Neo-Freudian Personality Theory Go Dogs, Go!

The Neo-Freudians Psychodynamic theories focus on interaction between conscious and unconscious mind. Neo-Freudians accepted basic ideas Personality structure of id, ego, superego Importance of the unconscious Childhood shaping of personality Dynamics of anxiety & defense mechanisms

The Neo-Freudians Important differences from Freud More emphasis on the conscious mind Emphasized social development instead of Freud’s focus on sex and aggression

The Neo-Freudians Developed competing psychoanalysis theories Adler: Inferiority and compensation, birth-order theory Horney: Anxiety triggers need for love & security Jung: Collective unconscious, archetypes, inherited experiences Erikson: Social relationships across the lifespan A number of early psychoanalysts, objecting to Freud’s emphasis on biology and particularly on sexuality, broke away from a strict interpretation of psychoanalytic theory, instead altering the focus of psychoanalysis (the term Freud applied to both his explanation of the workings of the unconscious mind and the development of personality and the therapy he based on that theory) to the impact of the social environment. The neo-Freudians changed the focus of psychoanalysis to fit their own interpretation of the personality, leading to the more modern version known as the psychodynamic perspective. Jung developed a theory of a collective unconscious, which was his name for the memories shared by all members of the human species. Adler proposed feelings of inferiority as the driving force behind personality and developed birth order theory. Horney developed a theory based on basic anxiety and rejected the concept of penis envy. Erikson developed a theory based on social rather than sexual relationships, covering the entire life span. Mastering11.18

Assessing Unconscious Processes Personality assessment tools differ according to the theory associated with them. Psychodynamic theorists use projective tests. Provides ambiguous stimuli for test-takers to describe or tell a story about Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Rorschach Inkblot Test

Thematic Apperception Test

Rorschach Inkblot Test

Assessing Unconscious Processes Those who use projective tests presume that inner feelings, fears, hopes or conflicts are expressed in the story told. Critics insist these methods say they lack validity (don’t predict what they say they predict) and reliability (do not yield consistent results). “When a substantial body of research demonstrates that old intuitions are wrong, it is time to adopt new ways of thinking.”

The Modern Unconscious Mind Modern research psychologists agree we have limited access to all that goes on in our minds. There is much information processing that occurs without our awareness. Research supports the unconscious use of defense mechanisms The unconscious tends to defend against anxiety