Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory

1. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory But, before we get to Siggy himself, let us consider… …personality, which is… …an individual’s unique and relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving - attempt to describe and explain how people are similar, how they are different, and why every individual is unique Issues w/ personality theory include: • time • place • translation

2. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Emphasis on the unconscious processes and early childhood experience criticisms today • outdated • unscientific • cannot be proven • sexist • too much emphasis on sexuality • too narrow • Freud, himself, was stubborn • thank him for: • exploring unconscious scientifically • understanding importance of childhood experience • significance of sexuality & need to discuss openly

3. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory • Born 1856 in Morovia (today is Czech Republic) • first of eight children • family moved to Vienna at age 1 • mother (Amalie) was 20 years younger than father (Jacob) • favored by mom • anti-semitism Family Photo, c. 1878 – Freud is standing third from left • after medical school, studied hypnosis in Paris with Jacques Charcot • return to Vienna in 1886 to open medical practice; marries Martha Bernays

4. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory The story of Anna O. Josef Breuer – Freud’s early mentor • develops concept of catharsis • psychic release of energy Anna O. – hysteric - introduced to Freud by Breuer • through hypnosis, Anna O. relieved of some symptoms • falls in love with Breuer • contributes to Freud’s later theory • coins term “talking cure” • becomes social worker in Germany

5. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Finally – his theory! • Psychoanalysis is both an approach to therapy and a theory of personality • emphasizes unconscious motivation – the main causes of behavior lie buried in the unconscious mind

6. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Freud’s iceberg analogy

7. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory • Conscious – all things we are aware of at any given moment • Preconscious – everything that can, with a little effort, be brought into consciousness • Unconscious –inaccessible warehouse of anxiety-producing thoughts and drives

8. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Id - instinctual drives present at birth - biological • does not distinguish between reality and fantasy • operates according to the pleasure principle Ego - develops out of the id in infancy • understands reality and logic • mediator between id and superego Superego - societal • internalization of society’s moral standards • responsible for guilt

9. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Id & the Pleasure Principle Pleasure principle - drive toward immediate gratification, most fundamental human motive Sources of energy Eros - life instinct, perpetuates life Thanatos - death instinct, aggression, self-destructive actions Libido - sexual energy or motivation

10. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego & the Reality Principle Reality principle - ability to postpone gratification in accordance with demands of reality Ego - rational, organized, logical, mediator to demands of reality Can repress desires that cannot be met in an acceptable manner

11. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Superego: the conscience (no, not conscious!) - internalization of societal and parental values - partially unconscious - can be harshly punitive using feelings of guilt • 2 parts • conscience  based on societal restraints, i.e., punishments • ego ideal  image of perfect self – being good because you are a good person

12. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego Defense Mechanisms ego placed under stress by battle between id (biological instincts) and superego (societal rules) • interested in neurotic anxiety (also identified realistic & moral anxiety • neurotic anxiety creates need for ego to protect itself • unconscious mental processes employed by the ego to reduce anxiety

13. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego Defense Mechanisms Repression - keeping anxiety-producing thoughts out of the conscious mind • “motivated forgetting” • after being caught cheating on math test freshman year, you can only “remember” a few events of freshman year Denial – failure to recognize or acknowledge the existence of anxiety-producing information • “it never happened” • after getting news of terminal illness from doctor, claiming you never visited the doctor

14. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego Defense Mechanisms Rationalization - reasoning away anxiety-producing thoughts • the “little white lie” • “…I would have done better if the teacher didn’t suck…” Displacement – reducing anxiety by finding a substitute target for your frustration/anger, usually someone who less threatening - yelling at your younger sibling because your parents grounded you

15. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego Defense Mechanisms Projection – attributing undesirable qualities about oneself to others • since you have been unable to get a job, you say students who work part-time are greedy • despite poor grades, you call others “stupid” You’re a chicken!! Reaction Formation - replacing an unacceptable wish or thought with its opposite - threatened by growing attraction to girls, you pick on girls and call them nasty names

16. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Ego Defense Mechanisms Sublimation – a form of displacement when undesirable sexual urges are replaced by productive non-sexual activities • Freud believed all great accomplishments in history were forms of sublimation • Freud developed his theory while avoiding sexual relations with his wife • Michelangelo created his art to avoid dealing with his sexual orientation

17. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Freud’s five stages of personality development, each associated with a particular erogenous zone - area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity • derive pleasure • each stage may result in a fixation if inherent conflict is not resolved properly - an attempt to achieve pleasure as an adult in ways that are equivalent to how it was achieved in these stages  caused by a stoppage in normal development through the stage

18. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Stage 1 – Oral Stage (birth to 1) • erogenous zone  mouth • conflict  weaning • oral fixations  smoking, chewing gum, sucking thumb, etc. • oral passive  quiet because they cannot change things • oral aggressive  loud because they feel they can change things

19. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Stage 2 – Anal Stage (1-3 years) • erogenous zone – • conflict – • fixation  anal retentive – potty-trained too early • as an adult  fastidious, neat, typical obsessive-compulsive • anal expulsive – trained late - as an adult  sloppy, careless, disorganized anus potty-training

20. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Stage 3 – Phallic Stage (3-7 years) • first, what’s a phallus? • next – don’t count on a picture here! Instead, • erogenous zone? that’s right, it’s a penis  I’ll give you a phallic symbol the penis, whether you got one or not! Wait a minute! Girls don’t have a penis! What is Freud talking about?? He must be a pervert!!

21. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Phallic Stage But before we throw him completely under the bus… • focus turns to the genitals for both genders • Oedipus Complex (or Electra Complex for girls) - toddlers begin identification of normal relationship as mother & father - boys want to marry their mothers, girls their fathers

22. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Phallic Stage Oedipus Complex • boy wants to marry mom, but cannot  • dad is powerful because he has bigger…  symbol of power  dad is stronger • mom has no penis – DAD what happened? That’s right! Powerful dad cut it off! Castration Anxiety – fear that dad will cut off the boy’s penis - need to kill dad to prevent castration and get dad out of the way to marry mom!

23. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Phallic Stage Electra Complex • girl always knew she did not begin with penis • wants to marry dad  no fear of mom  not powerful • does not need to kill mom – just replace her • instead becomes jealous of penis • Penis Envy Which is a more powerful force? Castration Anxiety? Penis Envy?

24. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Phallic Stage Fixations - Boys – wins mom’s affection • feminine, arrogant • loses mom’s affection • poor self-worth, may withdraw from sexual activity or try to be “ladies man” • Girls – wins dad’s affection • masculine, vain, self-centered - loses dad’s affection - poor self-worth, acquiesce to demands, immature sexual behaviors

25. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Stage 4 – Latency Stage (7-12 years) - Sexuality is repressed • Children participate in hobbies, school, and same-sex friendships • Girls have cooties • no fixations • no conflicts • need time to recover energy expended in last stage

26. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Stages of Psychosexual Development Stage 5 – Genital Stage (12 – 18 years) • sexual feelings re-emerge and are oriented toward others • need to consummate “normal” sexual relationship • healthy adults find pleasure in love and work, fixated adults have their energy tied up in earlier stages

27. Sigmund Freud & Psychoanalytic Theory Techniques to get into the unconscious or what happens during psychoanalysis • dreams – “Royal Road to the unconscious” • hypnosis • parapraxes – “Freudian slips” and doodlings • free associations • projective tests • Talk therapy • transference • resistance • catharsis