Ch 4

Dream Interpretation

The process of assigning meaning to dreams, often reflecting unconscious thoughts and desires.

• The notion that dreams contain hidden psychological meaning

Meaning behind dream content

• What we dream about provides clues about what's in our unconscious

• Dreams represent unconscious preoccupations

  • Unresolved conflicts we struggle with beneath our awareness surface during sleeping hours

Recurrent Dreams

Dreams that keep appearing night after night, often representing unresolved conflicts.

• Consistent with the observation that recurrent dreamers are more likely to suffer from anxiety during waking hours than people who don't experience recurrent dreams

• Most recurrent dreams include situations where the dreamer is in danger or threatened

Function of Dreams

To allow symbolic expression of unconscious impulses, providing a safe outlet for conflicts.

• Dreaming appears to serve some positive psychological functions

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect against anxiety and guilt.

Identification

the defence mechanism that people associate themselves with powerful and successful individuals

• By unconsciously identifying with powerful others, we lessen our feelings of inadequacy and helplessness

Denial

consists of disavowing certain facts (e.g., failure to acknowledge reality to distorting one's memory), reducing the anxiety associated with a traumatic event

Projection

 protects us from threatening anxiety by attributing unacceptable thoughts and feelings to someone else

e.g., you cheating but then accuse your partner of cheating due to the anxiety you feel because of your own actions

Defensive Style

The reliance on specific defense mechanisms, which can indicate general well-being; maladaptive use of immature defenses in adulthood is often associated to interpersonal and psychological issues.

Freud's Theory of Humor

Focuses on tendentious jokes that reveal insights into the unconscious of both the teller and the audience.

1. Jokes about hostility

2. Jokes about sex

jokes about hostility

• Aggressive jokes allow the expression of impulses ordinarily held in check

  • Insulting jokes allow us to express aggressive desires in a socially appropriate manner

Jokes about sex

• Open discussions about sex are often inappropriate in social settings, yet jokes about sex are often not only tolerated but encouraged and rewarded

Why do we make these jokes?

 tension reduction, or catharsis

• Descriptions of aggressive or sexual behavior create tension

• The punchline allows a release of that tension

• We get pleasure from many jokes because they reduce tension and anxiety, not because they're clever or witty

Psychoanalytically influenced theory: Neodissociation Theory

A theory proposing that during deep hypnosis, consciousness splits into an altered state, where one part is unaware of the other, the 'hidden observer,' which remains aware of reality.

Socio-cognitive Theory of Hypnosis

Hypnosis functions through social and cognitive processes, where actions rely on expectations; odd behaviour is driven by expectancy, motivation, and concentration.

• individuals can perform nothing under hypnosis that they can't without it

Hypnotic Responsiveness

The extent to which a person reacts to hypnotist suggestions, influenced by attitude, motivation, and expectancy.

• the more motivated people are to experience hypnosis, the more responsive they will be

• Essentially: people tend to act under hypnosis the way they think they are supposed to act