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Lecture on “Psychoanalytic Theory”

I – Structural Elements

1. Topographic Model of the Mind:

There are three levels or types of mental (psychic) activity:

1. Conscious:

2. Preconscious:

3. Unconscious:

2. The Intrapsychic (Personality) System

The personality structure consists of three subsystems:

1. Id

2. Ego

3. Superego

II – Motivational Elements

1. Theories of Instincts:

There are three levels or types of mental (psychic) activity:

1. Eros Instincts and Thanatos Instincts.

2. Deprivation Theory of Motivation.

III – Developmental Elements

1. The Psychosexual Stages of Development:

1. Oral stage

2. Anal stage

3. Phallic stage

4. Latency stage

5. Genital Stage

IV – Psychology of Adjustment and Psychopathology

1. Theory of Anxiety:

1. Moral Anxiety

2. Reality Anxiety

3. Neurotic Anxiety

2. Fixation and Regression

1. Deprivation

2. Over satisfaction

3. Trauma

V – The Ego Defense Mechanisms (12 of 25)

1. Repression

2. Introjection

3. Projection

4. Denial

5. Compensation

1. Direct Compensation

2. Overcompensation

6. Identification

7. Rationalization

8. Displacement

1. Substitution

2. Sublimination

9. Intellectualization

10. Reaction Formation

11. Fixation

12. Regression

Chapter 9: Psychodynamic Views: Definitions

Anal character: Overly concerned with cleanliness and meticulous orderly and concerned with minute detail

Anal stage: Associated with expelling things, toilet training, and pleasure from controlling the muscles for bodily elimination. The child typically learns distinctions between inside and outside, self and other, and is able to realize a sense of power and control through these distinctions (and also ways to deal with anger and aggression).

Anxiety: Psychiatry A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.

Castration complex: 1. In psychoanalytic theory, a child’s fear of injury to the genitals by the parent of the same sex as punishment for unconscious guilt over oedipal feelings. 2. An unconscious fear of injury from those in authority.

Cathexis: to be most aware of and attracted to certain objects in the environment; to invest psychic energy in those objects which correspond to the satisfaction of some need within an organism; the id cathects to any object that seems to gratify any need; the Ego invest energy only in real need satisfying objects; and the Superego invest energy in building standards or right-wrong, good-bad, and moral-immoral

Catharsis: A catharsis is an emotional release. According to psychodynamic theory, this emotional release is linked to a need to release unconscious conflicts. For example, experiencing stress over a work-related situation may cause feelings of frustration and tension. Rather than vent these feelings inappropriately, the individual may instead release these feelings in another way, such as through physical activity or another stress relieving activity.

Compensation: An unconscious psychological mechanism by which one tries to make up for imagined or real deficiencies in personality or physical ability.

Conscious: In psychoanalysis, the component of waking awareness perceptible by a person at any given instant.

Conversion hysteria: A disorder involving the loss or alteration of physical functioning, such as paralysis, voice loss, tunnel vision, or seizures, that is the result of a psychological involvement or need rather than a physical illness or disease. Also called conversion hysteria, conversion reaction.

Defense mechanisms The unconscious psychological process that people develop to relieved anxiety.

Ego: (Tharney) the second structure of the personality to develop; represents rational thought, memory, etc,: attempts to conform to the Id’s mental images into objective reality; operates on the basis of the Reality Principle by means of secondary process

Eros Life Instincts: (Eros) such needs as hunger, thirst, sex, all of which strive to preserve the individual and continue the species

Fixation: in human psychology refers to the state where an individual becomes obsessed with an attachment to another human, animal or inanimate object.

Free association: A psychoanalytic technique in which a patient verbalizes the passing contents of his or her mind without reservation. The verbalized conflicts that emerge constitute resistances that are the basis of the psychoanalyst’s interpretations.

Freudian slip: A verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion.

Genital character The un-neurotic character who does not suffer from sexual stasis and is therefore capable of natural self-regulation.

Genital stage he genital stage is the fifth and final stage of Freud’s stages of psychosexual development that begins during puberty. During this stage, the individual develops a strong interest in the opposite sex. If the other psychosexual stages have been successfully completed, the individual will develop into a well-balanced, warm, and caring adult.

Id: (Tharney) the oldest structure of the personality; innate and physiologically based; provides the psychic energy for all three parts of the system; knows only the inner world of subjective experiences; operates on the basis of the Pleasure Principle be means of reflex action and/or primary process

Instinct:
an inborn physiologically base need, the which to fulfill it, and the physic energy to do so; together all the instincts equal the personality’s total energy.

Life Instincts: (Eros) such needs as hunger, thirst, sex, all of which strive to preserve the individual and continue the species.

Death Instincts: (Thanatos) embody the organism’s destructive tendencies and potential for self destructive behavior; the aggressive drive is one’s destructive tendencies directed toward others.

Insight: Understanding, especially an understanding of the motives and reasons behind one’s actions.

Intrapsychic conflict A conflict Existing or taking place within the mind or psyche: intrapsychic conflict.

Introjection: The process of incorporating the characteristics of a person or object unconsciously into one’s psyche, often as a defense mechanism

Latent content The hidden meaning of a dream, fantasy, or thought that can be revealed through interpretation of its images or through free association in psychoanalysis.

Libido: A basic energy source in all humans that is directed at maximizing pleasure and surviving.

Manifest content The content of a dream, fantasy, or thought as it is remembered and reported in psychoanalysis.

Oedipus/Electra Complex: The conflict between mingled love and hate for the same-sex parent experienced by boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 6.

Oral character an oral character structure is characterized by traits like greed, dependency, impatience, restlessness and curiosity.

(psychology) A Freudian term applied to persons who have undergone an unusual degree of oral stimulation during the developmental period and are characterized by an attitude of carefree indifference and by dependence on a mother figure.

Oral stage: Associated with incorporation (taking things in), oral pleasure. The child typically knows no boundary between self and other (e.g., mother’s breast), inside and outside, and is defined by a close, dependent link to the mother and nourishment.

Parapraxis A minor error, such as a slip of the tongue, thought to reveal a repressed motive.

Personality Development: the acquisition of new modes of thinking, feeling, and behaving, as well as new modes of reducing tension.

Phallic character The phallic character traits seen in bipolar fashion include: gregariousness-isolation; courage-timidity; happiness-sadness; brashness-bashfulness; vanity-self contempt; pride-humility; stylishness-plain simplicity; flirtatiousness-heterosexual avoidance; chastity-promiscuity

Phallic stage (psychoanalysis) the third stage in a child’s development when awareness of and manipulation of the genitals is supposed to be a primary source of pleasure

Pleasure principle: The demand of the unconscious id for gratification of desires.

In Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, the pleasure principle is the driving force of the id that seeks immediate gratification of all needs, wants, and urges. In other words, the pleasure principle strives to fulfill our most basic and primitive urges, including hunger, thirst, anger, and sex. When these needs are not met, the result is a state of anxiety or tension.

Preconscious The memories or feelings that are not part of one’s immediate awareness but that can be recalled through conscious effort

Primary process: In Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, the primary process works to resolve tension created by the pleasure principle. Rather than act on dangerous or unacceptable urges, the id forms a mental image of a desired object to substitute for an urge in order to diffuse tension and anxiety.

Psychoanalysis: is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud. As a technique of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis seeks to discover connections among the unconscious components of patients’ mental processes. The analyst’s goal is to help liberate the patient from unexamined or unconscious barriers of transference and resistance, that is, past patterns of relating that are no longer serviceable or that inhibit freedom.

Secondary process: in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, the secondary process discharges the tension between the ego and the id that is caused by unmet urges or needs. The secondary process functions through the ego’s action of looking for an object in the real world that matches the mental image created by the id’s primary process.

Super Ego: (Tharney) the third structure of the personality to develop; acquired by means of the process of learning; represents the internalization of society’s values, morals and standards; it’s Ego ideal rewards appropriate behaviors and it’s conscience punishes inappropriate or unacceptable behavior; operates on the basis of the Perfection (morality) Principle.

Theoretical Basis:
the theory is based on the words and actions of patients seen in analytic treatment; Freud published detailed case studies on some of his many patients to illustrate some of his important concepts.

Unconscious the part mind composed mainly of repressed motives and thoughts

Lecture on “Psychoanalytic Theory”

Introduction

It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand any other developmental theories (or their corresponding models of psychological functioning), without first assimilating and understanding Sigmund Freud’s theory, and his model of “psychodynamics“. All subsequent “psychodynamic theories” were strongly influenced by Freud’s work, and their views can be seen as modifications, expansions, or revisions of Freud’s earlier work. The “Learning Theory” and “Phenomenological” models are based on attempts to address the shortcomings and criticism of “Psychoanalytic Theory”.

In the fields of personality psychology, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology, no other individual has stimulated more interest, critical thought, scholarly activity, and more clinical research, that Sigmund Freud. Freud used structural, developmental, and motivational constructs to describe the complexity of human personality functioning. Many of the developmental theorists, that will be discussed later, focus their criticism, elaborations, modifications or revisions of Freud’s work on one or more of these constructs. It is important for the beginning student in developmental psychology to distinguish between these types of constructs and thus appreciate how Freud relied on a complex integration of all three in order to explain personality development and psychological functioning. The psychoanalytic approach to personality assumes that ones personality is the end product of its own history; that past acquisitions continue to effect further psychological development; that study of the development of each aspect of the personality can provide information about man that cannot be obtained in any other way; and that personality develops in distinct “stages”.

Freud’s theory also states that in both normal and abnormal development, the major characteristics of personality are permanently established in early childhood, through each child’s pleasures and frustrations in various developmental stages. Freud used the term “fixations” to refer to childish traits that become permanent features of one’s later personality. These fixations result form the stunting of growth, as a result of either excessive frustrations or excessive indulgence of a child’s needs, during a particular phase of development. Reverting (either temporary or long term) to earlier, more childish, immature, or more primitive forms of thought, expressions or behavior, is referred to as “regression“.

According to Freud, certain regions of the body, at particular times, are of prominent psychological significance, and so are the specific pleasures that result from the satisfaction of needs associated with these regions which he referred to as “erogenous zones” of the body. Healthy gratification of these needs leads to normal development, while either indulgence of too much frustration leads to fixation. The result of fixation is a particular type of character which can be identified by a set of traits or a “personality syndrome“. Every person can be described by one or more of these character types, and depending on which traits assume a dominant role, whether the person will be normal or abnormal. Freud also believed that sexual instincts strongly influenced the development of personality and emotionality, and therefore, he spoke of human development in terms of “Psychosexual Stages“. It should be noted, however, that Freud equated “sexuality” with any “sensual” pleasure (i.e., thus using the term “sexuality” in a much more general way that it is commonly used). In addition to survival, sexuality is the other major motive in life.

Freud’s developmental theory emphasizes the animalistic nature of the child. He contended that the child is more animal than human. Sensual interest, concerns and experiences and pleasures almost completely occupy the physical and psychological functioning of the infant and child. The “more human processes” such as higher mental functioning, more complex emotional states, learned interest, acquired attitudes, and the skills of social and interpersonal functioning, are not yet present. Freud held that all of child’s needs (including the need for loving care) are sensual (i.e., sexual), and therefore, the child is viewed as a highly sexual (sensual) animal, much like beast of the wild. Freud related the needs and functions of the child to the “erogenous zones” of the body: the oral region, the anal region, and the genital region. Consider, from a Freudian perspective, the nature of the physical stimulation and satisfaction that infants and children receive: feeding, changing, bathing, touching, rocking, patting, hugging, kissing, and physical movement and manipulation of the body.

While Freud also recognized the more typical types of learning (such as conditioning, associative learning, and even insight learning), he did not choose to address or add anything to these concepts, but adhere to his original developmental concepts (some of which may be considered learning principles) as a way of emphasizing that we must not forget that man is fundamentally animal, and that man’s “animal tendencies” should not be forgotten or rejected as “foreign” to human beings.

Developmental Constructs

Freud’s growth model of development states that in the normal developmental process there is continuing growth and development in personality and character, so that the adult is distinctly different from the child. In this view, traits and characteristics acquired in infancy and early childhood become permanent features of one’s personality, and once these personality components are established, they are highly resistant to change. While much of the personality and character structure are formed by the age of five or six years, it must also be noted that the full development of the personality continues through young adulthood. Specific traits and characteristics, whether normal or abnormal, are formed during each of Freud’s proposed five “Psychosexual Stages” and therefore the mature personality requires adequate development during all the stages (including the last stage). Therefore, the point is that although much of one’s personality is formed early in life, mature heterosexuality most certainly doesn’t occur in a six year old child. Freud believed that human personality develops is distinct stages early in life, and is often criticized for his strict “determinism” (his belief that personality becomes fixed in childhood years and cannot be changed b learning or maturation); and his failure to consider significant changes in the adult personality (other that by means of therapeutic intervention).

Freud’s developmental stages include the Oral Stage, the Anal Stage, the Phallic Stage, the Latency Stage, and the Genital Stage. In his view, first impressions and earliest experiences make the strongest impressions because they cannot be compared to previous experiences. These “prototypic” experiences are the most outstanding, complete, and perfect examples of something (i.e., people, situations, things, or events). Therefore, the purest form of anxiety (an utter sense of apprehension, isolation, and helplessness), the purest form of fear (utter dread and sense of terror), would occur early in life because the young child has not developed any defenses against such overwhelming emotions, and has nothing to compare such experiences to. Thus, early in childhood, emotions are not under control; motive and needs reach high intensities; perceptions are easily distorted; cognitive elaboration and rational evaluation have not yet developed; utilization of “defense mechanism” to facilitate adjustment is not yet possible; and the ability to control environmental circumstances and inner psychic reactions are still lacking. All of these factors make the early years of life difficult and extremely significant in emotional growth, personality development, and character formation.

The Psychosexual Stages

It would be helpful at this point to briefly turn our attention to describe the five psychosexual stages, the related personality characteristics that are associated with each, and the particular erogenous zones of the body specifically associated with the first three biologically base “pregenital stages“.

The Oral Stage

The oral stage encompasses the first 12 to 18 months of postnatal development and during this stage the mouth is the central focus of many of the infant’s physical and social activities, and the major source of pleasure, satisfaction, conflict, and frustration. This is the first of the biologically based stages and is further divided into two phases: the dependant (or incorporative)
phase and the aggressive
(or assertive)
phase. In the order of their appearance, the principle modes of oral functioning are: sucking, spitting out, biting, chewing, and shutting the mouth so that nothing can be put in it. Thus the development sequence related to oral functions progresses from passive incorporation, through active participation, to rejection. Fixation can occur at any point in the sequence. A number of “oral character” traits have been distinguished in a bipolar fashion, and it should be noted that either extreme, hinders normal development, and an “intermediate” position is considered to be the most desirable (normal).

The “Oral Character” Traits

Theses traits include: passivity-manipulativeness (passive aggressive); admiration-jealousy (envy); optimism-pessimism; self confidence-self doubt (self belittlement); and gullibility-suspiciousness. Some individuals may be identified as a specific oral type character by singling out their most outstanding or pivotal traits (i.e. “oral dependent” or “passive aggressive” type oral character).

The Anal Stage

The anal stage extends from 18 months to about 3 to 3 ½ years, covering roughly the period of early socialization and toilet training. It is during this stage that the child becomes aware of, and derives pleasure sensations from, the expulsion and retention of bodily waste. This second of the biologically based stages is also divided in to two phases: the expulsive
(or impulsive)
phase and the retentive (or compulsive) phase, each constituting approximately half of this stage.

The anal stage is considered to be important in the continuing development of the ego because the child is beginning to develop feelings of independence and autonomy, and gradually developing conscious voluntary control over bodily functions in compliance with adult (societal) expectations. In addition, the child is acquiring attitudes toward its own body (and natural bodily functions); the basic life orientations of holding on and letting go; and the necessity of socially acceptable and socially cooperative behavior. Therefore, toilet training needs to be conducted cautiously in order to avoid indulgence or frustration during the process.

The “anal character” traits may be said to reflect characteristics ranging from
“expulsive” sloppiness and disorganization (impulsivity), to “retentive” cleanliness and orderliness (compulsivity).

The “Anal Character” Traits

The “anal character” traits viewed in bipolar form includes: generosity-stinginess; messiness-neatness; expansiveness-constrictedness; acquiescence-stubbornness; obedience-defiance; punctuality-tardiness; rigidity-flexibility; meticulousness-dirtiness; organization-confusion; giving-withholding; and precision-vagueness. Individuals demonstrating clusters or groupings of these and other related traits, may be classified as either an “expulsive” (i.e., impulsive) or a “retentive” (i.e. compulsive) anal character type.

The Phallic Stage

The phallic stage extends from about 3 years to 5½ years or 6 years of age, and is a period of development during which the genital region of the body becomes the primary source of pleasure, tension, “conflict“ and “anxiety“.

The preschool child demonstrates curiosity and inquisitiveness about sexuality and sexual differences. The parental reaction to the child’s preoccupation with genital region of the body during this stage should be neither too restrictive nor too liberal so as to avoid both frustration and indulgence. Since it is during this stage of development, that the child comes into contact with a growing number of people (i.e., the extended family and persons outside the family), the development aspects of the phallic stage involve the child’s emerging self-concept, self-referent feelings, self-assertion, and interpersonal relationships with others. It is also during this stage that the child begins to recognize, identify, and differentiate between, male and female roles, and subsequently begin to assume his or her appropriate role (i.e. sex appropriate behaviors, attitudes and characteristics). It is also during the latter part of this stage that the male children are said to experience the “Oedipus Complex” and the female children to experience the “Electra Complex” as a crucial part of normal development.

The Oedipus Complex

The Freudian concept of the Oedipus complex refers to the development of an emotional triangle within the family (mother, father, child) in which the male child develops an emotional attachment and a sexual attraction for his mother and feelings of competitiveness and rivalry for his father. The rivalry with the father figure leads to internal conflict within the child because the father becomes respected, revered and feared (due to the experiences of wh