Lecture 6

Psychoanalytical Traditions

Sigmund Freud

Dynamic approach

Psychological structures

Id, ego and super-ego

Psychosexual stages

Dynamic approach

Drives

basic drives

Psychic energy

Pleasure principle

Drives

Psychic energy

Basic drives

Eros and destructive instinct

Psychic energy

Can be used to achieve goals

can also be transformed into anxiety, which can be seen as physical ailments, dreams and through free association

Pleasure principle

Alleviate tension

Psychological structures

The conscious

The preconscious

The unconscious

The conscious

Awareness

The preconscious

Capable of becoming conscious through mental images or language

The unconscious

The domain of the human mind that isn’t ordinarily accessible

• The unconscious proper

• The repressed unconscious

The repressed unconscious

Holds what was once conscious but has been pushed into the unconscious

Id

Exists at birth

Main source of psychic energy primitive and unchangeable grounds of the mind

The role of the id is to satisfy instinctual needs - pleasure principle

The ego

Develops with the infants realisation of self and the external world

Operates accordingly to the principle and makes possible logic, rationality and self-discipline

The super-ego

Develops at the resolution of Oedipus’ complex when children develop identification with parents

Provides negative control in the form of self discipline

Psychoanalysis aim

Strengthen the ego and modify the super ego if it is harsh or weak

Psychosexual stages

Oral stage

Anal stage

Phallic stage

Period of Latency

Genital stage

Stage 1 (Freud)

Oral stage

Stage 2 (Freud)

Anal stage

Stage 3 (Freud)

Phallic stage

Stage 4 (Freud)

Period of Latency

Stage 5 (Freud)

Genital stage

Oral stage

Salient social and non-social experiences centre around oral concerns

Oral pleasure

Pain from absence of preferred object

Too much gratification → fixation regression

Too little gratification → frequent anxiety, pessimism, seeking oral gratification

Anal stage

Crystalises personality

Psychological need to defecate creates tension - relieved by defecation

Phallic stage

Oral and anal stage set up a patter for solving problem in later life

Possession and absence of the phallus

Oedipus complex

Period of Latency

At the end of the phallic stage children’s personality is set and conflicts are relatively resolved in characteristic ways

Relative calm

Acquired cognitive skill

Assimilate cultural values

Genital stage

Physiological changes bring sexual impulses to the forefront

Love becomes more altruistic

Mechanisms of defence

Unconscious procedures by which the ego tries to prevent unacceptable id material reaching consciousness

• Sublimation

• Repression

• Denial

• Projection

Sublimation

Allows expression of the repressed material by changing aim or content of object desire into something more culturally acceptable

Repression

Threatening material is forced back into the unconscious

Denial

Form of overt and usually emotive denial of the unconscious impulse

Projection

Always involves denial of reality

Involves projecting unwanted traits onto others

Limitations of Freud’s work

• Recollection of childhood and their recent dreams

• Introspection and over interpretation

• Over emphasis on childhood sexuality

• Feminist critique suggests that specific claims about sexuality may reflect the biases of male oriented society

Erik Erikson

8 stages of life

8 stages of life

1. Basic trust vs Basic mistrust

2. Autonomy vs Shame

3. Initiative vs Guilt

4. Industry vs Inferiority

5. Identity and Repudiation vs Identity Diffusion

6. Intimacy and Solidarity vs Isolation

7. Generativity vs Stagnation and self-Absorption

8. Integrity vs Despair

Stage 1 (Erikson)

Basic trust vs Basic mistrust

Stage 2 (Erikson)

Autonomy vs Shame

Stage 3 (Erikson)

Initiative vs Guilt

Stage 4 (Erikson)

Industry vs Inferiority

Stage 5 (Erikson)

Identity and Repudiation vs Identity Diffusion

Stage 6 (Erikson)

Intimacy and Solidarity vs Isolation

Stage 7 (Erikson)

Generativity vs Stagnation and self-Absorption

Stage 8 (Erikson)

Integrity vs Despair

Basic Trust vs Basic Mistrust

Birth to 1 year

Oral sensory stage

Relationship with caregiver is central

Autonomy vs Shame

2-3 years

Learn to master our skills

Shame can result in low self esteem

Initiative vs Guilt

4-5 years

The Oedipus complex is resolved through social role identification

Industry vs Inferiority

6-12 years

Freud’s period of latency

Accomplishing new skills

Identity and Repudiation vs Identity Diffusion

Adolescence

Establishing a sense of self

Developmental shift from ‘what is done to us’ to ‘what we do’

Intimacy and Solidarity vs Isolation

Young adulthood

Seeking companions and love

Generativity vs Stagnation and Self-absorption

Middle adulthood

Care of others and contributing to society

Integrity vs Despair

Late adulthood

Reflection

Significant relationship with mankind