Psychoanalytic theory Flashcards
(28 cards)
Explain what kind of approach this theory took, what is free association, unconsious, self-control, psychic determinism, psychodamic, forces conflict, and sex have to do with this theory
Psychoanalytic Theory Basic Themes:
- Inductive approach.
- Free association: Speaking freely
- Unconscious can tell us about ourselves. Process things unconsciously. Early childhood experiences can be influential for adult behaviours.
- Self-control is important for healthy attachment
Psychic Determinism: Everything we do has a cause and a purpose. Nothing is random.
Psychodynamic: Set of processes that cause an influence on behaviour (things are always changing)
- It’s about energies that affect our behaviours
Forces Conflict: Leading to defense mechanisms (help alleviate state of anxiety) that avoid aversive states
Sex and Aggression: Theory is based on sex and aggression
- Uses metaphors and Symbols (dream analysis)
What is freud tomographical model
Freud’s Structure of the Mind: Topographical Model
Conscious: The part of the mind that holds what you’re currently aware of.
Preconscious: The region of the mind that corresponds to ordinary memory that is not readily available, but we can remember it.
Unconscious: The region of the mind that is not accessible to consciousness (place where we store anything that can arouse anxiety or past trauma).
what is the ID. What principle does it follow and what are the ways the id tries to satisfy its impulses
- Id: The original, primitive component of personality; the source of all energy. (drives, elicited) (unconscious and natural) (Latin for it)
- Impulses
- Follows pleasure principle: impulses should be gratified immediately.
- Primary Process: Content of image
- Wish Fulfillment: Feelings toward content
what is the Superego. What is introjection and what are the two ways the superego deals with behvaiour good or bad
- Superego: concepts of morality. Too much or little of something is bad. (mostly unconscious)
- Maintains values
- Introjection: unconscious adoption of the thoughts or personality traits of others
- The Ideal: Represents rewards towards good behaviour
- The conscience: punished violations of moral standards. (self-conscious)
o Related to the emotion of pride and the conscience is related to the emotion of guilt.
o Will try to prevent the ID related to morality
o moral
what is the Ego. What principle does it follow and what are the ways it tries to satisfy the id?
- Ego: Associated with what is accessible right now. Conscious. Acts as a mediator between superego and ego. Essence of the personality. (Latin for I)
Follows the Reality Principle: actions must consider external reality constraints
- Has to deal with control over the id through delayed gratification.
- Secondary Process: “How can I get something concrete that matches the impulse”. Always mediating the ID and not blocking impulses entirely.
- The ego isn’t concerned about morality. Its rational in mediation of desires.
- Postpone energy and release more appropriate
- Rational
what is ego strength
Ego Strength: All about balance between the id, superego, reality. Higher conscientiousness.
- E.g. A superego that is too strong may make an individual feel perpetually guilty, and an id that is too strong will be too impulsive and obsessed with self-gratification
what does it mean that personality is hydraulic, what are the instincts and catharthis?
Hydraulic in Nature: If a drive isn’t expressed then it builds in the body aversively.
Life/Sexual Instincts (Eros): Life drive of the id.
- Libido: collective essence of Eros.
Death Instincts: Thanatos. Death Drive associated with aggression or self-destructive behaviour.
Catharsis: Emotional purging.
What is anxiety and the types according to this theory
Anxiety: An aversive feeling of worry in the absence of a threat.
1. Reality Anxiety: imminent threat in the moment
2. Neurotic Anxiety: Fear that id impulses will be out of control and draw negative attention.
3. Moral Anxiety: Fear of behaving in conflict with superegos morality
What are defense mechanisms are what are the 9 types
Defense Mechanisms: Unconscious 9sometimes conscious) ego-projective strategies to protect the psyche from aversive feelings.
1. Repression: Processes of preventing aversive feelings from being conscious
- Used most often next to rationalization
2. Suppression: Conscious effort to hold back emotions/thoughts.
3. Denial: Refusing to belief something occurred. Similar to suppression because involved conscious.
4. Projection: Putting an insecurity on someone else as a way to hide ones knowledge of this disliked aspect of themselves.
- Alleviates guilt
5. Rationalization: Finding a plausible, but incorrect explanation for an unacceptable action or event.
- Common regarding reactions to success (attribute it to our qualities) or failure (convince id the want wasn’t worthy anyway)
6. Intellectualization: The process of focussing on logical parts of a situation (research is mesearch)
7. Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of their true feelings, sometimes to an exaggerated extent. For instance, a man who feels insecure about his masculinity might act overly aggressive.
8. Displacement: Shifting an impulse of an original target to a different one
9. Sublimation: Alteration of an id impulse into a socially acceptable act (e.g. angry person becomes trial lawyer)
- Reflect a mature personality because its more adaptive as you get older in development.
what is repression
- Repression: Processes of preventing aversive feelings from being conscious
- Used most often next to rationalization
what is suppression
- Suppression: Conscious effort to hold back emotions/thoughts.
what is denial
- Denial: Refusing to belief something occurred. Similar to suppression because involved conscious.
what is projection
- Projection: Putting an insecurity on someone else as a way to hide ones knowledge of this disliked aspect of themselves.
- Alleviates guilt
what is rationalization
- Rationalization: Finding a plausible, but incorrect explanation for an unacceptable action or event.
- Common regarding reactions to success (attribute it to our qualities) or failure (convince id the want wasn’t worthy anyway)
what is intellectualization
- Intellectualization: The process of focussing on logical parts of a situation using clinical (research is mesearch) - solving your problems in a difusion way
what is reaction formation
- Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of their true feelings, sometimes to an exaggerated extent. For instance, a man who feels insecure about his masculinity might act overly aggressive.
what is displacement
- Displacement: Shifting an impulse of an original target to a different one
what is sublimation
- Sublimation: Alteration of an id impulse into a socially acceptable act (e.g. angry person becomes trial lawyer)
- Reflect a mature personality because its more adaptive as you get older in development
what was the study of reaction formation
Adams et al. (quasi-experimental) study of reaction formation:
Every person said they were heterosexual and received items related to anti-gay attitudes:
1. Homophobic men vs. non-homophobic men.
2. All men watched 3 four-minute videos: One video was of heterosexual activity, another video was of lesbian activity, and another video was of homosexual activity.
3. Measured changes in penile circumference (i.e., strength of erection).
4. Results demonstrated an increase in penile circumference for all men watching the heterosexual and lesbian activity.
5. However, ONLY men reporting homophobic attitudes had an increase in penile circumference
what is an erogenous zone and fixation
Fixation: Freud belief that issues arise when stuck in a psychosexual stage of development
Due to: May not want to move to the next stage or have unmet needs.
what are the psychosexual stages of development and when needs are met/unmet
- Oral Stage (0-18 months) - mouth: Associated with issues surrounding the mouth. Use specific oral tendencies to soothe tension
- Needs unmet: Pessimistic, Overindulgence: gullibility - Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years) - defecation: Related to waste. Revolves around toiler training (ego regulating the id).
Two types of traits from criticism: Anal expulsive traits (rejecting cleanliness), anal retentive traits (overindulgence in cleanliness
- If encouraged, creativity and self-control - Phallic Stage (3-5 years) - genitalia: Sexual desire for opposite sex parents. Conflict because sex ifferences arise and they don’t want that.
Oedipus Complex: Wants to sleep with mom and has castration anxiety. Facilitates superego development.
Electra Complex: Girls want to sleep with their dad cause they don’t have penis (penis envy). Facilitates development of superego. - Latency Period (6-puberty): Refining the ego and superego when child is socialized and cultivated.
- Genital Stage (Puberty-adult): Focussed on genitals in mutual relationships where sublimation is more ordinary and maturation occurs.
what is the oral stage and what does it mean when needs are unmet and met
- Oral Stage (0-18 months) - mouth: Associated with issues surrounding the mouth. Use specific oral tendencies to soothe tension
- Needs unmet: Pessimistic, Overindulgence: gullibility
what is the anal stage and what does it mean when children are criticized or praised
- Anal Stage (18 months to 3 years) - defecation: Related to waste. Revolves around toiler training (ego regulating the id).
Two types of traits from criticism: Anal expulsive traits (rejecting cleanliness), anal retentive traits (overindulgence in cleanliness
- If encouraged, creativity and self-control
what is the phallic stage and what are the complexes
- Phallic Stage (3-5 years) - genitalia: Sexual desire for opposite sex parents. Conflict because sex ifferences arise and they don’t want that.
Oedipus Complex: Wants to sleep with mom and has castration anxiety. Facilitates superego development.
Electra Complex: Girls want to sleep with their dad cause they don’t have penis (penis envy). Facilitates development of superego.
