Psychology Unit 2, Topic 1: Psychoanalytic Personality Theories

Psychoanalysis

an insight therapy that emphasizes the recovery of unconscious conflicts, motives, and defenses through techniques such as free association and transference

Conscious

consists of whatever one is aware of at a particular point in time

Preconscious

contains material just beneath the surface of awareness that can easily be retrieved

Unconscious

contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness, but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior

Freudian Slip

A preconscious thought unintentionally moves into conscious awareness

Id (Pleasure Principle)

the primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle

Ego (Reality Principle)

the decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle

Superego (Moral Principle)

the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong

Defense Mechanisms

largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety and guilt

Repression

keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious

Displacement

diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target

Rationalization

creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior

Compensation

involves efforts to overcome imagined or real inferiorities by developing one's abilities

Reaction Formation

behaving in a way that's exactly the opposite of one's true feelings

Projection

attributing one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another

Identification

bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group

Regression

a reversion to immature patterns of behavior

Psychosexual Stages

developmental periods with a characteristic sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality

Oral Stage

Conflict: Weaning (from breast to bottle)

Anal Stage

Conflict: Toilet training

Phallic Stage

Conflict: Identifying with adult role models; coping with Oedipal crisis

Oedipus Complex

children manifest erotically tinged desires for their opposite-sex parent, accompanied by feelings of hostility toward their same-sex parent

Latency Stage

Expanding social contacts

Genital Stage

Establishing intimate relationships; contributing to society through working

Personal Unconscious

houses material that is not within one's conscious awareness because it has been repressed or forgotten

Collective Unconscious

A deeper layer that serves as a storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from people's ancestral past. According to Jung, each person shares the collective unconscious with the entire human race.

Introversion

Energy flows more naturally toward their inner world, interested primarily in their own thoughts and feelings, deeply introspective

Extroversion

Energy flows outwardly, focused on the outer world,Tend to be more social and better aware of what is going on around them

Jung's Ego

person's perception (opinion) of self; provides a sense of consistency & direction in our conscious lives

Persona

the way we present ourselves to the world; social roles

Shadow

tendencies, desires, memories, and experiences that are rejected by the individual as incompatible with the persona; the darker self

Anima/animus

cross sexual part of the personality; focus for

material that does not fit an individual's conscious self-image as a man or a woman

Self

representation of the whole person; drive toward

self-realization

Denial

refusing to accept the reality of something that makes you anxious

Sublimation

allows us to act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form

Intellectualization

avoid thinking about the stressful, emotional aspect of the situation and instead focus only on the intellectual component

Fantasy

an attempt to escape into a dream world when conflicts become too overwhelming; daydreams may be a substitute for what a person is unable to accomplish in reality

Striving for Superiority

The driving force in people's lives is a desire to overcome their feelings of inferiority

Feelings of Inferiority

Normal feelings of inadequacy brought on by childhood dependence, which sets off the striving for superiority

Inferiority Complex

a pattern of avoiding feelings of inadequacy rather than trying to overcome their source

Style of Life

The unique way each individual expresses their striving for superiority