Personality - Psychoanalytic Theory Flashcards
Psychogenesis
In early psychiatry, all ailments (minor illnesses) were thought to be strictly physical.
BUT FREUD, provided evidence that some maladies (diseases) may be better thought of as “in the mind of the sufferer”
Anna O
A famous psychological patient
Diagnosed as HYSTERIC and had many bizarre symptoms
None of the symptoms could be linked to psychological causes
She showed symptoms including language disorders, phantom pains, paralysis, mood changes, amnesia.
The Talking Cure
Freud noted that HYPNOTIC QUESTIONING, which is discussing life problems, often resulted in the disappearance of symptoms and sense of catharsis (fear)
Psychoanalysis three core assumptions
- PSYCHIC DETERMINISM
Mental events have a cause, we are not free to choose our actions, and casual forces lie outside of our awareness.
However, unconscious events and dreams can provide a window into these underlying forces
- SYMBOLIC MEANING
Actions can have symbolic meaning of deeper, underlying psychological forces
- UNCONSIOUS MOTIVATION
We do things for reasons outside of our own conscious awareness; conscious experience is only a small facet of who we are
What are the three things Freud said we need to keep in mind about dreams?
- Dreams are wish-fulfillments
- Dreams content is symbolic
- Symbols may express different meanings for different people
Personality Development
Freud observed that many neuroses (mild illnesses, like depression) stem from unresolved conflict or issues in earlier life
He concluded that much of our personality is dependent on how we progress through stages of childhood development
What are frauds stages of development?
- ORAL
For the first year and half of like, most pleasure we receive is through mouth (Sucking, drinking, crying)
When too much or too little oral gratification is gained, we develop oral preoccupations later in life
- ANAL
Roughly 1.5 yrs to 3 yrs of age
Potty training, learning that immediate urges sometimes need to be subdued for social reasons
In the anal stage, children learn (or fail to learn) to inhibit urges
Freud suggested too strict or too lenient may lead to personality changes later in life (anal personalities) (Development of superego)
- PHALLIC
Between 3 - 6 years
Children develop sexual awareness, and interest in opposite sex.
The tendencies of sexuality emerge, and begin to be expressed
Kids learn that they have these urges, but they are NEVER satisfied.
Kids tend to be competitive with other males etc bc they are with their mother
Same-sex caregivers are seen as competitors, if competition is not reconciled, the results are SOCIAL BONDING issues later in life
- LATENCY
Between 6 - 12 years of age
Sexual impulses are submerged into the unconscious, and “psychic energy” is harnessed for other purposes (sublimation)
Freud thought that this was largely a reaction to the trauma of going through the phallic stage
- GENITAL
Ages 12+
Sexual impulses re-emerge
Neuroses (mild illnesses), and idiosyncrasies (a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.) in the genital stage reflect developmental problems in earlier stages
All of our personalities are different due to personal experience
Defence Mechanisms
According to Freud, our psych (mentality) is frail. As a result, our EGO sets up (unconscious) defence mechanisms to protect us from possible psychological trauma
These Include
- Rationalization
- Reaction formation
- Projection
- Regression
- Displacement
- Identification
- Sublimation
Defence Mechanisms - Sublimation
When we have an unacceptable urge (typically sexual or aggressive), we redirect that energy into socially acceptable activities
(Patting someone on the but during sports)
Defence Mechanisms - Rationalization
Involves supplying a reasonably-sounding explanation for an unacceptable feelings and behaviour to conceal ones true motives or feelings
Has overlap with Cognitive dissonance
Ex. Frats bum paddling, you secretly love it
Defence Mechanisms - Reaction Formation
A mechanism that involves unconsciously replacing threatening inner wishes and fantasies with exaggerated version of their opposite
Defence Mechanisms - Evaluation and Criticism
Freud theory influenced much of the later thinking on personality
However, it is accepted as having little scientific value beyond that
Major criticisms of Freuds theory
1) FAILED PREDICTIONS / LACK OF EVIDENCE
- Experiments designed to test psychoanalytic hypothesis do not support those hypotheses
Ex. Toilet training and anal personalities
2) RELIANCE ON UNREPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
Freud theory is formulated from observations of individuals with unusual mental disorders
Yet, his theory is meant to be applicable to the “general case”.
3) ROLE OF ENVIRONMENT ON PERSONALITY
Freud theory suggests that environment and upbringing play a crucial role in personality development.
But evidence shows that personality is more heavily influenced by genetic factors
