CHAPTER 19: FREUDIAN & HUMANISTIC THEORIESIntroduction to PsychologyVirginia Union University

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONALITY How would you describe your personality?

Why do you think you have the personality that you have?

PERSONALITY & PERSONALITY THEORIES Personality

A combination of long-lasting and distinctive behaviors, thoughts, motives and emotions that typify how to react and adapt to other people and situations

Theory of Personality Organized attempt to describe and explain how

personalities develop and why personalities differ

Two Personality Theories will be discussed in this chapter Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory Humanistic Theories

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Observed patients with physical symptoms

with no physical cause for the symptoms

Reasoned that symptoms must be caused by unconscious psychological forces

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Emphasizes the importance of early

childhood experiences, unconscious or repressed thoughts that we cannot voluntarily access, and the conflicts between conscious and unconscious forces that influence our feelings, thoughts and behaviors

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY• Freud theorized that only a small part of our mental activity

is conscious, much of what is thought involves unconscious forces

Conscious versus Unconscious Forces Conscious thoughts

Wishes, desires, or thoughts that we are aware of, can recall, at any given moment

Unconscious forces Represent wishes, desires, or thoughts that, because of their

disturbing or threatening content, we automatically repress and cannot voluntarily access Unconscious motivation

Freudian concept that refers to the influence of repressed thoughts, desires or impulses on our conscious thoughts and behaviors

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY We cannot voluntarily access our

unconscious thoughts or desires

Freud developed three techniques to uncover the unconscious Free Association Dream Interpretation Analysis of Slips of the Tongue

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Free Association

Freudian technique in which clients are encouraged to talk about any thoughts or images that enter their head

The assumption is that this kind of free-flowing, uncensored talking will provide clues to unconscious material

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Dream Interpretation

A Freudian technique of analyzing dreams Based on the assumption that dreams contain

underlying, hidden meanings and symbols that provide clues to unconscious thoughts and desires

Distinguished between the dream’s obvious story or plot, called manifest content, and the dream’s hidden or disguised meanings or symbols, called latent content

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Freudian Slips

Mistakes or slips of the tongue that we make in everyday speech

Such mistakes, which are often embarrassing, are thought to reflect unconscious thoughts or wishes

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY The three techniques allowed uncensored

clues to slip out and reveal deeper unconscious wishes and desires

There is a continuous battle going on in our mind between conscious thoughts and unconscious forces

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Freud believed that the mind was separated

into three processes (id, ego, superego) that each had different functions

Because they have different functions, Freud believed that interactions between the id, ego and superego resulted in conflicts

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Id: Pleasure Seeker

Freud believed that mental processes must have a source of energy, called the id

Id: Freud’s 1st division of the mind to develop, contains two biological drives (sex & aggression) that are the source of all psychic or mental energy. The id’s goal is to pursue pleasure and satisfy the biological drives

Id operates at a totally unconscious level & according to the pleasure principle Pleasure principle: operates to satisfy drives and avoid pain, without

concern for moral restrictions or society’s regulations

Following the pleasure principle leads to conflict with others (i.e. parents) and this conflict leads to the development of the ego

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Ego: Executive negotiator between the id and superego

Infants discover that parents put restrictions on satisfying their wishes & learn to control their wishes through the development of the ego

Ego: Freud’s 2nd division of the mind & develops from the id during infancy. The ego’s goal is to find safe and socially acceptable ways of satisfying the id’s desires and to negotiate between the id’s wants & the superego’s prohibitions

A relatively large part of the ego’s material is conscious, a smaller part is unconscious

Ego follows the reality principle Reality principle: policy of satisfying a wish or desire only if there is a socially

acceptable outlet available

Ego works to resolve conflicts between the different goals of the id and superego (executive negotiator)

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Superego: Regulator

As children learn that they must follow rules and regulations in satisfying their wishes, they develop a superego

Superego: Freud’s 3rd division of the mind, develops from the ego during early childhood. The superego’s goal is to apply the moral values and standards of one’s parents or caregivers & society in satisfying one’s wishes

Part of the superego is conscious, a larger part is unconscious

The superego operates as a moral guardian or conscience that is trying to regulate or control the id’s wishes & impulses Superego produces guilt when rules are disobeyed; id doesn’t like guilt

& is motivated to listen to the superego

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Sometimes there is little to no disagreement

between the id and superego

But when disagreement arises, the ego (execute negotiator) mediates the conflict

Mental processes the ego uses to mediate conflicts between the id and superego are called defense mechanisms

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Party or Study

Midterms are coming up & you know you should study But there’s a party on campus and you really REALLY

want to go

Conflict between the pleasure-seeking id and the conscience-regulating superego produces anxiety Anxiety: in Freudian theory is an uncomfortable feeling

that results from inner conflicts between the primitive desires of the id and the moral goals of the superego

The ego tries to reduce anxiety by using the mental processes called defense mechanisms

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms: Freudian processes

that operate at unconscious levels and that use self-deception or untrue explanations to protect the ego from being overwhelmed by anxiety

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization Involves covering up the true reasons for actions,

thoughts, or feelings by making up excuses and incorrect explanations

Example: If I go to the party tonight, I’ll be motivated to study for the exam tomorrow

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Denial Refusing to recognize some anxiety-provoking event or

piece of information that is clear to others

Example: Disregarding past low exam grades that resulted from choosing to party instead of study

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Repression Involves blocking and pushing unacceptable or

threatening feelings, wishes or experiences into the unconscious

Example: Having feelings of failing your class might be threatening to your self-concept, so you unknowingly block these unwanted feelings by also unknowingly pushing them into your unconscious

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Projection Falsely and unconsciously attributing your own

unacceptable feelings, traits, or thoughts to individuals or objects

Example: All the other students in my class are going to be at the party too. I should probably go, we can form a study group and study tomorrow

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Reaction Formation Involves substituting behaviors, thoughts, or feelings

that are the direct opposite of unacceptable ones

Example: You are underage and regularly drink/get drunk at parties, but join a group that supports a clean/sober campus

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Displacement Involves transferring feelings about, or in response to,

an object that causes anxiety to another person or object that is less threatening

Example: You are irritated at your professor for scheduling an exam right after homecoming weekend. You take your irritation out on your roommate by picking a fight with them over something trivial.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms

Sublimation A type of displacement, involves redirecting a

threatening or forbidden desire, usually sexual, into a socially acceptable one

Example: Going to parties and drinking/getting drunk is your ideal method of relaxation. You channel that energy into taking up yoga instead.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A traumatized soldier has no recollection of the details of a close brush with death.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A traumatized soldier has no recollection of the details of a close brush with death.

Repression

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A woman who dislikes her boss thinks she like her boss but feels that the boss doesn't like her.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A woman who dislikes her boss thinks she like her boss but feels that the boss doesn't like her.

Projection

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A smoker concludes that the evidence linking cigarette use to health problems is scientifically worthless.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanisms Practice Problems

A smoker concludes that the evidence linking cigarette use to health problems is scientifically worthless.

Denial

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts.

Reaction Formation

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A student watches TV instead of studying, saying that "additional study wouldn't do any good anyway."

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A student watches TV instead of studying, saying that "additional study wouldn't do any good anyway.“

Rationalization

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A client is angry at his physician. Does not express it, but becomes verbally abusive with the nurse.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A client is angry at his physician. Does not express it, but becomes verbally abusive with the nurse.

Displacement

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver channels her anger and energy into being the president of the local chapter of Mothers against Drunk Drivers.

FREUD’S PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY Defense Mechanism Practice Problems

A mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver channels her anger and energy into being the president of the local chapter of Mothers against Drunk Drivers.

Sublimation