Freud's study of Little Hans Flashcards
(23 cards)
What are the theories underpinning this study?
- Freud’s psychosexual theory-
Different parts of the body are erogenous zones as a child grows up:
Oral stage (0-1): Pleasure from biting and sucking
Anal stage (3-6): Pleasure from holding and expelling faeces
Phallic stage (3-6): Boys get pleasure from his penises and sexually desire their mothers. Girls envies others’ penises and sexually desire her father
Latency (6-12): No sexual feelings just friendships
Genital stage (12+): Sexual maturity. Pleasure through intercourse
- Freud’s theory about origins of phobias
=> Unconscious conflicts being displaced onto harmless objects
What is the aim of this study?
To find evidence to support Freud’s ideas about the origins of phobias and psychosexual development
How was the research method like?
Longitudinal case study
How was the data collected for this study?
Through observations of Little hans (3-5) by his father in his own home
Little Hans attended 1 interview with Freud
How was the sample of this study like?
1 P’s- Little Hans:
From Vienna, Austria
Had a phobia of white horses
How was the case study of Hans like?
Evidence of development of the phallic stage/Oedipus complex:
1. He was fascinated with his widdler. His mother was angry and threatened to get a doctor to cut it off
2. He was interested in the presence or absence of widdlers in others e.g. mother or maid
3. Hans resented his sister Hannah, she was a new born and wanted to drown her
Hans’ experiences before the phobia
1. He overheard another father tell his child to not put his finger to the horse or it will bite him.
2. He saw a carthorse collapse in the street
What were Hans’ fantasies and dreams?
Giraffe fantasy- He told his parents “In the night there was a big giraffe in the room and a crumpled one. The big one cried out because I took the crumpled one away from it. Then it stopped calling out and I sat on top of the crumpled 1”
Plumber fantasy 2- In this fantasy the plumber removed Hans’ widdler and behind, replacing them with bigger ones using a pincer
Parenting fantasy- Little Hans’ fantasized he had several children. He told his father “Mummy was the mother, and you’re the grandaddy”
It was after this that his phobia came to an end.
What were Freud’s interpretation of the case?
Hans’ phobia of white horses: Subconscious fear of his father
=> The horses’ blinkers symbolized his father’s eyeglass
=> The horses’ whiskers symbolized his father’s moustache
(The fear for his his father was due to Oedipus complex)
Hans’ fascination of widdler showed he was in the phallic stage of psychosexual development
What were Freud’s interpretations of the fantasies and dreams? (still within the case)
Giraffe dream- Little Hans trying to take his mother away from his father in the marital bed. His desire for his mother was a part of the Oedipus complex
Plumber dream 2- Little Hans is overcoming the Oedipus complex because he gained a bigger widdler and behind just like his father’s. He now identifies with his father. identifying with the same sex parent is the main features of the end of the Oedipus complex
Parenting fantasy- Indicator of Little Hans’ desire for his mother, but shows he is no longer afraid of his father
What can these findings indicate? (not that important)
Shows support for:
1.His theory of psychosexual development
2. His suggestions that boys in the phallic stage of sexual development experience the Oedipus complex
3. His idea that phobias are unconscious anxiety displaced onto harmless objects
4. His idea that unconscious conflicts can determine behavior
5. His idea that psychodynamic therapy can be used to treat disturbed thoughts, feelings and behaviors
Yay research method!!!
- Logitudinal
=> Allows Freud to study changes in behavior over time
e.g. study the rise and resolution of complex over 2 years
Naur research method!!!
- Lack generalizability
=> Case study with 1 P’s
=> Little Hans’ experiences were unique
=> Other children with phobia of horses may have not had the same signs of going through the Oedipus complex
Yay data types!!!
Qualitative
=> High volume of information
=> Lots of details
Naur data types!!!
No Quantitative data
=> No statistical analysis could take place
=> Data was not objective
Yay ethical issues!!!
Respect
1. Parental consent from father
Responsibility
1. Protection from psychological harm
=> Observed by his father
Naur ethics!!!
Respect
1. Loss of confidentiality
=> Though he was called through a pseudonym in the study
=> People in Vienna knew his real name
Naur internal validity!!!
His father used leading Qs
=> e.g. “when the horse fell down, did you think of daddy?”
=> Could have prompted Little Hans to say yes, even if it wasn’t true
Naur objectivity!!!
- Subjective observations
=> Observations done by father, who was a friend and supporter of Freud
=> Could be biased in a way that supported Freud’s theories - Freud’s explanations of Hans’ phobia were biased towards his psychodynamic theories
=> It is equally possible that seeing a horse collapse in the street classically conditioned Hans to fear horses (explain in detail kind of)
Yay ecological validity!!!
Little Hans was studied in his home by his father
=> His dreams, fantasies, and behaviors were part of his normal everyday life
Naur reliability!!!
- Case studies cannot be replicated
=> Other researchers cannot replicate Hans’ phobia or the atmosphere of the early 1900s - Internal reliability is low
=> Freud was the only one who analyzed his data
=> Data was not verified with another observer
=> Do not know if others would have interpreted it in the same way
Naur generalizability!!!
- Case study with 1 P’s
=> Hans’ experiences were unique
=> Other children with a phobia of horses might not have shown signs of going through the Oedipus complex
How can this study be applied? (usefulness)
To train psychodynamic therapists
=> learn about unconscious conflicts and how they can be resolved
How did this study change our understanding of behavior?
Freud can say the study deepened our understanding of behavior
Before: Freud only had chances to test his theories on women in therapy for hysteria
Little Hans: Allowed Freud to validate his theory of sexuality
e.g. Hans was scared of horses. Horses were seen as similar to his father because the blinkers represented his father’s eyeglasses and the whiskers represented the father’s moustache
