Chapter 7 Flashcards
(45 cards)
What influenced Freud’s decision to pursue a career as a research scientist?
As a medical student at the University of Vienna, Freud was influenced by a course on “General Biology and Darwinism,” and several courses from Franz Brentano. His work with Ernst Brücke, a leading physiologist, further solidified his research direction, although Brücke advised him to pursue a clinical practice instead.
How did Jean-Martin Charcot influence Freud’s career?
Freud received a scholarship in 1885 to study under Charcot at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. Charcot’s work in diseases of the nervous system and hypnosis, particularly his innovative approach to treating hysteria and his dynamic teaching style, deeply influenced Freud’s understanding of neurology and psychology.
What specific aspects of Charcot’s work influenced Freud’s development of psychoanalytic theories?
Charcot’s treatment of hysteria using hypnosis and his insights into the psychological aspects of neurological disorders helped shape Freud’s ideas on the unconscious and the importance of sexual issues in neuroses. A particular remark by Charcot about hysterical symptoms always relating to “the genitals” was significant in Freud’s exploration of the sexual origins of neuroses.
How did Freud describe Charcot’s teaching methods?
Freud admired Charcot’s interactive and thoughtful teaching style, where Charcot engaged directly with his students on complex cases, encouraging dialogue and critical thinking. Freud’s experiences in these sessions, as he noted, profoundly impacted his approach to medical practice and psychological theory.
What was significant about Josef Breuer’s treatment of Anna O.?
Breuer’s treatment of Anna O. (Bertha Pappenheim) in the early 1880s introduced the catharsis method, where symptoms were treated through the release of pent-up emotions using hypnosis. This approach notably improved her symptoms temporarily, though she later relapsed and required further care in a sanatorium.
How did the case of Anna O. influence the development of psychoanalysis?
The case of Anna O. was crucial in shaping Sigmund Freud’s interest in psychoanalysis. Freud learned about Breuer’s cathartic method and used it as a foundation to develop his own theories. This case was a cornerstone in their collaborative book published in 1895, marking the formal introduction of psychoanalytic ideas.
In what ways did Freud’s interpretation of Anna O.’s case differ from Breuer’s?
While Breuer used hypnosis to facilitate catharsis and treat symptoms, Freud introduced a more sexual interpretation of the underlying issues, which made Breuer uneasy. This divergence in interpretation led to Freud developing a more comprehensive theory that extended beyond catharsis to include sexual and unconscious elements.
What was Anna O.’s identity and her contributions beyond her role in the development of psychoanalysis?
Anna O. was actually Bertha Pappenheim, a pioneering social worker and feminist activist. She recovered largely on her own and later made significant contributions to social work and feminism. In 1954, the German government honored her achievements with a postage stamp.
What are the three interdependent achievements by Freud in psychoanalysis?
Historian Frank Sulloway highlighted three major contributions of Freud to psychoanalysis: (1) a method for clinical practice, (2) a theory of the neuroses explaining psychological disturbances, and (3) a theory of the normal mind detailing how unconscious processes influence behavior.
How does the ego function in Freud’s psychological framework?
The ego develops shortly after birth and operates according to the reality principle. Its primary role is to mediate between the id’s primitive desires and the external world’s demands. The ego functions rationally, aiming to control but not inhibit instincts, managing stimuli, and making modifications in the external world to benefit the self. It operates both consciously and unconsciously.
What is the superego and how does it develop?
The superego develops during childhood through experiences, parental teachings, and cultural influences, representing the individual’s moral compass. It often acts in opposition to the id’s desires, enforcing moral codes and striving to thwart the id’s impulses. The superego varies significantly across individuals due to its experiential basis.
How do the id, ego, and superego interact according to Freud?
In Freud’s theory, the ego stands as the mediator, balancing the id’s primal desires, the superego’s moral judgments, and the realities of the external world. This dynamic interaction often places the ego under considerable stress, akin to the role of an executive managing conflicting demands and responsibilities.
What is the role of anxiety in Freud’s theory of neuroses?
In Freud’s theory, neuroses develop when the ego is overwhelmed by demands from the id, superego, or external threats. This leads to different types of anxiety: neurotic anxiety from id demands, moral anxiety from superego violations, and objective anxiety from external threats.
What are defense mechanisms in Freud’s psychological theory?
Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies used by the ego to cope with anxiety and maintain psychological equilibrium. Key mechanisms include repression (unconscious forgetting of traumatic events), denial, projection (attributing one’s own negative traits to others), displacement, rationalization (justifying outcomes to lessen impact), and reaction formation.
How does childhood sexuality play a role in Freud’s theory of neuroses?
Freud believed that many neurotic conditions stemmed from unresolved sexual conflicts during childhood. The ego’s failure to effectively manage these conflicts between the id’s primal desires and the superego’s moral standards is central to the development of neuroses.
What were Freud’s initial views on childhood sexuality and hysteria?
Freud initially argued that childhood hysteria was often caused by sexual traumas, such as molestation, occurring in infancy or early childhood. This seduction theory suggested that such early experiences were far more common than previously believed, leading to significant controversy among his contemporaries.
Why did Freud reverse his seduction theory and what did he propose instead?
By 1897, Freud reversed his seduction theory, suggesting that his patients’ recollections of sexual trauma were not actual memories but fantasies about sexual activities. This shift led to the idea that children have inherent sexual fantasies, which was equally controversial at the time.
What are the psychosexual stages of development according to Freud?
Freud identified an orderly sequence of psychosexual stages through which personality develops: oral (pleasure from sucking), anal (pleasure from expulsion of feces), phallic (pleasure from genitals and emergence of masturbation), latency (dormancy of sexual interests), and genital (renewed sexual interests and mature relationships).
What is the Oedipal complex in Freud’s theory?
The Oedipal complex occurs during the phallic stage, where a child experiences sexual desires towards the opposite-sex parent and hostility towards the same-sex parent. Freud believed resolving this complex was crucial for developing a healthy adult personality and forming a mature superego.
What lasting impacts did Freud’s theories on childhood sexuality have on psychology?
Despite controversy, Freud’s work emphasized the significance of early childhood experiences on adult personality development and normalized the discussion of sexuality as a fundamental aspect of human behavior, influencing both therapeutic practices and cultural attitudes towards sex.
What is the method of free association in psychoanalysis?
Free association is a psychoanalytic technique where the patient is encouraged to speak freely about whatever thoughts come to mind. This method allows the therapist to identify hidden meanings and unconscious thoughts that contribute to the patient’s neuroses, as these freely spoken thoughts bypass some of the ego’s defenses.
How did Freud use dream analysis in psychoanalysis?
Freud used dream analysis to explore the unconscious mind by differentiating between the manifest content (the dream as recalled) and the latent content (the hidden, symbolic meanings). He viewed dreams as wish fulfillments and the “royal road to the unconscious,” crucial for understanding deep-seated desires and conflicts.
What key insights did Freud propose in his book “The Interpretation of Dreams”?
In “The Interpretation of Dreams,” Freud argued that dreams are a form of wish fulfillment and constructed by complex intellectual activity. He believed that dreams allow access to repressed desires and emotions, serving as a valuable tool for accessing the unconscious mind.
What is the significance of repression in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory?
Repression is a central defense mechanism in psychoanalysis, where traumatic or anxiety-inducing thoughts are unconsciously blocked from entering consciousness. Freud considered repression the main pillar of psychoanalysis, crucial for understanding the etiology of neurotic symptoms.
