Psychoanalytic TheoryBasic Freudian Propositions

Clinical ExperiencesAnna O. (Breuer)Unexpressed emotion -> pathologyUnaware of emotion (unconscious)Emotion expression reduces pathology

Fundamental Assumptions ofPsychoanalytic Theory The Basic Instincts Unconscious Motivation Psychic Determinism Energy Model

Fundamental Assumptions ofPsychoanalytic TheoryThe Basic Instincts: Sex and Aggression

Closely follows Darwins theoryFreud believed that everything humans do can be understood as manifestations of the life and death instinctsLater termed libido (life) and thanatos (death)

Fundamental Assumptions ofPsychoanalytic TheoryUnconscious Motivation

Individuals control their sexual and aggressive urges by placing them in the unconsciousThese take on a life of their own and become the motivated unconscious

Fundamental Assumptions ofPsychoanalytic TheoryPsychic Determinism

Nothing happens by chance or accident

Everything we do, think, say, and feel is an expression of our mind

Fundamental Assumptions ofPsychoanalytic TheoryEnergy Model

Humans are viewed as energy systems

Hydraulic model. Energy transformed but not destroyed

Levels of Consciousness

Conscious - current awarenessPreconscious - not aware of material but its retrievable (via ordinary retrieval)Unconscious - not aware of material but its not retrievable (via ordinary retrieval)

Issues Regarding the UnconsciousHow can the existence of the unconscious be demonstrated?

Why do humans have an unconscious?

Personality and Psychoanalysis

Techniques for Revealing the Unconscious

Free Association Dream Analysis Projective Techniques Recovered Memories

The Structure of PersonalityIDEGOSUPEREGO

The Structure of PersonalityThe Id Reservoir of Psychic Energy

Most primitive part of the mind; what we are born withSource of all drives and urgesOperates according to the pleasure principle and primary process thinking

The Structure of PersonalityThe Ego- Executive of Personality

The part of the mind that constrains the id to realityDevelops around 2-3 years of ageOperates according to the reality principle and secondary process thinkingMediates between id, superego, and environment

The Structure of PersonalityThe Superego- Upholder of Values and Ideals

The part of the mind that internalizes the values, morals, and ideals of societyDevelops around age 5Not bound by reality

PsychodynamicsConflict modelId vs. superego; Individual vs. societyRestrain expression of all drivesSurplus energy results in anxiety

Defense MechanismsUnconscious psychological processes designed to avoid or reduce the conscious experience of anxiety

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseRepressionUnconsciousMotivated ForgettingThe process of preventing unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or urges from reaching conscious awareness

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseDenialUnconsciousMotivated Not PerceivingPerceptual Defense Research

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseOther Defense Mechanisms

Reaction Formation

Act opposite of impulse

Projection

Make impulse external

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseOther Defense Mechanisms

Isolation/Intellectualization

Isolate emotional reaction

Process abstractly

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseOther Defense Mechanisms

Displacement

Channel impulse to non-threatening target

Sublimation

Channel impulse into socially desired activity

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseDefense Mechanisms in Everyday Life

Useful in coping with unexpected or disappointing events

Can also make circumstances worse

Personality and Psychoanalysis

Making the Unconscious Conscious Techniques for Revealing the Unconscious The Process of Psychoanalysis

Personality and Psychoanalysis

The goal of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious

Identify unconscious thoughts and feelingsEnable the person to deal with the unconscious urges realistically and maturelyBut how to penetrate the unconscious mind?

Personality and Psychoanalysis

The Process of Psychoanalysis

The psychoanalyst offers the patient interpretations of the psychodynamic causes of the problemsThe interpretations bring insightResistance may occur as a defenseTransference of feelings

Evaluating Freuds Contributions

Proponents argue it is the first and perhaps only comprehensive theory of human naturePsychoanalysis has had a major impact on Western thoughtCritics maintain it is not contemporary The nature of evidence upon which it was built can be criticizedEmphasis on sexual drives is inappropriate

Summary

There are 3 main forces in the psyche that constantly interact to tame the 2 motivesDefense mechanisms help keep urges, thoughts, and memories that cause anxiety in the unconsciousPsychoanalysis is a therapy used for making the patient's unconscious conscious

Anxiety and theMechanisms of Defense

Types of Anxiety Repression Other Defense Mechanisms Defense Mechanisms in Everyday Life

Anxiety and theMechanisms of DefenseTypes of Anxiety

Objective Anxiety Neurotic Anxiety Moral Anxiety Defense Mechanisms

Mirrors Darwins theory of natural selection: selection by reproduction and selection by survival.Although he initially believed that the life and death instincts worked to oppose one another, he later argued that they could combine in various ways. He believed that from these instincts comes the energy that powers all human behaviors.According to Freud the mind is made up of 3 parts: the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The latter is the largest part of the mind and manifests itself in the dreams, slips of the tongue, irrational feelings, physical symptoms, or inexplicable anxiety.Free Association: Speaking whatever comes into your mind without censoring your thoughts. Psychoanalysts must be able to recognize the subtle signs that something important has just been mentioned.Dream Analysis: Uncovering unconscious material in a dream by interpreting the content of a dream. Consists of manifest content (what the dream actually contains) and latent content (what the elements of the dream actually represent)Projective Techniques: Uses the idea that what a person sees in an ambiguous figure reflects his or her personality.Psychoanalytic theory concerns how people cope with their sexual and aggressive instincts within the constraints of a civilized society. One part of the mind creates urges, another has a sense of what civilized society expects, and another part of the mind tries to satisfy the urges within the bounds of reality and society. These parts of the mind are in constant interaction. They have different goals, provoking internal conflicts within an individual.The pleasure principle is the desire for immediate gratification.Primary process thinking is thinking without logical rules of conscious thought or an anchor in reality.The ego recognizes under the reality principle that the urges of the id are often in conflict with social and physical reality.The ego engages in secondary process thinking which refers to the development and devising of strategies for problem solving and obtaining satisfaction.The superego determines what is right and what is wrong, and enforces this through the emotion of guilt. It sets the moral goals and ideals of perfection. Repression was the forerunner of all other forms of defense mechanisms. Freud believed that people often tend to remember the pleasant circumstances surrounding some event , and that unpleasant memories are often repressed.Repression was the forerunner of all other forms of defense mechanisms. Freud believed that people often tend to remember the pleasant circumstances surrounding some event , and that unpleasant memories are often repressed.Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play.Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem.Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target.Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable.Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse.Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves.Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play.Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem.Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target.Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable.Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse.Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves.Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.Freud believed that the presence of anxiety is evidence that repression is starting to fail, so other defense mechanisms may be brought into play.Denial: insisting that things are not what they seem.Displacement: a threatening impulse is channeled to a non-threatening target.Rationalization: generating acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable.Reaction Formation: in an attempt to stifle an unacceptable urge, displaying a flurry of behavior that indicates the opposite impulse.Projection: seeing in others those traits and desires that we find most upsetting in ourselves.Sublimation: channeling unacceptable sexual or aggressive instincts into socially desired activities.Defense mechanisms can help us deal with stress; however, when a behavior inhibits the ability to be productive or to maintain relationships, there may be problems.Anxiety is a signal that the control of the ego is being threatened by reality, by impulses from the id, or by harsh controls exerted by the superego.Objective: Fear. Occurs in response to some real, external threat to the person.Neurotic: Occurs when there is a direct conflict between the id and the ego.Moral: Caused by a conflict between the ego and the superego.In all 3 types of anxiety, the function of the ego is to cope with threats and to defend against the dangers they pose in order to reduce anxiety. This is done through the use of various defense mechanisms.