Psychology 102 Module 40

Course Instructor Dr. Haghighi

Sigmund Freud Assumptions: Traits transcend situations Personality formed in childhood

Freudian Theory Personality components Id: Concerned with drive satisfaction, provides the motive power; follows the pleasure principle (the horse) Ego: Rational thought; controls & channels id; follows the reality principle (the rider) Superego: Oversees balance between ego & id; internalized parental control; much like a conscience

Freudian Theory The Libido: The sexual life energy that drives the id; other researchers dispute Freud's sexual emphasis The Conscious: Consists of things you are currently aware of; constantly changing The Preconscious: Consists of things in long term memory that influence behavior; could be retrieved if desired The Subconscious: Consists of things you're unaware of but that influence you; the primary personality component

Freudian Theory The Unconscious: The primary personality component Consists of things you're unaware of but that influence you Can't be tapped directly Reflected in slips of the tongue, dreams, etc.

Freud’s Model

Freudian Theory: Stages Psychosexual Stages (source of libido satisfaction) Oral (0-1 year) Anal (1-3 years) Phallic (3-6 years) Latency (6-puberty) Genital (from puberty)

Freudian Theory: Stages Oral Stage: Libido gratification comes from oral exploration of the world Infant learns to trust in others, esp. for food Oral Personality: Problems in the oral stage supposedly lead to pessimism about the world, hostility or passivity

Freudian Theory: Stages Anal Stage: Kids learn about delay of gratification Kids gain pleasure and libido satisfaction from being in control Anal Personality: Problems in the anal stage supposedly lead to either excessive orderliness or excessive messiness

Freudian Theory: Stages Phallic Stage: Freud believed sex-role identification occurred Mechanisms included castration anxiety (boys) & penis envy (girls) Phallic Personality: Problems in the phallic stage supposedly lead to sex-role identification problems, promiscuity, vanity, or excessive chastity

Freudian Theory: Stages Latency Stage: A time of focus on achievement and mastery of skills Libido is channeled into mastery activities Freud thought little of interest happened here Others have argued the sense of self- esteem is established here

Freudian Theory: Stages Genital Stage: The time of mature personality, intimacy with others Libido satisfied by adult- type sexual activity

Freudian Theory: Defense Defense Mechanisms: Methods for dealing with anxiety Freud thought some more mature than others Denial Repression Projection Formal Reaction Rationalization Regression Displacement Sublimation

"Firecrackers? No, I never use firecrackers!" Denial "Firecrackers? No, I never use firecrackers!" Refusing to accept that the feeling is present or that the event occurred A very primitive mechanism Example: preschoolers will convince themselves they didn't do something they wish they hadn't

"I refuse to even think about firecrackers." Repression "I refuse to even think about firecrackers." Relegating anxiety-causing thoughts to the unconscious, refusing to think about them Example: Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind—"I won't think about that now, I'll think about that tomorrow."

"Okay, I played with 1, but Joe's always playing with firecrackers." Projection "Okay, I played with 1, but Joe's always playing with firecrackers." Attributing one's undesirable traits or actions to others, so they become the problem instead of you Example from a failing student: "I'm not worried about me, but I'd hate to see Ellen flunk—she's so fragile"

"Hi! I'm the president of the local anti-fireworks club!" Reaction Formation Taking actions opposite to one's feelings in order to deny the reality of the feelings Freud thought many people fervently pursuing a cause were using this mechanism to hide their true feelings

Rationalization "I wasn't playing with fireworks: I was testing them to see if they're safe." Creating intellectually-acceptable arguments for thoughts or behavior to hide the actual anxiety- ausing impulses Examples: "I only read Playboy for the articles." "I didn't get an A on my paper because I didn't want to make you feel inferior."

"I couldn't be using fire-crackers, I'm too little." Regression "I couldn't be using fire-crackers, I'm too little." Reverting to the comfort of behaviors of an earlier stage of development in order to cope Example: Children who crawl around the floor and produce baby talk when a new baby enters the family

Displacement "I'm not afraid of firecrackers. I'm afraid of what will happen if mom finds out." Substituting a less-threatening object for the subject of the hostile or sexual impulse Example: A person mad at his boss attacks an underling instead—a person like the boss in some ways, but not as anxiety provoking

"My puppet show is about kids who use firecrackers." Sublimation "My puppet show is about kids who use firecrackers." The most mature mechanism Redirecting anxiety-causing impulses into socially acceptable actions Example: Dealing with anxiety over a final by engaging in vigorous physical activity

Problems with Freud Too general: Explains everything after the fact, but predicts nothing beforehand Key portions are contrary to recent data: There is no evidence for penis envy, castration anxiety, the latency period Biased against females: Freud's negative attitudes towards women colored his entire theory Relies on too many constructs: Relies on the existence of hypotheticals such as the id, ego, & superego

Contributions The discovery of unconscious processes His emphasis on childhood influences on adult behavior

Neo-Freudians Carl Jung Alfred Adler Karen Horney Former students of Freud who broke away from him (often acrimoniously) to create their own theories: Carl Jung Alfred Adler Karen Horney

Carl Jung Personality Theory: Ego Personal Unconscious: Like a combination of Freud's preconscious and unconscious Collective Unconscious: Inherited tendencies to respond in a particular way (archetypes) shared by all humans

Alfred Adler Humans motivated by the need to overcome inferiority and strive for significance Inferiority Complex: Adler's term for feelings of inferiority that interfere with development

Karen Horney Stressed need for safety & satisfaction Childhood frustration may lead to development of basic anxiety & neurosis Tyranny of the Should: Horney's term for focusing on an unrealistic, perfect self-image that leads to dissatisfaction

Or is it just the beginning? End of Freud Or is it just the beginning?