PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

Psychodynamic Theory

Collective Unconscious

Epigenetic Theory

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

Psychodynamic Perspective: Creator: Sigmund Freud Defined: Much of behavior is motivated by inner

forces, memories, and conflicts of which a person has little awareness or control.

Major Principles:… Unconscious forces act to determine personality and behavior.

… The unconscious is part of everyone’s personality.

… We are unaware of it though it strongly influences our behavior.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

Foundations of the Theory:

I. Psychological Determinism: Behaviors do not happen by chance

I. There are no accidents

II. Everything happens for a reason

III. Everything is determined by preceding events

IV. Psychodynamic theorists take the stance of “ultra determinism”.

V. There is almost never “the cause” there is usually multiple causes.

VI. Once we find a less threatening and simple explanation we stop, this is the wrong way.

II. Consciousness is Atypical: Most of behavior and experience is occurring below the conscious level.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

ID: Raw, unorganized, inborn part of personality:

Pleasure Principle: Continue producing behavior that gives positive stimulus and stop behavior that produces a negative stimulus and/or avoid negative stimuli

Primitive desires of hunger, sex, and aggression.

Satisfaction is ultimate goal

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

Ego: Rational and reasonable

Reality Principle: Instinctual energy (ID) is restrained in order to maintain the safety of the individual and keep him/her within societies norms

Superego: Sense of right and wrong

Conscience

Develops at age 5 or 6

Learned from others

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY

According to Freud development consists of stages:

… Pleasure and gratification are focused on particular biological functions.

… If children are unable to gratify themselves sufficiently during a

particular stage or receive too much of it, fixation will occur.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY:STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY:DEFENSE MECHANISMSPeople may feel anxious or threatened when the

wishes of the id conflict with social rules.

Ego has weapons at its command to relieve the tension.

Defense Mechanism: Used by the ego to prevent unconscious anxiety or threatening thoughts from entering consciousness.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY:DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Repression: When the threatening idea, memory, or emotion is blocked from consciousness.

Something bad happens in childhood and you can’t remember it anymore.

Projection: A Person’s own unacceptable or threatening feelings are repressed and then attributed to someone else.

Being obsessed with something may make you project your guilt onto it.

Displacement: When people direct their emotions toward things, animals, or other people that are not the real object of their feelings.

You can’t express your anger toward a caregiver thus you take it out on other kids.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY:DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Reaction Formation: When a feeling that produces unconscious anxiety is transformed into its opposite in consciousness.

Someone that is scared to death of their spouse may intern believe that they are madly in love with them.

Denial: When people refuse to admit that something unpleasant is happening.

Protects a person’s self-image

Preserves the illusion of invulnerability

“It can’t happen to me”

COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS

Creator: Carl Jung

Modified Freud’s Original Theory:

In addition to the individual’s own unconscious we have:

Collective Unconscious-Contains universal memories, symbols, images, and themes

Developed Archtypes:

Representation of our collective unconscious

Can be a picture; such as a magic circle (Called a Mandala in Eastern religions)

Symbolizes the unity of life and the “Totality of the self.”

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Creator: Erik Erikson

AKA: Psychosocial Theory

Considered: Neo-Freudian

Focus of Theory: Ego development.

Main Topic: Identity

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Main Tenants:

Emphasized our social interaction with other people.

Society and culture both shape and challenge people.

His stage covered the entire life-span (8 stages).

Each stage represents a crisis that must be resolved.

Epigenetic: Non-genetic causes of a phenotype.

Change of a phenotype without change in a genotype.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Eight stages of development:

… Unique development task confronts individuals with crisis that must be resolved

… Each stage has both positive and negative poles

… Positive resolution builds foundation for healthy development

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 1 - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

(0-1 ½ )

Developing trust is the first task of the ego. It is never complete.

The child will let mother out of sight without anxiety and rage when: She has become an inner certainty.

Outer predictability.

Quality of maternal relationship is everything.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

(1-2)If denied autonomy (ability to make

independent choices):Child will resist urges to manipulate and

discriminate.

Shame develops.

Left over doubt may become paranoia.

The sense of autonomy serves the preservation in economic and political life of a sense of justice.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt

(2-6)

Initiative adds to autonomy the quality of: (tasks for the sake of being active and on the move)

Undertaking

Planning

Attacking

The child feels guilt over the goals contemplated and the acts initiated in exuberant enjoyment of new loco motor and mental powers.

The castration complex:

Due to the child's erotic fantasies.

They will get in trouble for feeling that way.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt

(2-6)

A residual conflict over initiative may be expressed as:

Hysterical denial.

May cause the repression of the wish or destruction of the ego.

Results in paralysis and inhibition, or overcompensation and showing off.

The Oedipal stage:

Results in oppressive establishment of a moral sense

Sets the direction towards the possible and the tangible which permits dreams of early childhood to be attached to goals of an active adult life.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority

(7-12)

Bringing a productive situation to completion. Gradually supersedes the whims and wishes of play.

The fundamentals of technology are developed. To lose the hope of such "industrious" association may pull

the child back and cause them to become: More isolated

Less conscious

The child can become a conformist and thoughtless slave whom others exploit.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 5 - Identity vs. Role Confusion

(13-21)

AKA: Diffusion

The adolescent is newly concerned with how they appear to others.

Ego identity:Accrued confidence that the inner sameness and continuity

prepared in the past are matched by the sameness and continuity of one's meaning for others.

Evidenced in the promise of a career.

The inability to settle on a school or occupational identity is disturbing.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 6 - Intimacy vs. Isolation

(21-35)

Body and ego must be masters of organ modes. This is in order to face the fear of ego loss.

In situations which call for self-abandon.

The avoidance of these experiences leads to isolation and self-absorption.

The counterpart of intimacy is distantiation: Readiness to isolate and destroy forces and people whose essence

seems dangerous to one's own.

Now true genitality can fully develop. Danger:

Isolation which can lead to severe character problems.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation

(35-60)

Generativity is the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation.

Simply having or wanting children doesn't achieve generativity.

Socially-valued work and disciples are also expressions of generativity.

EPIGENETIC THEORY

Stage 8 - Ego Integrity vs. Despair

(60+)

Ego integrity is the ego's accumulated assurance of its capacity for order and meaning.

Despair is signified by a fear of one's own death, as well as the loss of self-sufficiency, and of loved partners and friends.

Healthy children won't fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death.