Psychoanalytic Theory Basic Freudian Propositions

Levels of Consciousness Conscious - current awareness Preconscious - not aware of material but it’s retrievable Unconscious - not aware of material but it’s not retrievable

Personality and Psychoanalysis Techniques for Revealing the Unconscious Free Association Dream Analysis Projective Techniques Recovered Memories Free Association: Speaking whatever comes into your mind without censoring your thoughts. Psychoanalysts must be able to recognize the subtle signs that something important has just been mentioned. Dream Analysis: Uncovering unconscious material in a dream by interpreting the content of a dream. Consists of manifest content (what the dream actually contains) and latent content (what the elements of the dream actually represent) Projective Techniques: Uses the idea that what a person sees in an ambiguous figure reflects his or her personality.

The Structure of Personality ID EGO Psychoanalytic theory concerns how people cope with their sexual and aggressive instincts within the constraints of a civilized society. One part of the mind creates urges, another has a sense of what civilized society expects, and another part of the mind tries to satisfy the urges within the bounds of reality and society. These parts of the mind are in constant interaction. They have different goals, provoking internal conflicts within an individual. SUPEREGO

The Structure of Personality The Id – Reservoir of Psychic Energy Most primitive part of the mind; what we are born with Source of all drives and urges Operates according to the pleasure principle and primary process thinking The pleasure principle is the desire for immediate gratification. Primary process thinking is thinking without logical rules of conscious thought or an anchor in reality.

The Structure of Personality The Ego- Executive of Personality The part of the mind that constrains the id to reality Develops around 2-3 years of age Operates according to the reality principle and secondary process thinking Mediates between id, superego, and environment The ego recognizes under the reality principle that the urges of the id are often in conflict with social and physical reality. The ego engages in secondary process thinking which refers to the development and devising of strategies for problem solving and obtaining satisfaction.

The Structure of Personality The Superego- Upholder of Values and Ideals The part of the mind that internalizes the values, morals, and ideals of society Develops around age 5 Not bound by reality The superego determines what is right and what is wrong, and enforces this through the emotion of guilt. It sets the moral goals and ideals of perfection.

Psychodynamics Conflict model Id vs. superego; Individual vs. society Restrain expression of all drives Surplus energy results in anxiety

Defense Mechanisms Unconscious psychological processes designed to avoid or reduce the conscious experience of anxiety

Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Repression Unconscious Motivated Forgetting Repression was the forerunner of all other forms of defense mechanisms. Freud believed that people often tend to remember the pleasant circumstances surrounding some event , and that unpleasant memories are often repressed. The process of preventing unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or urges from reaching conscious awareness

Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Denial Unconscious Motivated Not Perceiving Repression was the forerunner of all other forms of defense mechanisms. Freud believed that people often tend to remember the pleasant circumstances surrounding some event , and that unpleasant memories are often repressed. Perceptual Defense Research

Other Defense Mechanisms Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Other Defense Mechanisms Reaction Formation Act opposite of impulse Projection Make impulse external Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play. Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem. Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target. Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable. Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse. Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves. Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.

Other Defense Mechanisms Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Other Defense Mechanisms Isolation/Intellectualization Isolate emotional reaction Process abstractly Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play. Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem. Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target. Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable. Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse. Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves. Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.

Other Defense Mechanisms Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Other Defense Mechanisms Displacement Channel impulse to non-threatening target Sublimation Channel impulse into socially desired activity Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play. Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem. Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target. Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable. Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse. Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves. Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.

Defense Mechanisms in Everyday Life Anxiety and the Mechanisms of Defense Defense Mechanisms in Everyday Life Useful in coping with unexpected or disappointing events Can also make circumstances worse Defense mechanisms can help us deal with stress; however, when a behavior inhibits the ability to be productive or to maintain relationships, there may be problems.

Personality and Psychoanalysis Making the Unconscious Conscious Techniques for Revealing the Unconscious The Process of Psychoanalysis