1. The Psychoanalytic Perspective Unconscious & Personality
Adler
Is this Legit?
Horney
Neo-Freudians
Jung
The Psychoanalytic Perspective
(Mod 44)
Personality Tests
Freud
We are here
Unconscious & Personality
Projective Tests
Defense Mechanisms
Structure
Rorschach
Inkblot
TAT
Development

2. What happens when the Id and Superego can’t reconcile??!! 
The psychic energy has to go somewhere!
Id won’t let it go
Super-ego won’t let it happen
To protect itself the organism employs defense mechanisms.

3. Defense Mechanisms
The ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by distorting reality.
Never aware they are occurring.
Nine major types.

4. Scenario:
Quarterback of the high school football team, Cameron, is dating Jasmine. Jasmine dumps Cameron and starts dating Kevin, president of the chess club.
Jasmine
Cameron
Kevin

5. 1. Repression Pushing thoughts into our unconscious.
When asked about Jasmine, Cameron may say “Who?, I have not thought about her for awhile.”
UNDERLIES ALL OTHER D.M.s!!

6. 2. Denial Not accepting the ego-threatening truth.
Cameron may act like he is still together with Jasmine. He may hang out by her locker and plan dates with her.

8. 3. Displacement
Redirecting one’s feelings toward another person or object.
Often displaced on less threatening things.
Cameron may take his anger on another kid by bullying.

9. 4. Projection
Believing that the feelings one has toward someone else are actually held by the other person and directed at oneself.
Cameron insists that Jasmine still cares for him.

10. 5. Reaction Formation Expressing the opposite of how one truly feels.
Cootie stage in Freud’s Latent Development.
Cameron claims he hates Jasmine.

11. 6. Regression Returning to an earlier, comforting form of behavior.
Cameron begins to sleep with his favorite childhood stuffed animal.

12. 7. Rationalization
Coming up with a beneficial result of an undesirable outcome.
Cameron thinks he will find a better girlfriend. “Jasmine was not all that anyway!”
I really did want to go to ……..anyway, it was too ……

13. 8. Intellectualization
Undertaking an academic, unemotional study of a topic.
Cameron starts doing a research paper on failed teenage romances.

14. 9. Sublimation Channeling one’s frustration toward a different goal.
Sometimes a healthy defense mechanism.
Cameron starts to learn how to play the guitar and writing songs (or maybe starts to body build).

15. Important:
All of these DM’s can be helpful & useful when temporarily trying to escape anxiety.
BUT…
They become maladaptive when used to escape reality.