Freud- Little Hans

Question 1

What is the key theme of this case study?

Answer 1

Understanding disorders

Question 2

“Freudian slip”

Answer 2

Most thoughts and behaviour come from an unconscious level, these are the thoughts and ideas we are not aware of.

Question 3

Free association

Answer 3

A technique used to interpret dreams and provide an insight into unconscious thought.

Question 4

Freud argued that the mind is split into 3 parts:

Answer 4

The conscious, pre- conscious, unconscious

Question 5

The conscious

Answer 5

The awareness we have when we are awake- contains our perceptions and thoughts.

Question 6

The pre-conscious

Answer 6

Contains things that we are not immediately aware of but we could be if we tried. -such as memories (easily accessible).

Question 7

The unconscious

Answer 7

Contains hidden impulses, desires, motivations, that are often sexual in nature and influence our behaviour.- repressed, dangerous & shameful experiences.

Question 8

Freud argues our personality is made up of 3 aspects:

Answer 8

The id, the ego, the superego

Question 9

The id

Answer 9

Dominant part of personality associated with the unconscious part of the mind. the id develops first-it is innate. Most primitive-contains all our biological drives that motivate us. (sexual instinct-libido) Operates on pleasure principle.

Question 10

The ego

Answer 10

Resides mostly in conscious but also pre and unconscious. Starts from age of 2. Operates on reality principle. Aims to gratify the impulses of the id but in line w what is possible in real world.

Question 11

The superego

Answer 11

Resides mostly in the unconscious. starts to develop at 3 yrs old. Its our ‘ conscience’ or ‘moral watchdog’. Operates on morality principle.

Question 12

What causes later problems such as mental and social disorders?

Answer 12

Traumatic early experiences may result in a conflicted personality, where one aspect is more dominant than the others.

Question 13

Defence mechanisms

Answer 13

Techniques used by the ego to protect us from anxiety, anxieties generally coming from unmet demands of id. Provide us with short term ways of coping with these mechanisms.

Question 14

disadvantages of defence mechanisms

Answer 14

They are self-deceiving and tend to distort reality to some extent, if used too often we can be regarded as psychologically maladjusted and unstable.

Question 15

What are the types of defence mechanisms?

Answer 15

Repression, Denial, Reaction Formation, Displacement, Projection.

Question 16

Repression

Answer 16

Trying to forget traumatic experiences/desires by pushing them into the unconscious

Question 17

Denial

Answer 17

Refusing to accept unpleasant realities

Question 18

Reaction Formation

Answer 18

Adopting an attitude which is directly opposed to our true/real feelings.

Question 19

Displacement

Answer 19

Taking out your feelings on a substitute object.

Question 20

Projection

Answer 20

Attributing your unacceptable desires to others.

Question 21

fixation

Answer 21

Psychological trauma during any of the 5 stages of psychosexual development leads to fixation.

Question 22

Stage 1: Oral

Answer 22

Ages 0-2, the child gains pleasure from putting things in its mouth, even when not feeding.

Question 23

Stage 2: Anal

Answer 23

Ages 2-3, The sensitive area shifts from the mouth to anus, pleasure obtained by retaining & eliminating faeces, child is gaining control over their body.

Question 24

Stage 3: Phallic

Answer 24

Ages 3-6, Pleasure source is genitals. Child starts to notice difference between males & females. Boys go through Oedipus complex (unconscious sexual feelings towards their mother) Girls go through Electra complex (develop sexual feelings for their father and have penis envy).

Question 25

Stage 4: Latent

Answer 25

Ages 6-11, no further psychosexual development takes place. The libido is dominant. Much of child energy channelled into developing new skills & acquiring new knowledge. Play becomes largely confined to other children of same gender.

Question 26

Stage 5: Genital

Answer 26

Ages 11+ , during this stage the child develops strong feelings for the opposite sex. This starts in puberty but lasts rest of life. Interest in welfare of others also grows in this stage. If the other stages have been completed successfully, then person will be warm, caring and well balanced.

Question 27

Acronym to remember the 5 stages of psychosexual development.

Answer 27

” O ld A ge P ensioners L ove G reens”

Question 28

How to does the boy identify with his father?

Answer 28

Through identifying w his father he develops male characteristics and represses feelings towards mother. This allows him to indirectly ‘possess’ his mother (satisfying the desire)

Question 29

What was the aims of this case study?

Answer 29

To give an account of a boy who was suffering from a phobia of horses and range of other symptoms, and to use this case to illustrate the existence of the Oedipus complex.

Question 30

What was the study’s design?

Answer 30

A clinical case study. Ps is a patient undergoing therapy. Freud’s direct input was very limited, met no more than twice. Hans father carried out case study & reported to Freud via correspondence who then analysed info in line with his theory, wrote back giving directions how to deal with situation based on interpretation of father’s reports.

Question 31

Who was the participant in this study?

Answer 31

Jewish boy from Vienna, named “Hans” (aged 3-5)

Question 32

where did Hans’ fear of castration originate from?

Answer 32

After playing with it regularly, his mother became cross and threatened to send for a doctor to cut it off, this repressed Hans’ feelings of pleasure.

Question 33

what did Hans witness happen to a horse?

Answer 33

He saw it collapse and die in the street.

Question 34

At aged 4 how did his phobia worsen?

Answer 34

He feared that a horse would bite him, based on an event where he heard a man warn his daughter that a horse might bite her if she touched it.

Question 35

At the same time as his phobia developed what conflict developed?

Answer 35

A conflict with his father over Hans climbing into his parents bed in the morning to cuddle with his mother, Hans’ father objected to this.

Question 36

Hans’ dream

Answer 36

Two giraffes, big giraffe and a crumpled one, big one called out because i took the crumpled one away from it, then it stopped calling out, and I sat on top of the crumpled one.

Question 37

Hans’ fear of horses with black bits around mouth:

Answer 37

symbolised his father, black bits represent his moustache.

Question 38

What did Hans say to his dad after the interview?

Answer 38

“Daddy don’t trot away from me”

Question 39

Hans witnessed a horse fall over:

Answer 39

After this he became fearful of horses falling over, he described to his father an incident; a horse pulling a heavily laden cart fell down, kicked its legs about.

Question 40

leading questions asked by father to help boy discover root of his fear

Answer 40

e.g “ When the horse fell down did you think of your daddy?”

Question 41

At 5 years old phobia lessened to:

Answer 41

only white horses who wore noseband and blinkers, likened by Freud to Hans’ father’s moustache and glasses.

Question 42

Hans had 2 fantasies. 1st fantasy:

Answer 42

Where he had several children; when his father asked who the other was, Hans replied “Mummy,and you’re the granddaddy”

Question 43

Hans’ 2nd fantasy:

Answer 43

A plumber had come and removed his bottom and “widdler” replacing them with new and larger ones.

Question 44

At age 19 what did Hans confirm?

Answer 44

He confirmed he suffered no troubles during adolescence and that was fit and well. Couldn’t remember the discussions with his father, and described how when he read his case history it came to him as something unknown.

Question 45

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 45

Horses represented his father, black bits around mouth, blinkers in front of eyes; symbols moustache and glasses. Freud suggested these are the ‘Privilege of a grown up man’ Hans may envy as wanted to be grown up and have mother’s love. Appeared to release Hans, enable him to deal more directly with phobia.

Question 46

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 46

Horses made good father symbols because they have large penises.

Question 47

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 47

The anxiety Hans felt was castration anxiety, triggered from mother’s threat to cut off, and fear of father caused by his banishing of Hans from marital bed.

Question 48

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 48

Giraffes in his dream represented his parents, a replay of what happens on mornings. Large giraffe that cried out=hans’ father objecting to have him in the bed. Erect neck=fathers penis.
Crumpled= mother and her genitals.

Question 49

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 49

The children fantasy represents a friendly resolution of the oedipus complex where Hans replaces his father as his mother’s main love object, but father still had a role.

Question 50

Freud interpreted the case as an example of the Oedipus complex, specifically:

Answer 50

plumber fantasy represents identification with his father- sees himself growing large penis like his father, becoming like him. Thus Hans becoming conscious of his feelings about his father & resolving those feelings.

Question 51

Conclusion:

Answer 51

Hans suffered phobia of horses as he was suffering from castration anxiety and going through Oedipus complex. Dreams, fantasies helped express this conflict, eventually he resolved his Oedipus complex by fantasising himself taking his father’s role placing his father in the role of grandfather.