starts to see differences in male/female bodies.
Boys fear girls were castrated for playing with their penis.
Oedipus Complex arises.

Question 5

(Freud) Explain what the ‘Oedipus Complex’ is.

Answer 5

Incestuous feelings supposedly felt by a son towards his mother, as well as associated jealously felt towards a father, who is perceived as a rival.

Question 6

(Freud) Describe the ‘latency’ stage of the ‘Stages of Psychosexual Development’ theory.

Answer 6

The child’s interest is diverted to sports, friendships, hobbies etc.

Question 7

(Freud) Describe the ‘genital’ stage of the ‘Stages of Psychosexual Development’ theory.

Answer 7

The intensity of their sexual desire increases but they divert their desire onto other people who resemble them.

Question 8

(Freud) Define the term ‘phobia’.

Answer 8

An anxiety disorder characterised by persistent fear out of proportion to the danger and a compelling desire to escape the situation.

Question 9

(Freud) Define the term ‘castration anxiety’.

Answer 9

Part of the Oedipus complex: boy’s fear, after seeing a naked female for the first time, that he will loose his penis.

Question 10

(Freud) Define the term ‘psychoanalysis’.

Answer 10

A form of therapy that is intensive and long-term and in which the aim is to alleviate distress by giving the patient insight into unconscious mental processes.

Question 11

(Freud) What is the aim of this study?

Answer 11

To provide evidence for the psychosexual development theory using psychoanalysis of dreams and fantasies of a child, ‘Little Hans’, who has a nervous disorder.

Question 12

(Freud) What is a case study?

Answer 12

Where a small group of participants are studied in depth; often the participants are unusual in some way.

Question 13

(Freud) Describe the sample for this case study.

Answer 13

‘Little Hans’:
- Studied from around his 3rd birthday for approximately two years
- From Vienna, Austria
- Brought up with minimal force
- Described as a lively. cheerful baby

Question 14

(Freud) What is the sampling method for this case study?

Answer 14

Self-selecting: Hans’ father was a supporter of Freud and volunteered his son.

Question 15

(Freud) Explain the first part of the procedure, ‘letters’.

Answer 15

Hans’ father recorded details of Hans’ behaviours and conversations, and made his own interpretations. He would then send these in a weekly letter to Freud.

Question 16

(Freud) Explain the second part of the procedure, ‘letters’.

Answer 16

Freud replied with his own interpretations of the behaviours and conversations, and would give guidance on what Hans’ father should be discussing with Hans, and which behaviours to look out for.

Question 17

(Freud) What was concluded from this case study?

Answer 17

Freud claimed that he had learnt nothing knew but had gained information that supported:
1) his Psychosexual Stages of Development Theory’
2) Oedipus Complex
3) Phobias come from the unconscious.

Question 18

(Freud) Explain what Freud concluded regarding the ‘Oedipus complex’.

Answer 18

Little Hans’ wanted his father ‘out of the way’ so that he could have the affections of his mother all to himself.

Question 19

(Freud) Explain what Freud concluded regarding the concept of phobias coming from the unconscious.

Answer 19

The fear of his father finding out about his desires was displaced into a fear of horses.

Question 20

(Freud) What are the strengths of the sample in this study?

Answer 20

• Freud could collect lots of detailed information about how Hans’ phobias developed and were then resolved by studying his case in depth.
• Freud suggested Hans was a fairly typical child.

Question 21

(Freud) What are the weaknesses of the sample in this study?

Answer 21

• By only studying one boy from Vienna, it is difficult to generalise the results to all children (especially as he had developed an unusual phobia).
• As Hans’ father was a friend of Freud’s the interpretations and information reported might be biased.

Question 22

(Freud) What are the strengths of using self report in this study?

Answer 22

Freud and Hans’ father was able to find much more information about Hans’ thoughts, fantasises, dreams and phobias which would not be possible through other methods.

Question 23

(Freud) What are the weaknesses of using self report in this study?

Answer 23

Little Hans’ father may have asked deliberately leading questions and only reported certain conversations which support Freud’s theory (or Hans have have lied himself).

Question 24

(Freud) What are the strengths of using qualitative data in this study?

Answer 24

More detailed which provided more evidence that Freud could us in support of his theory.

Question 25

(Freud) What are the weaknesses of using qualitative data in this study?

Answer 25

Can be less subjective and therefore less scientific. Freud interpreted the behaviour to match his theory when there were more obvious explanations.

Question 26

(Freud) What ethical considerations were kept throughout this study?

Answer 26

• Confidential identity by referring to the sample as ‘Little Hans’
• Not deception
• Consent was given by Hans’ father
• Freud would argue the process helped Hans overcome his phobia

Question 27

(Freud) What ethical considerations were broken throughout this study?

Answer 27

He may have suffered form some psychological harm and embarrassment by being questioned about his personal issues.

Question 28

(Freud) Evaluate how ethnocentrism influences this study?

Answer 28

• Experiences of a middle-class child in Austria are unlikely to be typical of children in less privileged parts of the world.
• Phobias are common in children across the world, perhaps the findings can be applies to children from all cultures.

Question 29

(Freud) How does internal reliability affect this study?

Answer 29

Procedure wasn’t very standardised as Hans’ father would ask him questions and summarise the conversations, and then receive guidance from Freud.

Question 30

(Freud) How does external reliability affect this study?

Answer 30

We can’t assume all children will progress through the psychosexual stages of development - sample is too small.
Freud would argue the findings are consistent with those from his adult patients.

Question 31

(Freud) How does internal (interpretation) validity affect this study?

Answer 31

There are some, simpler and more obvious explanations for behaviours shown, that are not sexual, so more acceptable.

Question 32

(Freud) How does internal (self report) validity affect this study?

Answer 32

The use of leading questions which could influenced Hans’ responses.

Question 33

(Freud) How does external (population) validity affect this study?

Answer 33

The study focused on a very specific sample and so is unlikely to represent how all children develop, particularly not girls, different age groups and other cultures.