1. Sigmund Freud ( )

2. Biography
Austrian neurologist, medical doctor, psychologist; known for developing technique of psychoanalysis.
Poor background; parents provided good education; studied at University of Vienna.
Identified himself as Jewish but wasn’t religious.
Married; six children; youngest (Anna) became psychoanalyst.

3. Major Ideas
Theory of the unconscious: hidden mental processes affect our choices and actions (iceberg analogy).
Pleasure principle: human beings are driven by two forces or instincts, Eros (life instinct) and Thanatos (death instinct); the desire for bodily pleasure is the strongest instinct.

4. Major Ideas (cont.)
Theory of infantile sexuality: early childhood sexual (bodily pleasurable) experiences determine adult personality.
4 stages (oral, anal, genital, Oedipal); conflicts (with parents/society who act to regulate desires) at any of these stages leads to abnormal psychological development or mental illness.

5. Major Ideas (cont.)
Theoretical model of the structure of mind: 3 parts (Id, Ego, Super-ego).
Id: unconscious; instinctual sexual drives which require satisfaction.
Super-ego: unconscious “conscience;” internalized socially-acquired control mechanisms.
Ego: conscious self that regulates conflict between id and super-ego.

6. Major Ideas (cont.)
Repression: defense mechanism by which ego attempts to resolve conflict between id and super-ego.
Instinct that is perceived by super-ego to be wrong is repressed (pushed into unconscious mind); remains there; may cause dysfunction.

7. Psychoanalysis “Talking cure”; free association.
Attempts to bring repressed instincts which have caused neuroses to consciousness; confront repressed instinct and release or purge it.
Interpretation of dreams: correct analysis of dreams (as well as slips of tongue and free associations) can reveal nature of repression.
Analyst is facilitator for self-understanding.