1. The Psychoanalytic Approach
Sigmund Freud
The Psychoanalytic Approach

2. Background Began as a physician
In seeing patients, began to formulate basis for later theory
Sexual conflicts were primary cause of all neuroses

3. Instincts Basic elements of the personality
Life instincts: Eros - Serve purpose of survival
Libido: Pleasurable behaviors
Death instincts: Thatanos - drive to death and destruction
Aggressive drive: Compulsion to destroy, conquer, kill

4. Levels of Personality Conscious: Ordinary everyday meaning
Preconscious: Between 2 layers
Memories of which we are not consciously aware, but can be easily called into consciousness
Unconscious: Instincts, wishes and desires that direct all behaviors

5. 3 Part Model of PersonalityId
Pleasure principle – immediate gratification
Instinctual – since birth
Ego
Reality principle – satisfy the id in a realistic way
Mediator between id and superego
Superego
Morality principle
Conscience
Ego ideal: Moral ideal for a behavior to which a person should strive

6. Anxiety Feeling of fear and dread without an objective cause
Reality: Fear of tangible dangers in the real world
Neurotic: Conflict between id and ego
Moral: Conflict between id and superego

7. Defense Mechanisms Function: Used by ego to defend against anxiety
Involves distortion of reality
Operate unconsciously

8. Defense Mechanisms
Repression – negative, painful thoughts and memories remain in the unconscious
Denial – refusal to admit something bad is happening. (Invincibility)
Reaction Formation – reverses unacceptable impulse by expressing the opposite of the original sentiment
Regression – Retreat to a more infantile stage of life

9. Defense Mechanisms
Projection – pushes feelings of guilt and anxiety onto others
Displacement – shifts an unacceptable impulse towards a less threatening object in a negative way.
Sublimation – finds a positive outlet for unacceptable impulse.
Rationalization – justifying negative behavior with an alternate and seemingly more acceptable reason.

10. Psychosexual Stages of Development
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital
Fixation: Portion of libido is stuck in one stage because of excessive frustration or gratification

11. Oral Stage Birth to 1 year Id dominates Mouth is pleasure center
State of total dependence on caregivers

12. Anal Stage
Ages 1-3 years
External reality (toilet training) interferes with gratification received from defecation
Learn to control id impulses

13. Phallic Stage Ages 4-5 Pleasure derived from genitals
Oedipus complex: unconscious desire of a boy for his mother, desire to replace his father
Castration anxiety
Electra complex: unconscious desire of a girl for her father, desire to replace her mother
Penis envy

14. Latency Period Age 5-puberty
Structures of personality largely formed by age 5
Sexual instinct temporarily dormant

15. Genital Stage Adolescence-adulthood
If no major fixations from earlier stages are present, the individual leads a normal life
Sexual energy finds acceptable outlets
First 5 years of life determine adult personality

16. Assessment Free association
Patient says whatever comes to mind
Catharsis: Expression of emotions that is expected to lead to the reduction of disturbing symptoms
Dream analysis: The royal road to the unconscious
Manifest content
Latent content

17. Research Case study method Personality formed by age 5
Studies show changes over time from preschool to ages 12-13
Middle childhood years may be more important in adult personality (ages 7-12)
Notion of unconscious well-supported
Defense mechanisms: Use simpler ones earlier in life, more complex later

18. Criticisms of Freud Deterministic, negative view of human nature
Flaws in case study approach
Neglect of social factors in personality
Emphasis on past to neglect of present and future behavior
View of women
Ambiguous concepts

19. Freud’s Theory is complex because:
He kept modifying it as he went along
He never presented a comprehensive summary of his final views
His theory is more comprehensive than must since it has a number of aspects. For example, he gives us:
A theory of motivation
A theory of thinking (which includes dreaming, etc.)
A theory of personality development (psychosexual theory)
A theory of mental structures (id, ego, superego)
A theory of psychopathology and symptom formation
A theory of psychotherapy

20. Contributions of Freud
Contributed to empirical study of psychology
Role of unconscious in behavior
Role of childhood experiences
Defense mechanisms