The Psychology of the Person Chapter 3 Psychoanalysis Naomi Wagner, Ph.D Lecture Outlines Based on Burger, 8th edition

1. The Psychology of the PersonChapter 3Psychoanalysis Naomi Wagner, Ph.DLecture Outlines Based on Burger, 8th edition

2. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Freud was a neurologist practicing in Vienna (the Austrian-Hungarian Empire) He had some patients that presented symptoms that appear to be physical, but upon further investigation no physical basis was found Under hypnosis the patient were able to retrieve their (lost�) physical functioning First patient was Anna O (not her real name)

3. Freud Discovers the Unconscious Anna O and other patients with similar pseudo-physical symptoms were found to have been molested in childhood Freud interpreted their physical symptoms as a result of a mental process that he labeled �repression� This was the foundation to the concept of the unconscious

4. The Topographical ModelLevels of Consciousness The Conscious level: Being aware of what is going on around you The pre-conscious: Information that is not currently in your awareness, but can be prompted and retrieved The Unconscious: Information that is unavailable, but still affects our behavior

5. The Structural Model and Psychodynamics The Id: The part of our psyche that is unconscious, reflects a wish for immediate self-gratification Operates along the pleasure principle The Ego: develops later as a result of interaction with the social environment Operates along the Reality Principle The ego mediates between the wishes of the Id and the constraints of society It wishes to satisfy the Id in a socially-acceptable way

6. The Structural Model (con-d) The Superego: Develops even later, and reflects the internalization of social values and mores The Superego reflects our sense of morality Psychodynamics: There is a constant interactions among the 3 �structures� of personality- each pulls to a different direction

7. Closed �Hydraulic� Model We have a finite (that is- NOT unlimited) �amount� pf psychic energy Our behavior is motivated by 2 unconscious drives, or instincts: Libido: the Life drive Thanatos: The Death Drive In the normal personality, the death drives is translated into aggression that is directed outward

8. Defense Mechanisms This is an important part of the Freudian theory Those are mental operations employed by the go in order to protect us from the emergence of unpleasant, unacceptable urges or drives Repression is the cornerstone of the defenses Note issue of �repressed memories

9. The Defenses Repression: A complete removal from awareness Sublimation: the only �positive� defense: channeling mental energy into socially-desirable direction Displacement: Directing undesirable feelings toward a target (person) that is weaker that the original target (you are angry at your boss and you hit your wife)

10. Defenses (cont-d) Denial: You may remember the event, but deny its meaning (someone spits on you and you claim it is raining) Intellectualization: You invest a lot of mental energy in the intellectual analysis of what had happened, until there is no energy for the emotion Rationalization: The fox could not reached the grapes and claimed they were sour�

11. Defenses (cont-d) Projection: You cannot accept your negative traits, so you assign them to someone else Reaction Formation: You cannot express negative feelings toward someone, so you show him/her an exaggerated opposite attitude Identification with the Aggressor: The Stockholm Syndrome

12. The 5 Psychosexual Stages of Development Our personality develops during the first 5 or 6 years of life along five stages During each of the stages, sexual energy is tied to another area in the body: Erogenous Zone If needs are not appropriately met, fixation occurs, and adult personality reflects it Oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages

13. The Oedipus and Electra Complexes During the phallic stage (age 3-5) Boy: Develops an erotic attraction to mother and wants to eliminates father Becomes afraid of father�s potential punishment, develops castration anxiety Resolves the conflict by starting to form identification with father Assumes father�s characteristics, including the male gender role

14. (Cont-d) Girl: Develops Penis Envy as she lacks this organ and is jealous Identifies with mother to get married, have a baby �Anatomy is Destiny� said Freud No shred of empirical evidence for the Oedipus and Electra Complexes.

15. How to get into the unconscious according to Freud Freud regarded the dream as the royal road to the unconscious The ego�s defenses are down when we sleep, said Freud, and this enables the unconscious material to surface Each dear has a �manifest content� � the story of the dream and a �latent content�- the underling symbolic meaning Most of the Freudian dream symbols have sexual connotations 

16. Getting to the Unconscious (cont-d) Projective tests: They present ambiguous stimuli, facilitating the �projection� of material from the unconscious Free Association: A technique introduced by Freud, where a person is instructed to day whatever comes to mind Accidents: These are no accidents, but reflection of unconscious material Hypnosis: An altered state that facilitates the emergence of unconscious material Freudian slips: You Johnny �Jimmy� (your previous boyfriend) Symbolic behavior: see textbook for example

17. Application: Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysis is a term used to describe Freud�s theory of personality as well as his method of psychotherapy The goal of psychoanalysis is to bring unconscious material to the surface Techniques are free association, dream analysis, analysis of resistance, and analysis of transference

18. Strengths and Limitations Freud was a pioneer in uncharted territory He attempted to explore the human mind He developed the first talk therapy However, his concepts do not lend themselves to empirical investigation His ideas were based on case studies that may have reflected a specific historical/cultural period His theory portrayed a pessimistic view of human nature.