Personality and The Personality and The Psychoanalytic PerspectivePsychoanalytic Perspective

Warm UpWarm Up

What is your personality? Choose at What is your personality? Choose at least 5 words that you think describe least 5 words that you think describe your personalityyour personality

Personality and the Four Personality and the Four PerspectivesPerspectives

What is personality?What is personality? – ThinkingThinking– FeelingFeeling– ActingActing

Theories of Personality: Theories of Personality: 1. Psychoanalytic 1. Psychoanalytic 2. Trait 2. Trait 3. Humanistic 3. Humanistic 4. Social Cognitive 4. Social Cognitive

The Psychoanalytic The Psychoanalytic PerspectivePerspective

Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud Personality:Personality:

– unconscious conflicts & unconscious conflicts & motivations motivations

– early childhood sexuality & early childhood sexuality & experiences. experiences.

Review…what is Review…what is repression?repression?

Two main motives:Two main motives:– Sex Sex – AggressionAggression..

The Psychoanalytic The Psychoanalytic PerspectivePerspective

Psychoanalysis:Psychoanalysis: – Freud’s theory: Freud’s theory: unconscious unconscious motivations motivations

influence personality influence personality – techniquestechniques used to uncover unconscious used to uncover unconscious

motivations which may be causing a motivations which may be causing a psychological disorder.psychological disorder.

Freud: must understand your Freud: must understand your unconscious unconscious to fix psych. problems to fix psych. problems (depression, anxiety, etc.) (depression, anxiety, etc.)

Unconscious vs. Unconscious vs. PreconsciousPreconscious

Unconscious:Unconscious: Freud: unconscious = stash of mostly Freud: unconscious = stash of mostly

unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings and memories. and memories. – Repressed! We are unaware of it.Repressed! We are unaware of it.– Source of dreamsSource of dreams

Contemporary viewpoint: unconscious = Contemporary viewpoint: unconscious = information processing of which we are information processing of which we are unaware.unaware.

Unconscious vs. Unconscious vs. PreconsciousPreconscious

Preconscious Preconscious == info that isn’t info that isn’t conscious, but is conscious, but is retrievable into retrievable into conscious conscious awareness. awareness. – NOT repressed.NOT repressed.– Ex: memories we can call up at any Ex: memories we can call up at any

time - phone number, best friend’s last time - phone number, best friend’s last name, etc. name, etc.

Structure of Our Personality Structure of Our Personality According to FreudAccording to Freud

Iceberg Iceberg analogyanalogy

Conscious v. Conscious v. UnconsciousUnconscious

Three parts to Three parts to our psyche:our psyche:– EgoEgo– IdId– SuperegoSuperego

Id

Superego

Ego Conscious mind

Unconscious mind

Parts of Personality Parts of Personality According to FreudAccording to Freud

Id:Id: – biggest part of unconsciousbiggest part of unconscious– drives and instincts (biological, drives and instincts (biological,

sexual, and aggressive)sexual, and aggressive)

immediate gratification immediate gratification pleasure principlepleasure principle – –

seeks pleasure, avoids seeks pleasure, avoids painpain

Parts of Personality According to Parts of Personality According to FreudFreud

Superego:Superego: conscience, conscience, morality, right & wrong, socially morality, right & wrong, socially acceptableacceptable– Do what’s ‘right’ vs. what is selfishDo what’s ‘right’ vs. what is selfish

MostlyMostly unconscious unconscious – We have unconscious ideals, but We have unconscious ideals, but

are also are also awareaware of our ‘conscience’ of our ‘conscience’ Pushes you towards perfection. Pushes you towards perfection. Develops around 4 or 5 Develops around 4 or 5

Parts of Personality Parts of Personality According to FreudAccording to Freud Ego:Ego: the boss the boss

– mostly conscious partmostly conscious part– mediates conflict between id mediates conflict between id

and superegoand superego– Judgment, planning, control, Judgment, planning, control,

long-term consequenceslong-term consequences

Reality principleReality principle– satisfying the id’s desires in satisfying the id’s desires in

ways that will bring pleasure ways that will bring pleasure rather than pain. rather than pain.

– e.g. you might want this NOW e.g. you might want this NOW but what are long-term effects?but what are long-term effects?

Pleasure Seeking Impulses (Id) Pleasure Seeking Impulses (Id) vs.vs.

Internalized Social Restraints (Superego)Internalized Social Restraints (Superego)= personality= personality

Personality DevelopmentPersonality Development Freud: Freud:

– personality develops during your first few personality develops during your first few years. years.

– adult’s conflicts come from adult’s conflicts come from unresolved unresolved conflicts conflicts from early childhood (often related from early childhood (often related to conflicts in psychosexual development.)to conflicts in psychosexual development.)

Psychosexual Stages:Psychosexual Stages: childhood childhood stages of development when (according stages of development when (according to Freud,) the id’s pleasure-seeking to Freud,) the id’s pleasure-seeking energies are focused on distinct energies are focused on distinct erogenouserogenous zones. zones.

Know the Psychosexual Know the Psychosexual StagesStages

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Stage Focus

Oral Pleasure centers on the mouth--(0-18 months) sucking, biting, chewing

Anal Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder (18-36 months) elimination; coping with demands for

control

Phallic Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with (3-6 years) incestuous sexual feelings

Latency Dormant sexual feelings(6 to puberty)

Genital Maturation of sexual interests(puberty on)

Personality Development Personality Development and Conflictand Conflict

Fixation:Fixation: – a lingering focus of the Id (pleasure-seeking) a lingering focus of the Id (pleasure-seeking)

at an at an earlierearlier psychosexual stage. psychosexual stage. – Occurs when those “sexual needs” are Occurs when those “sexual needs” are

overindulged or deprived.overindulged or deprived.

– Ex: Anal Retentive, “oral fixation,” Ex: Anal Retentive, “oral fixation,” etc.etc.

Conflict/Fixation in the Oral StageConflict/Fixation in the Oral Stage Oral stage Oral stage

– ““sexual pleasure” infant gets from sucking, sexual pleasure” infant gets from sucking, biting, and chewing. biting, and chewing.

Conflict?Conflict?– when child is weaned off of breast or bottlewhen child is weaned off of breast or bottle– traumatic separation anxiety. traumatic separation anxiety.

““Fixation” in this stage leads to: Fixation” in this stage leads to: – 1. 1. Oral dependent personality:Oral dependent personality: gullible, gullible,

passive or dependent. passive or dependent. – 2. 2. Oral aggressive personality:Oral aggressive personality: sarcastic, sarcastic,

argumentative personality. argumentative personality. Adults with “oral fixation” may smoke, Adults with “oral fixation” may smoke,

drink, chew pens, etc. when they get drink, chew pens, etc. when they get anxious. anxious.

Conflict/Fixation in the Anal StageConflict/Fixation in the Anal Stage Anal stage Anal stage

– ““sexual pleasure” child receives from being able to sexual pleasure” child receives from being able to control defecation (pooping) at the anus.control defecation (pooping) at the anus.

Conflict? Conflict? – during toilet trainingduring toilet training– training is too strict and inflexible or too lenient training is too strict and inflexible or too lenient

child becomes fixated at that stagechild becomes fixated at that stage

Fixation in this stage leads to: Fixation in this stage leads to: – 1. 1. Anal retentive personality:Anal retentive personality: compulsive compulsive

cleanliness, orderliness, etc. OR cleanliness, orderliness, etc. OR – Anal Expulsive personality:Anal Expulsive personality: disorganized, messy, disorganized, messy,

hot temper. hot temper. “The Anal Retentive Chef”

Conflict/Fixation During the Conflict/Fixation During the Phallic Stage (Focus on Genitals)Phallic Stage (Focus on Genitals) The Oedipus Complex:The Oedipus Complex: boys develop… boys develop…

– sexual desires --> mother sexual desires --> mother – feelings of jealousy and hatred --> fatherfeelings of jealousy and hatred --> father– Schick Commercial

Castration anxiety:Castration anxiety: – boys become afraid Father will cut off their genitalia as boys become afraid Father will cut off their genitalia as

punishment for desiring mother. Father = rivalpunishment for desiring mother. Father = rival– Leads to…eventual Leads to…eventual repressionrepression of feelings towards of feelings towards

mother and mother and identificationidentification with rival parent (father). with rival parent (father). Identification:Identification: process by which children process by which children

incorporate their parents’ values into their incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos. developing superegos.

Electra Complex:Electra Complex:– Girl’s version (desire father, compete with mother).Girl’s version (desire father, compete with mother).– Penis envyPenis envy - analogous to castration anxiety - analogous to castration anxiety

Latency StageLatency StageAges 6 to 12Ages 6 to 12

– sexual feelings are repressed. sexual feelings are repressed. Freud said: Freud said:

– this is when children put energy this is when children put energy into forming social relationships into forming social relationships and learning new tasks. and learning new tasks.

If child does not fulfill their own If child does not fulfill their own expectations they may feel expectations they may feel inferior.inferior.

Genital StageGenital Stage Adolescence. Adolescence. One develops warm feelings One develops warm feelings

towards opposite sex and sexual towards opposite sex and sexual attraction and intimate attraction and intimate relationships with opposite sex. relationships with opposite sex.

Freud: a smooth period for those Freud: a smooth period for those with little energy fixated in with little energy fixated in previous stages.previous stages.

Personality and Dealing with Personality and Dealing with AnxietyAnxiety

The ego has to deal with anxiety The ego has to deal with anxiety from unconscious conflicts between from unconscious conflicts between id and superego. id and superego. – At times to avoid anxiety it protects At times to avoid anxiety it protects

itself by using: itself by using:

methods that the ego uses to methods that the ego uses to reduce anxiety. reduce anxiety.

Involves Involves unconsciously unconsciously distorting reality distorting reality to make itself to make itself

(you!) feel better.(you!) feel better.

Defense Mechanisms:

Defense Mechanisms:

10 Examples of Defense 10 Examples of Defense MechanismsMechanisms

1. 1. Repression:Repression: banishes anxiety- banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.memories from consciousness.Ex:Ex: Child sexual abuse is “forgotten.” Child sexual abuse is “forgotten.”

2. 2. Regression:Regression: when an individual when an individual returns to an earlier psychosexual returns to an earlier psychosexual stage, where some “psychic energy” stage, where some “psychic energy” remains fixated. remains fixated. Ex:Ex: When stressed someone may When stressed someone may smoke or drink more (oral fixation). smoke or drink more (oral fixation).

Examples of Defense Examples of Defense MechanismsMechanisms

3. 3. Reaction Formation:Reaction Formation: ego unconsciously ego unconsciously switches switches unacceptable impulsesunacceptable impulses into their into their oppositesopposites. People will express opposite of their . People will express opposite of their anxiety arousing feelings.anxiety arousing feelings.

Ex:Ex: Those with unacceptable homosexual Those with unacceptable homosexual impulses may become gay bashers.impulses may become gay bashers.

4. 4. Projection:Projection: when people disguise their own when people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to threatening impulses by attributing them to others. others.

Ex:Ex: Husband who is cheating may suspect his Husband who is cheating may suspect his wife of cheating and accuse her.wife of cheating and accuse her.

Examples of Defense Examples of Defense MechanismsMechanisms

5.5.Rationalization:Rationalization: offering self-justifying offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions. threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions.

Ex:Ex: Justifying cheating on taxes by saying the Justifying cheating on taxes by saying the government would only waste the money.government would only waste the money.

6.6.Displacement:Displacement: shifting one’s sexual or aggressive shifting one’s sexual or aggressive impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening object or person…redirect anger at “safer outlet.”object or person…redirect anger at “safer outlet.”

Ex:Ex: Angry at boss or supervisor and you take it Angry at boss or supervisor and you take it out by yelling at spouse, who might take it out on out by yelling at spouse, who might take it out on the child, who then might kick the dog.the child, who then might kick the dog.

Examples of Defense Examples of Defense MechanismsMechanisms

7.7.Sublimation:Sublimation: when people re-direct their when people re-direct their unacceptable impulses into socially approved unacceptable impulses into socially approved activities. activities. Ex:Ex: Playing football to rechannel aggressive Playing football to rechannel aggressive impulses. impulses.

8.8.Intellectualization:Intellectualization: separating oneself from separating oneself from the the emotions emotions of a situation by focusing on the of a situation by focusing on the problem in a systematic factual way or in the problem in a systematic factual way or in the abstract. abstract. Ex:Ex: A A wife who learns her husband is dying of wife who learns her husband is dying of cancer tries to learn all she can about the cancer tries to learn all she can about the disease, prognosis, treatment options, etc. disease, prognosis, treatment options, etc. She looks at it in a scientific way to avoid She looks at it in a scientific way to avoid dealing with the emotions. dealing with the emotions.

Examples of Defense Examples of Defense MechanismsMechanisms

9.9. Denial:Denial: when a person denies threatening when a person denies threatening behavior or events are taking place. behavior or events are taking place.

Ex:Ex: Person who is paralyzed in a horrible Person who is paralyzed in a horrible accident states emphatically “I will walk accident states emphatically “I will walk again!” again!”

10.10. Undoing:Undoing: idea that if you have idea that if you have unacceptable impulses/behavior you can unacceptable impulses/behavior you can undo or make it up by doing something.undo or make it up by doing something.

Ex:Ex: After cheating on wife, husband buys her After cheating on wife, husband buys her jewelry. jewelry.

DEFENSE MECHANISM DEFENSE MECHANISM SKIT ACTIVITYSKIT ACTIVITY

Instructions:

• You will work with a partner for this activity. Each pair will be given two defense mechanisms.

• Your task is to write and perform a short (30 -60 second) skit in which you show a defense mechanism in action. Write skits for both defense mechanisms. Everyone will perform at least one.

• Don’t use the name of the defense mechanism in the skit, and don’t tell us what it is. Make it clear enough that we can figure it out.

• Be creative! One person should be clearly exhibiting the defense mechanism, while the other person interacts with them in some way or provokes them or talks about them etc. etc….

Methods for Tapping Into the Methods for Tapping Into the UnconsciousUnconscious

1.1. Hypnosis:Hypnosis: Hypnotized patients would Hypnotized patients would talk freely which allowed Freud access to talk freely which allowed Freud access to “unconscious conflicts.”“unconscious conflicts.”

Freud eventually turned away from Freud eventually turned away from hypnosis since not all patients reacted to hypnosis since not all patients reacted to it.it.

Hypnotic regression:Hypnotic regression: The “therapy” The “therapy” people often undergo to remember alien people often undergo to remember alien abductions, or other “repressed” abductions, or other “repressed” memories. memories.

Methods for Tapping Into the Methods for Tapping Into the UnconsciousUnconscious

2. 2. Dreams:Dreams: considered the “royal considered the “royal road to the unconscious.”road to the unconscious.”

Freud’s book: “The Interpretation of Freud’s book: “The Interpretation of Dreams” was importantDreams” was important

Manifest contentManifest content (dream sequence (dream sequence or story) = censored expression of or story) = censored expression of the dreamer’s unconscious wishes.the dreamer’s unconscious wishes.

Latent contentLatent content - the unconscious, - the unconscious, “real” meaning of the dream. “real” meaning of the dream.

Psychoanalysis can uncover this latent Psychoanalysis can uncover this latent content.content.

Methods for Tapping into Methods for Tapping into The UnconsciousThe Unconscious

3.3. Free Association:Free Association: patients relax, say patients relax, say whatever comes to their whatever comes to their mind, no matter how mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.trivial or embarrassing.

Methods for Tapping into The Methods for Tapping into The UnconsciousUnconscious

To Freud nothing you did or said was ever To Freud nothing you did or said was ever accidental; Everything offered insights into accidental; Everything offered insights into the unconscious. the unconscious.

4. 4. Freudian Slips:Freudian Slips: slips of the tongue or slips of the tongue or actions which may illustrate unconscious actions which may illustrate unconscious motives/feelings.motives/feelings.Ex:Ex: Accidentally calling your wife “mom” Accidentally calling your wife “mom”

Ex: Ex: Man sending a post card to Man sending a post card to his wife while on vacation which his wife while on vacation which reads: “Wish you were reads: “Wish you were herher.” .”

Freudian SlipFreudian Slip #2

Psychoanalytic Personality Tests: Psychoanalytic Personality Tests: Assessing the UnconsciousAssessing the Unconscious

Projective Tests:Projective Tests: test which test which presents ambiguous (unclear) stimulipresents ambiguous (unclear) stimuli

How you interpret it reveals your How you interpret it reveals your unconscious (according to unconscious (according to psychoanalysts)psychoanalysts)

Types of Projective TestsTypes of Projective Tests Thematic Apperception Thematic Apperception

Test (TAT):Test (TAT): people express people express inner feelings/unconscious, inner feelings/unconscious, through the stories they through the stories they make up about ambiguous make up about ambiguous scenes.scenes.

Examiners look atExaminers look at Content of storiesContent of stories Emotion of storiesEmotion of stories Other behavior/body languageOther behavior/body language

Try it!Try it! o What has led up to the event showno What has led up to the event shown

o What is happening at the momento What is happening at the momento What the characters are thinking and o What the characters are thinking and feeling, andfeeling, ando What the outcome of the story waso What the outcome of the story was

House-Tree-PersonHouse-Tree-Person

Draw a house, a tree and a person.Draw a house, a tree and a person.

Let’s interpret!Let’s interpret!– The house represents your feelings The house represents your feelings

about your familyabout your family– The tree portrays how weak/strong you The tree portrays how weak/strong you

feelfeel– The person is you…what is your self-The person is you…what is your self-

concept? How do you see yourself?concept? How do you see yourself?

Types of Projective TestsTypes of Projective Tests

Rorschach Inkblot Test:Rorschach Inkblot Test: most most widely used projective test, looks widely used projective test, looks to identify people’s inner feelings to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations by analyzing their interpretations of blots. of blots.

Neo-FreudiansNeo-Freudians

Alfred Adler:Alfred Adler: emphasized emphasized SOCIAL tensions in childhood SOCIAL tensions in childhood rather than sexual tensions to rather than sexual tensions to explain personality. explain personality.

Proposed idea of Proposed idea of inferiority inferiority complex:complex: – inferiority during childhood causes inferiority during childhood causes

individuals to overcompensate individuals to overcompensate – significant achievements or significant achievements or

antisocial tendencies. antisocial tendencies.

Neo-FreudiansNeo-Freudians Carl Jung:Carl Jung: Came up with several Came up with several

important Psychoanalytic ideas important Psychoanalytic ideas including: including: – Collective Unconscious:Collective Unconscious: idea that humans idea that humans

have a shared reservoir of memories from our have a shared reservoir of memories from our species’ history.species’ history.

– Inherited memories Inherited memories were known as were known as archetypesarchetypes and can be seen in the common and can be seen in the common themes in religions, cultures, literature, etc. themes in religions, cultures, literature, etc. Trickster-Trickster- often represented by a clown or a magician often represented by a clown or a magician Hero – Hero – fights the ‘shadow’ archetype, or evil (dragon, fights the ‘shadow’ archetype, or evil (dragon,

monster)monster) Wise old man - Wise old man - guides the hero, reveals the guides the hero, reveals the

collective unconscious to himcollective unconscious to him

Neo-FreudiansNeo-Freudians Karen Horney:Karen Horney: brought a brought a

feminist perspective to feminist perspective to psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalytic theory and sharply attacked the male sharply attacked the male bias she saw in Freud’s bias she saw in Freud’s work. work. – Argued against Freud’s Argued against Freud’s

concept of “penis envy.”concept of “penis envy.”– She said: Men experience She said: Men experience

“womb envy” jealous of female “womb envy” jealous of female ability to give birth, reason ability to give birth, reason men try to dominate women. men try to dominate women.