Psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud

Who is the founder of psychoanalysis?

A therapeutic approach to focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders

What is psychoanalysis?

Conscious mind -the part of the mind that is aware of a persons self, environment and mental activity.

Unconscious mind –the part of the mind that acts outside the conscious mind but influences conscious thoughts, feelings and actions

Conscious vs Unconscious mind

Id –part of the mind that is acquired at birth

Source of• Bodily needs•Wants • Desires • Impulses • Sexual and aggressive drives

The Id operates off of the pleasure principle

Example: If we were governed by the Id alone, we would not be able to deal with the hunger of waiting for food at a restaurant. We would have to satisfy our need for food.

Structure of the mindID

Ego –part of the mind, developed through contact with the world, that enables us to deal with life’s demands

The ego lets us delay immediate needs to function effectively in the real world

The ego operates off the reality principle

Example: The ego lets you find a restaurant

to eat at, wait for you food and pay the check

Structure of the mindEGO

Superego –the part of the brain that reflects rules we have learned, mainly from our parents exercising their authority

The super ego consists of guidelines, standards and other codes of conduct that control our behaviors, thoughts and fantasies

Example: When we are doing or thinking something bad or good, the superego produces feelings of guilt or pride according to what we learned as a child

Structure of the mindSUPEREGO

According to Freud, which ever system is dominant determines a person personality

Example: So, say you’re on a diet and there is a piece of luscious cake on the counter. The Id says, “go ahead, it is just one piece. Enjoy it!” The Superego says, “You know you don’t really want to. It would reverse all the work you have done and you would feel so guilty if you did. Then the Ego is left to sort it out, determine logically how important it is for you to stay on your diet vs eating the cake.

Anxiety -(largely governs id, ego, superego) an unpleasant feeling that arises when unwanted thoughts or feelings occur

Anxiety

When there is a conflict in a situation between the id, ego and superego. It causes anxiety. The first thing the ego does to react to anxiety is repression.

Anxiety cont.

Repression- a mental process that removes painful experiences and unacceptable impulses from the conscious mind. (motivated forgetting)

Sometimes repression isn’t enough. When it starts to let things leak, the ego puts up defense mechanisms

Repression

Defense mechanisms- unconscious coping mechanisms that reduce anxiety generated by threats from unacceptable impulses• Rationalization• Reaction formation• Projection• Regression•Displacement• Identification• Sublimation

Defense mechanisms

Rationalization- supplying a reasonable explanation for unacceptable feelings or behavior to conceal underlying motives

Example: A person might drop out of a class after failing a test, telling themselves the class was too cold to concentrate anyways

Rationalization

Reaction formation- unconsciously replacing threatening inner desires and fantasies with exaggerated differences

Example: When a person acts cold and distant from a person they are very attracted to

Reaction formation

Projection- placing one’s own threatening feelings, motives and impulses on another

Example: A person who lies and cheats all the time would accuse others of lying and cheating

Projection

Regression- dealing with conflict by reverting to immature behavior

Example: When a matured teenager resorts to whining like a child or throwing a temper tantrum

Regression

Displacement- shifting unacceptable desires or drives to a less threatening alternative

Example: Slamming doors or yelling at your spouse when you are actually upset with something at work

Displacement

Identification- dealing with threat and anxiety by taking on characteristics of a seemingly stronger person

Example: If a child’s parents are abusive or mean, the child may exhibit abusive and mean behavior to kids at school

Identification

Sublimation- channeling unacceptable feelings or drives into a socially acceptable activity

Example: A person who takes out stress and anger by playing football or rugby

Sublimation

Psychosexual stages- distinct early life stages through which personality is formed as children experience sexual pleasures form specific body areas and as caregivers redirect or interfere with those pleasures

Psychosexual stages

Oral stage- pleasures and frustrations focused on things associated with the mouth, sucking and being fed

Oral Stage

Anal stage- pleasures and frustrations focused on things associated with the anus, retention and expulsion of feces and urine, and toilet training

Anal Stage

Phallic stage -pleasures and frustrations focused on things associated with the phallic-genital (erect penis) region as well as coping with powerful emotions of love, hate, jealousy, and conflict.

Phallic Stage

Oedipus conflict- child’s conflicting feelings for the opposite sex parent that is usually resolved by realizing the parents feelings for the child’s same sex parent.

Oedipus Conflict

Genital stage- time for coming together of the mature adult personality with a capacity to love, work, and relate to others in a mutually satisfying manner.

Genital Stage

Latency stage- the primary focus is the further development of intellectual, creative, interpersonal, and athletic skills.

Latency Stage

When someone interferes with one of the stages, Freud believed that the child’s pleasure seeking drive would become stuck on that stage. This is known as fixation.

Fixation

What are the three parts to the minds structure?

Test Question

• Id• Ego• Superego

Answer