ps 4021 psychology theory and method 1 lecture 4-week 4 the psychoanalytic paradigm critical...
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PS 4021Psychology Theory and method 1
Lecture 4-Week 4The Psychoanalytic paradigm
Critical thinking inside Psychology
Psychodynamic
• Conscious or Unconscious Process– Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis
Levels of consciousness
• Conscious: current awareness-easily accessed• Preconscious: information that is not currently
“on our mind” but which we could bring into consciousness if we want-available for access
• Unconscious: storehouse of impulses, wishes and inaccessible memories that affect our thoughts and behavior– Repression
The role of dreams
• The function of dreams is to preserve sleep by representing wishes as fulfilled
• The “royal route to consciousness”
• Manifest content and latent content
Styles of thinking
• Primary process thinking-irrational mental activity– Pleasure principle: instinct to avoid displeasure
and to have our drives met
• Secondary process thinking-rational thought– Reality principle: operate according to the actual
situation
Nature of human beings
• What is the source of human motivation?• The child is born with fixed amount of mental
energy-the libido
• Two types of instincts– Life instinct - Sexual drives – libido – life preserving
drives– Death instinct – Thanatos – self-destructive
instinct
Structure of personality
• ID• Primitive part present at newborns• Basic biological impulses or drives– Sexual and aggressive drives
• Pleasure principle-Immediate gratification
• EGO• Reality principle• Mediator between the demands of the id, the
realities of the world and the demands of the superego
• Planning, thinking, organizing-secondary process thinking
• SUPEREGO– Internalized representation of the values and
morals of society– Conscience (guilt if morally improper) and ego
ideal (perfect person we wish to be motivates us to do morally right)
– Parental rewards and punishments
Development of personality
• Five stages of psychosexual development
• At each stage the libido is invested in a single part of the body-the erogenous zone
• Biological factors are the main influence in development
Development of personality
Fixation
• At any stage of personality development, there may be over or under stimulation of the erogenous zone
• Then we are fixated-refuse to transfer the libidinal energy to a new set of objects and activities
• Fail to pass to the next stage• Results are obvious in our personality and
behavior
Oral stage (birth to 1 year)
• Pleasure focused on feeding• Mouth, lips and tongue are the erogenous zone• Libidinal energy invested on person providing
gratification (mother)-Cathexis• Basic trust established if needs met• Results of under or over stimulation– Oral receptive character– Oral aggressive character
Anal stage (18 m to 3 y)
• Bowel control• Anal area• Toilet training-an area of conflict?
• Results of under or over stimulation– Anal retentive personality– Anal expulsive personality
Phallic stage (3-5 y)
• Genital area
• Penis envy-girls realize deficiency of penis
• Castration anxiety-boys fear they will lose their penis
• Relationship with parents• BOYS-OEDIPAL COMPLEX• Unconscious sexual desire towards mother• Father is competition• Boy envious of father• Father is also a powerful figure –castration
anxiety• To resolve: identify with father
• GIRLS-ELECTRA COMPLEX• Unconscious sexual desire towards father• Mother is competition• Penis envy• To resolve: identify with mother• But not fully resolved-women have weaker
ego
Latency (5-12 y)
• Resting period• Same sex interaction and identification
Genital stage (12-18+)
• Reawakening of libido• Attraction to opposite sex
Defense mechanisms
• In order to deal with the conflicting demands between the id, ego and superego
• Purpose is to feel better, to protect our self-esteem
• They basically help us to push disturbing aspects into the unconscious
• It is psychologically healthy but they can become unhelpful if used inappropriately
• Conversion reaction: unacceptable thoughts or emotions converted into physical symptoms
• Phobic avoidance: situations or events that arouse anxiety are avoided at all costs
• Isolation: anxiety associated with an event is dealt with by recalling the event without the emotion associated with it
• Undoing: ritualistic behaviors are adopted that symbolically negate the thoughts or actions that the person had earlier
Freudian therapy
• Catharsis: physical expression of emotions as the analyst helps the patient locate fixation and understand unresolved emotional conflicts
• Methods:– Dream analysis– Free association
– Transference– Countertransference
Evaluation of Freudian theory
• Contribution and criticisms