Psychoanalytic & Psychoanalytic & psychodynamic approaches psychodynamic approaches

to personality:to personality:

Of Angels & DemonsOf Angels & Demons

Psychoanalytic & Psychoanalytic & psychodynamic approaches psychodynamic approaches

to personality:to personality:

Of Angels & DemonsOf Angels & Demons

Dr Niko TiliopoulosRoom 448, Brennan McCallum building

Email: nikot@psych.usyd.edu.au

Sex, drugs, &… Freud!Sex, drugs, &… Freud!

““Without hesitation, I place Freud among the heroes. He dispossessed the Without hesitation, I place Freud among the heroes. He dispossessed the Jewish people of the greatest and most influential of all heroes — Jewish people of the greatest and most influential of all heroes — Moses”Moses” (Salvador Dali) (Salvador Dali)

““Freud […] descended to the ‘Underworld’ and met there stark terrors. He Freud […] descended to the ‘Underworld’ and met there stark terrors. He carried with him his theory as a Medusa’s head which turned these terrors to carried with him his theory as a Medusa’s head which turned these terrors to stone”stone” (R.D. Laing) (R.D. Laing)

““Christians of discernment should avoid [psychoanalytic therapies] completely. Christians of discernment should avoid [psychoanalytic therapies] completely. […] Such therapies stand upon dogma […] and the dogma is the odious one of […] Such therapies stand upon dogma […] and the dogma is the odious one of Freud and his followers”Freud and his followers” (M. & D. Bobgan in “Prophets of Psychoheresy I”) (M. & D. Bobgan in “Prophets of Psychoheresy I”)

““As far as the unconscious was concerned, Freud went down deeper, stayed As far as the unconscious was concerned, Freud went down deeper, stayed longer, and came up dirtier than anybody else”longer, and came up dirtier than anybody else” (G. Allport) (G. Allport)

““I am reminded of something my father said when he spoke of how we bring I am reminded of something my father said when he spoke of how we bring up our children. He said we supply them with a map of the Italian lakes and up our children. He said we supply them with a map of the Italian lakes and send them to the North Pole”send them to the North Pole” (Anna Freud) (Anna Freud)

““No one who […] conjures up the most evil of those half-tamed demons that No one who […] conjures up the most evil of those half-tamed demons that inhabit the human beast, and seeks to wrestle with them, can expect to come inhabit the human beast, and seeks to wrestle with them, can expect to come through the struggle unscathed. […] Incidentally, why was it that none of all through the struggle unscathed. […] Incidentally, why was it that none of all the pious ever discovered psycho-analysis? Why did it have to wait for a the pious ever discovered psycho-analysis? Why did it have to wait for a completely godless Jew?”completely godless Jew?” (Sigmund Freud) (Sigmund Freud)

Assumptions in psychoanalysis Assumptions in psychoanalysis II

Psychic determinism:Psychic determinism: Everything that happens in a person’s mind Everything that happens in a person’s mind has a specific causehas a specific cause

The cause lies in the structure and dynamics of personalityThe cause lies in the structure and dynamics of personality

The purpose of psychoanalysis is to find those causes, by digging deep into The purpose of psychoanalysis is to find those causes, by digging deep into the hidden part of the the hidden part of the mindmind

• Mind:Mind: The psychological result of what the brain & the rest of the body do The psychological result of what the brain & the rest of the body do

Levels of awarenessLevels of awareness

• Conscious:Conscious: the content of one’s awareness at any given point in time the content of one’s awareness at any given point in time

• Preconscious:Preconscious: material just beneath awareness that are easily retrievable material just beneath awareness that are easily retrievable

• Unconscious:Unconscious: greatly influential material, such as memories and desires, that a greatly influential material, such as memories and desires, that a person is not consciously aware ofperson is not consciously aware of

Collective unconscious:Collective unconscious: latent memory traces ( latent memory traces (archetypesarchetypes) inherited from ) inherited from people’s ancestral pastpeople’s ancestral past

Assumptions in psychoanalysis Assumptions in psychoanalysis IIII

Internal structure:Internal structure: The mind consists of The mind consists of specific functionally independent, and at times specific functionally independent, and at times conflicting, partsconflicting, parts

IdId (aka (aka ItIt)): The irrational and emotional part of the : The irrational and emotional part of the mindmind

• Pleasure principle:Pleasure principle: the need of an the need of animmediate gratification of Id’s urges (raw biological desires)immediate gratification of Id’s urges (raw biological desires)

EgoEgo (aka (aka II): The rational and decision-making part of ): The rational and decision-making part of the mindthe mind

• Reality principle:Reality principle: the force that delays the gratification of the force that delays the gratification of the Id’s needs until the appropriate conditions are presentthe Id’s needs until the appropriate conditions are present

SuperegoSuperego (aka (aka Over-IOver-I): The moral part of the mind): The moral part of the mind

The structure of personalityThe structure of personality

Assumptions in psychoanalysis Assumptions in psychoanalysis IIIIII

Psychic conflict:Psychic conflict: The friction between the The friction between the different parts of the minddifferent parts of the mind

The ego’s main job is to find a middle course (a The ego’s main job is to find a middle course (a psychic psychic compromisecompromise) between the competing demands of ) between the competing demands of motivation, morality, and practicalitymotivation, morality, and practicality

The most important of these conflicts centre on The most important of these conflicts centre on sexual sexual oror aggressive impulsesaggressive impulses

• Without reasonable internal compromises the individual is faced Without reasonable internal compromises the individual is faced with an internal conflict between their needs andwith an internal conflict between their needs and

impulses that can have disastrous results impulses that can have disastrous results (mental illness, criminal (mental illness, criminal behaviour)behaviour)

Assumptions in psychoanalysis Assumptions in psychoanalysis IVIV

Prolonged and unresolved conflict between Prolonged and unresolved conflict between the parts of the mind (can) lead to the parts of the mind (can) lead to considerable levels ofconsiderable levels of anxietyanxiety & & guiltguilt

The ego is The ego is anxiousanxious about about

• the Id getting out of control and doing something terriblethe Id getting out of control and doing something terrible

• the Superego getting out of control and making you feelthe Superego getting out of control and making you feelguilty (about things you did or thought or desired)guilty (about things you did or thought or desired)

(Ego) Defence mechanisms:(Ego) Defence mechanisms: Largely Largely unconscious reactions that protect a person unconscious reactions that protect a person from (primarily) feelings of anxiety and guiltfrom (primarily) feelings of anxiety and guilt

(common) Defence (common) Defence mechanismsmechanisms

Assumptions in psychoanalysis Assumptions in psychoanalysis VV

Mental energy:Mental energy: The The energyenergy that the that the mind requires to functionmind requires to function Consists of two fundamental drives Consists of two fundamental drives

(motives):(motives):

• Libido Libido oror life drive life drive oror sexual drive: sexual drive: a motive a motive towards creation, protection, enjoyment of towards creation, protection, enjoyment of life, productivity and growthlife, productivity and growth

• Thanatos (death):Thanatos (death): a motive towards a motive towards destruction,destruction,

disorder, and ultimately deathdisorder, and ultimately death

Personality Personality developmentdevelopment

Psychosexual stages:Psychosexual stages: Developmental periods with a Developmental periods with a characteristic sexual focus (urge for physical pleasure) that shape characteristic sexual focus (urge for physical pleasure) that shape one’s personalityone’s personality

Fixation:Fixation: a failure to move forward from one a failure to move forward from one stage to another, due to excessive stage to another, due to excessive gratification or frustration of needs at a gratification or frustration of needs at a particular stageparticular stage

ContributionContribution The first (proper) personality theories!The first (proper) personality theories!

The first theories to propose the existence and the The first theories to propose the existence and the influence of unconscious processes and forcesinfluence of unconscious processes and forces

The first theories to focus and explain the effects of The first theories to focus and explain the effects of early development on adult personalityearly development on adult personality

Major contributions to the treatment of (primarily) Major contributions to the treatment of (primarily) anxiety and mood disordersanxiety and mood disorders

E.g. Dream therapyE.g. Dream therapy Clinical hypnosisClinical hypnosis Free associationFree association

CriticismCriticism

Poor testabilityPoor testability

Inadequate empiricalInadequate empirical evidenceevidence

SexismSexism

Function more like philosophies or faith Function more like philosophies or faith systemssystems

Famous theorists in the psychoanalytic & Famous theorists in the psychoanalytic & psychodynamic approachpsychodynamic approach

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961)Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961)

Alfred Adler (1870-1937)Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

Anna Freud (1895-1982)Anna Freud (1895-1982)

Margaret Mahler (1897-1985)Margaret Mahler (1897-1985)

Melanie Klein (1882-1960)Melanie Klein (1882-1960)

Karen Horney (1885-1952)Karen Horney (1885-1952)

Erik Erikson (1902-1994)Erik Erikson (1902-1994)