Psychology 3051 Psychology 305A: Theories of Personality Lecture 11 1

Psychology According to psychoanalytic theory, what are the major: (c) stages of personality development? (continued) 2. What are the 3 types of anxiety that Freud proposed? 3. According to psychoanalytic theory, what defense mechanisms do we use to cope with anxiety? The Psychoanalytic Perspective 2

By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 3. discuss Freud’s views regarding sex differences in personality development. 1. describe the Stage Theory of Psychosexual Development describe the personality types associated with fixation at distinct stages of psychosexual development. 3

4 5. identify and generate examples of defense mechanisms. 6. discuss the association between the use of distinct defense mechanisms and psychological adjustment distinguish between reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety, and moral anxiety.

Psychology Phallic Stage (continued) 5 According to psychoanalytic theory, what are the major stages of personality development? (continued)

Psychology 3056 (b) Electra Complex Girls, too, begin life with a strong attraction towards their mothers. However, when they realize that both they and their mothers do not have penises, they develop contempt and blame their mothers for their perceived deficiency. 6

Psychology 3057 Through identification with their mothers, girls resolve the conflict, internalize the values of their mothers, and gain vicarious satisfaction of their sexual impulses towards their fathers. As their contempt grows, girls shift their affection towards their fathers. Girls develop envy for their father’s penis and, ultimately, experience a desire to achieve sexual union with their fathers. 7

Psychology 3058  Fixation results in poor moral development in both males and females.  Freud believed that females are more likely than males to become fixated at this stage.  Fixation at this stage occurs if the child is unable to identify with the same-sex parent. 8

Psychology Latency Stage  6 years – puberty.  Erogenous zone: Genital region  Sexual impulses are less pronounced. Children direct energy towards learning and peer group activities.  There are no specific conflicts at this time. This stage is one of relative calm, with little psychological growth. 9

Psychology Genital Stage  Puberty – adulthood.  Erogenous zone: Genital region  There are no specific conflicts at this time. Freud described this stage as an ideal, as the stage of “psychosexual maturity.”  Sexual impulses are largely expressed through mutually gratifying sexual interactions with other individuals. 10

Psychology What are the 3 types of anxiety that Freud proposed? Freud described anxiety as an “objectless” fear—that is, as a feeling of fear that often does not have an obvious cause. 11

Psychology Freud proposed 3 types of anxiety: 1. Reality Anxiety  Also referred to as objective anxiety.  Involves a fear of tangible dangers in the real world. Reflects conflict between the ego and the constraints of external reality. 12

Psychology Neurotic Anxiety  Involves a fear of being punished for expressing id impulses.  Reflects conflict between the id and the ego.  Stems from childhood experiences of punishment associated with the expression of id impulses. 13

Psychology Moral Anxiety  Involves a fear of one’s conscience (i.e., retaliation by the superego).  Reflects conflict between the ego and the superego.  Is subjectively experienced as guilt or shame. 14

Psychology Freud argued that anxiety warns the individual that the ego is under threat. The ego can protect itself by (a) removing itself from the threatening situation, (b) inhibiting the expression of id impulses, and/or (c) adhering to the moral codes of the conscience. If these rational strategies are not feasible, the ego may employ irrational strategies or defense mechanisms. 15

Psychology According to psychoanalytic theory, what defense mechanisms do we use to cope with anxiety? Freud maintained that defense mechanisms share 2 characteristics: 1. Defense mechanisms involve the distortion of reality. 2. Defense mechanisms operate in the unconscious mind. 16

Psychology Freud identified numerous defense mechanisms: 1. Repression  Occurs when desires, impulses, and events that were once recognized by the conscious mind are forced into the unconscious mind because they are threatening. 17

Psychology  Referred to as “motivated forgetting.”  E.g., Repression of childhood sexual abuse. Williams, 1994: Found that 38% of women who were documented victims of childhood sexual abuse did not recall the abuse. 18

Psychology  Repressed information manifests in symbolic forms (e.g., “slips of the tongue,” dreams) and other defense mechanisms.  Freud maintained that repression is the most fundamental and frequently used defense mechanism. 19

Psychology Denial  Occurs when an individual denies the reality of information that is threatening, despite evidence to the contrary. The information is never consciously accepted.  E.g., Smoking despite evidence linking this behaviour to illness and premature death. 20

Psychology Projection  Occurs when an individual “projects” (i.e., attributes) unconscious, unacceptable qualities onto an external object, typically another person.  E.g., Paranoid personality disorder. 21

Psychology Reaction Formation  Occurs when an individual behaves in a manner that is the direct opposite of her/his unconscious, unacceptable impulses.  Reactive behaviour can be identified by its exaggerated character and obsessive and compulsive form. 22

Psychology  E.g., Adam, Wright, & Lohr, 1996: Recruited self-identified heterosexual males. Found that participants who were high in homophobia showed a greater increase in penile erection than participants who were low in homophobia. Had participants: (a) complete measures of homophobia and (b) view male homosexual erotic stimuli. 23

Psychology Displacement  Occurs when an individual redirects an unconscious, unacceptable impulse to another object. The “substitute” object is less threatening.  E.g., Redirection of aggressive impulses from one’s employer to one’s child. 24

Psychology Rationalization  Occurs when an individual provides a rational post-hoc explanation for a behaviour that was motivated by unconscious, unacceptable impulses.  E.g., Justification of tax evasion by arguing that the government “wastes money.” 25

Psychology Intellectualization  Occurs when an individual emotionally dissociates from unconscious, unacceptable impulses by thinking about events in a cold, analytical manner.  Also known as “isolation of affect.”  E.g., Seeking factual information about the prevalence of rape and the psychology of rapists after an attack. 26

Psychology Regression  Occurs when an individual abandons mature coping strategies and adopts a strategy that was effective in an earlier stage of development (i.e., “retreats” to immature patterns of gratification).  E.g., Overeating when confronted by a stressor. 27

Psychology Sublimation  Occurs when an individual channels unconscious, unacceptable impulses into socially desirable activities.  E.g., The work of a surgeon or mortician. 28  Thought to be the most adaptive defense mechanism.

Your Questionnaire: The Life Styles Index Conte & Apter, 1995; Offer et al., 2000; Plutchik et al., 1979; Tori & Emavarchana, 1998 Score 1:Tendency to use denial Score 2:Tendency to use regression Score 3:Tendency to use intellectualization Score 4: Score 5: Score 6: Score 7: Tendency to use reaction formation Tendency to use repression Tendency to use projection Tendency to use displacement 29

DEFENSE MECHANISM MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SCORE MEAN FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS MEAN FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA p VALUE Denial <.01 Regression ns Intellectualization <.001 Reaction Formation <.001 Repression <.001 Projection <.01 Displacement <.05 Mean Score for Each Defense Mechanism: College Students Compared with Schizophrenics 30

DEFENSE MECHANISM CORRELATION WITH SELF- ESTEEM a CORRELATION WITH ANXIETY b Denial Regression Intellectualization Reaction Formation Repression Projection Displacement Correlations of Ego Defenses with Self-Esteem and Anxiety a Tennessee Self Concept Scale; b Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale 31

Psychology According to psychoanalytic theory, what are the major: (c) stages of personality development? (continued) 2. What are the 3 types of anxiety that Freud proposed? 3. According to psychoanalytic theory, what defense mechanisms do we use to cope with anxiety? The Psychoanalytic Perspective 32