Freud’s Theory

Unconscious

• The most important determinant of behavior

– Psychic determinism

• Mental processes that we are unaware of

– Created by experience, especially in childhood, through repression

– Includes

• Forgotten traumatic memories

• Denied wishes and / or desires

• Provides motivation for behavior

• Libido

• Instincts

Characteristics of Instincts

• Source

– All psychic energy is derived from biological processes in some part or organ of the body (need or desire)

• Pressure (impetus)

– The instincts force or motivation to act

– High when not satisfied, low when met

• Aim

– Gratification of need in order to preserve homeostasis

• Imbalance creates tension

• Pleasure is produced when tension is reduced

• Object

– The person or thing in the world that satisfies the need

Manifestations of the Unconscious

• Physical Symptoms

– Somatic Illnesses

• Psychosis

• Dreams

– “the interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious mind”

Manifestations of the Unconscious

• Dreams

– Manifest content

– Latent content

• Dream Work

– Unconscious system

• Wishes emerge from here

– Preconscious censorship system

• Prevents wishes from entering consciousness as is

– Displacement

» alters appearance of wish to not clash w/ conscious ethical standards

– Condensation (compression)

» symbol may represent many things

• Dream Interpretation

Manifestations of the Unconscious

• Parapraxes (Freudian Slips)– Misstatements

– Errors of:

• Memory

• Hearing

• Action

– Losing or misplacing objects

Manifestations of the Unconscious

• Humor– Safe expression of repressed conflict

– Relief of tension

– Also uses condensation like dreams• The Jew joke

Structure of Personality

• Id– Present at birth

– Part of the Unconscious

– Primitive and the source of biological drives

– Immediate gratification of wishes (pleasure principle)

– Functions according to the purely instinctive and unsocialized primary process

• Inflexible

• Cannot delay gratification

• Cannot adapt and learn as a result

– Left unbridled, Freud believed it would destroy us

• If all human needs were met instantly, the psyche would never develop past here

Structure of Personality

• Id– The source of psychic energy (libido)

– Motivation of all aspects of personality derived from this

• Two kinds of psychic energy

– Eros (life instinct)

» Motivates life-maintaining behaviors and love

– Thanatos (death instinct)

» Destructive force directing us inevitably toward death

Structure of Personality

• Ego– The rational and coping part of personality

– Differentiated part of the id that has become specialized

• Operates in the service of the id and Has no needs of Its own

– Mostly conscious

– Accurately understands reality and can adapt to the constraints of the real world (reality principle)

– Can delay gratification and plan (secondary process)

– Decides if the id’s demands and instincts are to be immediately satisfied, postponed, or delayed

– Brings unity to the personality and is in touch with the real world

– Described as the “helpless rider of the id horse”

Structure of Personality

• Super Ego– Emerges from the ego

– The internal representation of rules and restrictions of family and society

– “the civilizing force that tames our savage nature”

– Part of the unconscious

– Presents us with the “ego ideal” (what we would like to be)

– Generates guilt & shame when we act contrary to it’s rules

• Conscience

– Considered by Freud to be “archaic”

• Based on childhood rules and doesn’t adapt to the adult world

Oral Stage

• Birth – 1 year

• Autoerotic activity centers on mouth

– Sucking and biting

• Needs are met w/o effort

– Omnipotence

– Mother begins to become love object

Oral Stage

• Weaning is major conflict

• Fixation

– Oral-passive personality

• Dependent on others

• Retain interest in oral gratifications i.e. eating, drinking and smoking

– Oral-aggressive personality

• Distrustful, demanding, and manipulative

• Life-long desire to bite things

• Tendency toward verbal aggression, argumentativeness, and sarcasm

Anal Stage

• Ages 1 - 3

• Pleasure center shifts to anus

• Potty training is major conflict

– Can bring pleasure and relief by holding and releasing appropriately

• Ultimate approval from the love object (mother)

– Can create tension by releasing inappropriately

• Ultimate disapproval

Anal Stage

• Ego develops during this time

• Fixation

– Anal retentive personality

• Clean, perfectionist, dictatorial, stubborn, stingy

– Anal expulsive personality

• Sloppy, disorganized, cruel, destructive, generous to a fault

Phallic Stage

• Ages 3 – 6

• Pleasure area moves to genitals

• Oedipus Complex

– Possession of love object

– Competition w/ father

– Castration anxiety

– Identification

• Electra Complex– Mother is initial love object

– Penis envy

• inferiority

– Mother devalued and Father becomes love object

– Identification

– Child is eventual penis substitute

Phallic Stage

• Fixation– Phallic Personalities

• Boy

– Rejected by mother and threatened by father

» Poor self worth sexually resulting in:

- withdrawal from heterosexual interaction

- overcompensation by being “ladies man”

– Favored by mother over weaker father

» Narcissistic

» Effeminate

» Homosexual

Phallic Stage

• Fixation– Phallic Personalities

• Girls

– Rejected by father and threatened by mother

» Wall flower

» Hyper-feminine

– Favored by father w/ mother in servant role

» Vain and self-centered

» Masculine (penis envy has influence here)

Masculinity complex

Phallic Stage

• Super ego develops

• Personality in place

Latency Stage

• Ages 6 – 12

• Sexual impulses dormant

– As much biological as natural progression

Genital Period

• Adolescence

• Resurgence of sex drive

• Opposite sex love object

• Culmination of development of libido

• Genital personality

– Full development w/o problems

Defense Mechanisms

• 3 Types of Anxiety

– Realistic Anxiety

• Fear (external threats)

– Moral Anxiety

• Shame, guilt, fear of punishment (internal)

• Super Ego

– Neurotic Anxiety

• Feeling out of control! About to lose it!

• Id impulses begin to intrude in conscious

• Neurosis and Personality Disorders

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression

• Denial

• Asceticism

• Isolation (Intellectualization)

• Displacement

• Turning against self

• Projection

• Altruistic Surrender

• Reaction Formation

• Undoing

• Introjection (Identification)

• Identification w/ aggressor

• Regression

• Rationalization

• Sublimation