Theoretical Perspectives

1. Theoretical Perspectives Chapter 4 Psychoanalytic Approaches

2. Theoretical Perspectives • Psychoanalytic Approach • Behavioral • CBT/Cognitive Learning/Social Learning Theory • Humanistic Existential

3. PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACHES

4. I. The Psychodynamic Approach to Personality • Focuses on unconscious process • The Psychoanalytic Theory of Sigmund Freud • Austrian psychiatrist in the late 19th century • Radical ideas at the time • Developed theory by treating people: • From the middle and upper classes • With emotional problems • Who were mostly married women • Who lived in a repressive society

5. The Psychoanalytic Theory of Sigmund Freud • Theory centered on early childhood experiences and fantasies • First believed in the seduction theory • Adults’ symptoms came from being sexually seduced in childhood by an older person • Later replaced with the Oedipus complex • Childhood sexual experiences due to fantasy, not actual behavior of other adults

6. Psychoanalysis • Led to elaborate personality theory and approach to therapy: • Psychoanalysis • Key assumptions • Three levels of consciousness • Three basic structures of the mind • Importance of early childhood experiences • Role of repressed sexual and aggressive impulses • Use of defense mechanisms

7. Levels of Mental Life • Conscious • Minor role in psychoanalytic theory • Those experiences we are aware • Preconscious • Experiences of which a person is not currently conscious but may become so • Some easier to remember than others

8. Levels of Mental Life • Unconscious • Thoughts, urges and memories that are beyond the realm of awareness • Would cause too much anxiety if we were aware of them • May become preconscious or conscious in another form • Sometimes unconscious “slips” out • Freudian slips of the Tongue.

9. The Structures of the Mind • Id • Source of instinctual sexual or aggressive energy • Fully unconscious • Works according to the pleasure principle • Tries to maximize immediate gratification • No regard for reality or morality

10. The Structure of the Mind Ego • The rational part of personality that maintains contact with reality • Works according to the reality principle • Takes into account what is practical along with what is urged. • Delays gratification of the id • Mostly conscious

11. The Structure of the Mind • Superego • Moral branch of personality • Source of Ego ideal and conscience • Operates according to the Moral Principle • Develops during childhood • Like the id, not in touch with reality • Unlike the id, tells person not to do anything pleasurable

13. Development of Personality • Core aspects of personality • Are established early • Remain relatively stable • Change only with great difficulty • All people pass through 5 psychosexual stages of personality development • Conflict and issues are experienced that are associated with a specific erogenous zones • Areas of the body that produce pleasant erotic or sexual sensations when stimulated

14. The Developing Personality The Psychosexual Stages of Development Oral stage (0 to 1½ years old) Anal stage (1½ to 3 years old) Phallic stage (3 to 5 years old) Latency stage (5 to 12 years old) Genital stage (12 years old and older)

15. Oral Stage • Birth to age 1 • Mouth is the primary pleasure center • Feeding, sucking, biting • Adults who had problems during this stage would center around oral gratification • Oral Fixation: dependency, optimism, pessimism, alcohol, overeating, smoking, nail biting

16. Anal Stage • Ages 2–3 • Pleasure is focused on the anus • Children become toilet trained • Become responsive to needs of society • Establishes basis for conflict between id • and ego

17. Anal Stage • Lasting personality characteristics related to control may develop (anal fixation) • Rebellion during this period leads to “anal expulsive” personality in adulthood • Exceedingly messy, sloppy, rebellious, careless, sadistic (pleasure from causing pain or humiliation) • Over-conformity leads to “anal retentive” personality in adulthood • Overly controlled, neat, stubborn, perfectionistic

18. Phallic Stage • Ages 3 to 6 • Children become aware of genitals • Oedipus complex occurs • Unconscious wishes to have sex with one parent and kill the other • Boys: Oedipus Complex • Sexual love for mother • Rivalry with father • Leads to castration anxiety • Fear of father’s punishment

19. Phallic Stage • Girls: Electra Complex • Sexual love for father, rivalry with mother • Penis envy • Can symbolically acquire one by identifying with her father • Both boys and girls resolve conflict by identifying with same-gender parent (by age 5 or 6) • Conflict in this stage leads to vanity, promiscuity, worry about chastity in adulthood • Adults do tend to seek partners who are similar to their opposite-gender parents

20. Phallic Stage • Oedipus Conflict is controversial • Insulting to women • Reflects Freud’s views toward women • Most researchers • Reject idea of penis envy • Do not think Oedipus conflict explains family dynamics at this age very well

21. Latency Stage • Ages 6 to 12 (puberty) • Sexual urges are inactive (latent) unconscious • Energy is channeled into social and intellectual activities (school work, gender-role behaviors, play with same gender) • Pre-genital fixation: homosexuality, masturbation- immature sexual conduct

22. Genital Stage • Onset of puberty through adulthood • Sexuality reemerges- intercourse • Fears and repressed feelings from earlier stages also reemerge but are repressed by the • Incest Taboo: Cultural prohibition against marrying or having sex with close blood relatives • Concept: Girls are looking to marry someone like their father, boys like their mothers

23. Defense Mechanisms • Unconscious attempts by the ego to reduce anxiety from unacceptable sexual and aggressive drives • Distort perceptions of reality • Normal and universal reactions • In extreme, may be unhealthy • Helpful and generally harmless • All have some element of repression

24. Defense Mechanisms • Fixation • Denial • Repression • Regression • Sublimation • Projection • Dissociations • Displacement • Dissociation • Reaction formation • Sublimation • Introjection • Dissociations

25. The Psychoanalytic Theory of Sigmund Freud Today • Initially outrageous and unpopular, Freud’s theory became extremely influential • Are some elements of truth • Children’s identification with parents • Defense mechanisms • However, theory is sharply criticized today • Overemphasis on sexual urges • Psychosexual stages rejected by many • Does not account for context and culture

26. Psychoanalysis

27. Psychoanalysis Resolves unconscious conflicts within self Drive theory, Ego psychology, Object relations, Self psychology

28. Psychoanalytic Treatment • Free association • Dream Analysis • Transference • Counter transference • Working through • Resistance

29. Dream Analysis and Interpretation • Dream Table (Saybrook Graduate School) • Ullman’s Dream Appreciation Process • Ullman, M. (1996). Appreciating dreams: A group approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

30. Jungian theory

31. Jungian Theory • Individual achieve well being through exploration of he personal unconscious and collective unconscious • Personal unconscious contains repressed material from childhood archetypes of shadow self • Shadow self: all parts of the psyche unacceptable to self and others (shamed or embarrassed by)

32. Jungian Theory • Important part of adulthood is to bring the contents of the shadow self into consciousness • Persona: “public mask” opposite of the shadow self • Collective Unconscious: universal transpersonal component of the psyche that contains all human experience and potential • Once the shadow self is embraced the person can participate in individuation

33. Jungian Theory • Significant archetypes: • Anima: feminine with all males • Animus: masculine within all females

34. Jungian therapy

35. Jungian Therapy • Individuation, integration of the conscious leading to individuation • Unconscious could be assessed through: • Dreams • Free Association • Imagination • Images • Symbols

36. Adlerian theory

37. Adlerian Theory • We develop styles of life which compensate innate feelings of inferiority • To overcome feelings of inferiority we strive for superiority defined as a desire to achieve emotion, health, and completeness. • Faulty assumptions & poor choices are often a function of our childhood memories which are effected by family constilation and birth order

38. Adlerian Theory • Emotional well being can be gagedby level of social interests or sense of connectedness and community • Considered a psychodynamic theory because it focus on understanding psychodynamic forces that shapes one psyche • Adler described as one of the first to apply Humanistic and Systemic concepts

39. Adlerian therapy

40. Adlerian Therapy Increase social interest, change self-defeating behaviors, solve problems, modify or change lifestyle

41. Adlerian Therapy Adler saw therapy as occurring through a series of stages: • Establishing a collaborative relationship • Analyzing problems • Sharing insight • Helping the client to reorient to new ways of living • Reinforcing and evaluating change

42. Adlerian Therapist • Often show empathy • Conducts lifestyle assessment • Examines early recollections and dreams • Communicate respect and competence • Focuses on strengths • Encourages clients • Focus on goals • Helps client to combat faulty assumptions