I. Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Theories Chapter 14

2 Psychodynamic approach: Sigmund Freud Trained as a medical doctor in the late 1800s. Saw patients with physical symptoms for which there was no physical cause Created psychoanalysis to treat them ~ 1900 Created psychodynamic approach to personality.

A. Importance of Psychoanalytic Theories 1.Places the origin of personality in unconscious thoughts, feelings, motives, and conflicts – Come into this world with instincts & impulses already driving our behavior 2.Believed that early childhood experiences played a key role in personality development and behavior 3.Can be assessed through projective tests and/or personal interviews

B. Freud’s Explanation of Personality 1.Explained personality as an energy system, like a steam engine – Energy comes from two instincts: the life instinct and the death instinct Life instinct is the most important; appears as pleasure- seeking urges Death instinct shows up as destructive behavior and aggression 2. Also introduced a model of how the brain works (parts include the id, ego, and superego) – Did not believe that these parts really exist – Used them to describe his view

Question- What is a Freudian slip? Answer- Mistakes or slips of the tongue that we make in everyday speech Example- You call your significant other the wrong name

7 C. The Id (pronounced “id”) 1.Part of conscious that holds our needs, drives, and instincts 2.Present at birth & consists of innate instincts & impulses 3.Is the lustful, impulsive, fun part of the unconscious 4.Based on Pleasure Principle 4. Seeks immediate satisfaction of desires 5. Examples- hurting someone’s feelings, lying, and having fun Veruca Salt, “I want it NOW!”

8 D. The Ego and Superego 1. Ego is mostly conscious – Is the reasonable, thoughtful part (mediates b/w id & superego) – Based on Reality Principle – Helps keep the id in check 2. Superego is the moral part of personality – Known as your conscience or moral guide – Operates on the morality principle – Also source of guilty feelings if you do something that your conscience tells you is wrong

9 E. How does the ego negotiate between the id and the superego? 1. These clashes are called psychodynamic conflicts – This process can cause stress and anxiety 2. Each part has their own goal – Id: what the person wants to do – Ego: what the person can do – Superego: what the person should do 3. Issues include: – The id and superego often conflict (neither is concerned with reality) – The ego tries to prevent anxiety, guilt and other unpleasant feelings (through defense mechanisms)

F. Defense Mechanisms 1.Freud believed the ego would defend itself from unwanted unconscious desires Defense mechanisms: responses that operate at an unconscious level to keep anxiety out of conscious awareness) 2. Repression – burying unwanted memories deep in the unconscious Ex. Not remembering abuse as a child 3. Displacement- redirecting unconscious desires to a more acceptable substitute Ex: Hitting a wall when your mother frustrates you

F. Defense Mechanisms 4. Sublimation- a form of displacement – urges are rechanneled to a more acceptable form – Ex. Violent-prone youth joins the football team 5. Rationalization – justifying unconscious motives with more socially acceptable reasons – Ex: After not finding a date to the dance, a teen will say he didn’t want to go anyway 6. Projection- attributing one’s own unacceptable unconscious motives onto others – Ex: Someone who lies believes that everyone around her lies as well

F. Defense Mechanisms 7. Reaction formation- thinking or behaving in a way that is opposite of one’s own unacceptable unconscious desires – Ex.- A girl who has a crush on her best friend’s boyfriend tells everyone that she hates him. 8. Denial- failure to recognize the existence of unacceptable unconscious desires – Ex: Alcoholics often don’t recognize that their drinking is a problem. 9. Regression- retreating to behaviors characteristic of an earlier stage of development – Ex: An elementary school child begins to suck his thumb after his new sister is born.

G. Freud’s Contributions 1.His greatest contribution was the idea that strong forces exist in the human personality and that these forces are difficult to control 2. He was the first person to demonstrate how the personality develops in a person (will talk about it in Chapter 3) 3. He was also the first person to propose a unified theory to understand and explain human behavior – Some worship his writings; others view them as too complex

H. Neo-Freudians 1.The “new” look of Freudian personality theory 2.Carl Jung Collective unconscious – all people share similar unconscious history, experiences, and ideas – Seen through mythology and literature via archetypes » Mother Earth » Damsels in distress/Conquering heroes » Shadow figures

H. Neo-Freudians 3. Karen Horney (horn-eye) Stressed healthy relationships over sexual conflicts Basic anxiety – being isolated or helpless in a hostile world – Moving toward people – excessive need for approval & affection – Moving against people – excessive need for power & control over others – Moving away from people – excessive need for independence & self-sufficiency Womb envy – men seek creative accomplishment to compensate for the lack of ability to bear children

H. Neo-Freudians 4. Albert Adler Focused more on conscious thoughts rather than unconscious Fundamental human motive: striving for superiority – Arises from childhood feelings of inferiority – These feelings cause people to strive and emphasize talents and abilities to compensate – Inferiority complex – general sense of weakness and inadequacy – Superiority complex – overblown sense of accomplishment and importance