AS Level PsychologyThe core studiesThe developmental approach & The psychodynamic perspective

AS Psychology

• Developmental Psychology

• Sigmund Freud• (1909)

Freud’s consulting room

Sigmund Freud (1909)psychodynamic perspective

• Analysis of a phobia of a five year old boy

The psychoanalytic theory Sigmund Freud

• The tripartite structure of human personality

• Tripartite means - in three parts

The tripartite structure of personality

• The earliest part of the human personality• THE ID = the biological part• (instincts & drives)• Present at birth• Motivated by the pleasure principle

The tripartite structure of personality

• The second part of the human personality to develop

• THE EGO (the ‘self’)• 1 - 3 years• Motivated by the reality principle

The tripartite structure of personality

• The third part of the human personality to develop

• THE SUPEREGO (the moral part)• 3 - 5 years• Motivated by the anxiety principle

The tripartite structure of personality

• The psychological apparatus is in conflict

ID >>>> EGO <<<< SuperEGO

neurotic moralconflict conflict

• Unconscious CONFLICT can be RESOLVED BYDREAMS

NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS

DEFENCE MECHANISMS

The tripartite structure of personality

The psychological apparatus

Only the EGO is in the CONSCIOUS mind

We can talk about experiences in the conscious mind

The ID resides in the UNCONSCIOUS

We can’t talk about experiences in the unconscious mind

The tripartite personalityID >>> EGO <<< SUPEREGO

• DEVELOP during FIVE• psychosexual stages of• development

The FIVE psychosexual stages

• The Oral (Birth - 1 year)• The Anal (1 - 3 years)• The Phallic (3 - 5/6 years)• The Latent (6 - puberty)• The Genital (adulthood)

Stage 1 - the ORAL stage

• Mouth (sucking) is the source of pleasure

• The ID is in control

In the ORAL stage …….

• Fixation may be caused by– Over indulgence

• symptoms may include selfishness or compulsive talking

– Frustration• Symptoms may include nail biting, thumb sucking,

greed

Stage 2 - the ANAL Stage

• Elimination of faeces is the source of pleasure !

• The EGO develops• (the reality principle)

In the ANAL stage ….

• Fixation (a) Anal expulsive: • Symptoms may be giving to charity, potters,

gardeners, (sublimating the wish to smear)

• Fixation (b) Anal retentive• Symptoms may be miserly, thrifty, orderly,

obstinate

Stage 3 : The PHALLIC stage

• The Superego develops

• When: • The Oedipus conflict (boys)• The Electra conflict (girls) • Is resolved

In the PHALLIC stage….

• Fixation may be caused by failure to resolve the Oedipus / Electra conflict

• Symptoms include: curiosity, exhibitionism– a surgeon may be sublimating hostile feelings

towards same sex parent– Writer of pornography may be sublimating sexual

preoccupations

Sigmund Freud (1909)

• The analysis of a phobia of a five year old boy

• THE CASE STUDY of LITTLE HANS

Little Hans

• This is the ONLY case study of a child undertaken by Freud

• Freud’s ideas about infant sexuality were based on his work with adult women

• (and his own self analysis)

Little Hans

• The longitudinal CASE STUDY • (psychoanalytic therapy) • was carried out by correspondence and

interviews with Hans’ father

• First reports when Hans was three

Little Hans

• Hans was very interested in his ‘widdler’• His mother told him • “not to play with your widdler .. or else she would

call the doctor to come and cut it off”• Hans’ mother threatened to leave him

Little Hans

• Hans’ baby sister was born • he was told the stork had

brought the baby• Early jealousy of sister• Continued interest in his widdler, according to

father his dreams and fantasies were of widdlers and of ‘widdling’

Little Hans

• When Hans was five - father wrote to Freud• “Hans is afraid of horses, afraid a horse will bite

him in the street, this fear seems to be connected to his being frightened by a large penis”

Little Hans

• Freud & father try to make sense of what Hans was experiencing and to resolve his phobia of horses

• Freud noted that Hans’ fear of horses developed after the child had anxiety dreams of losing his mother AND after he has been warned not to play with his widdler

Little Hans: Dreams and fantasies • Hans dream of three giraffes

The scene in marital bed in the morning

The big giraffe = daddy?

The crumpled giraffe = mummy?

The little giraffe = Hans?

Little Hans: Dreams and fantasies • Hans fear of being drowned in the bath

Hans began to fear having a bath

He was afraid his mother would drown him

Freud suggested this was a projection of his unconscious wish that his mother drown his baby sister

Little Hans

• Hans dreams about a giraffe were explained as ‘fear of big penis’

• (long neck = big penis)

• Freud theorised that Hans’ fear of horses was really fear of father

• Horse = symbolic for father

Little Hans: Dreams and fantasies

• Hans dreamed that a plumber came and gave him a bigger bottom

Little Hans READ THE STUDY

• Freud’s conclusion • Little Hans phobia of horses was really fear of

father • (castration fear) during resolution of the Oedipus

Conflict– Fear resolved when Oedipus conflict resolved

Little Hans: Criticisms

• Hans is analysed by the father who is emotionally involved

• Father is biased as he already admires the work of Freud and may have believed that the boy was in the Oedipal (phallic stage)

• Father ‘put words into Hans’ mouth’

Little Hans: Criticisms

• The case study seems to be both scientific evidence and treatment

• These should be separated because• If we ‘treat’ what we are investigating how can it

remain unchanged to be investigated?

Little Hans: Criticisms

• But … Freud did deal with real people & their problems

• Not neat & tidy but has “ecological validity”

Little Hans: Criticisms

• AND unlike adult ‘case studies’

• No searching through ‘past memory’ Hans father simply asked Hans!

Little Hans: Other explanations

• Perhaps Hans dreams about widdlers & widdling were caused by his fear that his mother might cut off his penis?

• But - Freud’s theory was that mothers were the primary love object of little boys, (not that Mother could be feared)

Little Hans: other explanations

• Erich Fromm (& Social Learning Theory)– It was because Hans’ father took such an interest in

him, that Hans identified with his father and wished to be like him

• Bowlby – Hans may have been afraid of being separated from

his mother (separation anxiety) thus feared horses (as these were the main mode of transport)

Little Hans: other explanations

• Learning Theory

• Hans had seen a horse fall down in the street (equivalent to road accident today)

• So he ‘learned to be’ afraid of horses!

Little Hans - Ethical issues

• Treatment not very child friendly– (and included leading questions)

– Freud’s theory of the Oedipus/Electra conflict is proposed by some psychologists as the reason why people are reluctant to believe children who report sexual abuse

Little Hans - Ethical Issues

• Hans was interviewed when he was 19

• He had no recollection of any of the discussions - “No long term effects”

– Hans said when he read the case study – “it came as something from the unknown”

Sigmund FreudThe Case study of Little Hans

• List three ways in which people show unconscious wishes in their behaviour

• How can you criticise Freud’s method of collecting data?

• What differences are there between the attitudes of Han’s parents and the attitudes of parents today?

Sigmund Freud - LITTLE HANS

• The analysis of a phobia of a five year old boy• A Longitudinal Case study• The Oedipus Conflict & its resolution by

psychoanalysis (therapy)