11. Psychoanalytic Theories

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis—the idea of talking therapy

Psychic energy

a source of (limited) energy within each person that motivates all human activity.

Instincts

strong innate forces that provide all the energy in the psychic system, including self-preservation instincts (aggression) and sexual instincts.

Libido

the life instinct

Thanatos

the death instinct

Conscious

contains thoughts, feelings, and images about which one is presently aware.

Preconscious

contains information one is not presently thinking about, but can be easily retrieved and made conscious.

Unconscious

part of the mind holding thoughts and memories that one is unaware of, the largest part of the human mind.

Motivated unconscious

unconscious material that can "leak" into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without conscious awareness.

Psychic determinism

the belief that there is a reason behind every act, thought, and feeling, and that unconscious causes can be discovered.

Psychoanalytic personality theory

concerns how people cope with their sexual and aggressive instincts within the constraints of civilized society.

Id

the dark, inaccessible part of personality that is the source of all drives and urges, operating under the pleasure principle.

Superego

the conscience, the source of guilt and shame, internalizing values, morals, and ideals of society.

Ego

the negotiator and problem-solver of personality that guides behaviour based on the constraints of reality. It mediates between the id, superego, and "environmental affordances."

Psychoanalytic theory & anxiety

Anxiety is an unpleasant state which is a result of conflict between the ego and reality, impulses from id, or harsh controls exerted by superego.

Objective anxiety

anxiety that occurs in response to real, external threats to a person.

Neurotic anxiety

anxiety that arises from conflict between the id and ego, trying to rein in unacceptable desires from the id.

Moral anxiety

anxiety that arises from conflict between the ego and superego, trying to manage shame and guilt from the superego.

Defense mechanisms

unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect itself, minimize anxiety and distress, and protect the person from unacceptable thoughts or impulses.

Repression

a defense mechanism in which a person forgets something they experienced because it is too painful.

Denial

a defense mechanism in which a person refuses to believe something.

Regression

a defense mechanism in which a person reverts to an earlier stage of development.

Projection

a defense mechanism in which a person misattributes their own feelings or thoughts to others.

Reaction Formation

a defense mechanism in which a person holds back an unacceptable urge and displays behavior that indicates the opposite impulse.

Displacement

a defense mechanism in which a threatening or unacceptable impulse is redirected from its original source to a less threatening target.

Rationalization

a defense mechanism in which a person generates acceptable reasons for outcomes that might otherwise appear socially unacceptable.

Sublimation

a defense mechanism in which a person channels their feelings into acceptable outlets, such as art or exercise.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Freud's theory that all people pass through a series of stages in personality development, each with its own developmental task and libidinal energy in a specific body part (erogenous zone).

Oral stage

the first stage of psychosexual development, focused on the mouth, where the developmental task is to develop ego and learn to delay gratification through weaning.

Anal stage

the second stage of psychosexual development, focused on the anus, where the developmental task is to develop self-control through toilet training.

Phallic stage

the third stage of psychosexual development, focused on the genitals, where the developmental task is the development of the superego and the adoption of gender roles.

Latency stage

the fourth stage of psychosexual development, a "quiet period" where sexual interests are suppressed and same-sex friendships develop.

Genital stage

the fifth and final stage of psychosexual development, focused on the genitals, where the developmental task is to attach libido to real external objects and learn to love others.

Fixation

getting stuck in a particular stage of psychosexual development due to unresolved conflicts, which can lead to personality traits and behaviors associated with that stage.

Dream analysis

a method used in psychoanalysis to interpret the latent content of dreams and gain insight into unconscious sources of problems.

Free association

a method used in psychoanalysis where the patient relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, allowing potentially important material into conscious awareness.

Projective techniques

techniques such as the Rorschach inkblot test used in psychoanalysis to reveal unconscious material.

Hypnosis

a method used in psychoanalysis to access and explore the unconscious mind.

"Talking cure"

the process of psychoanalysis where the psychoanalyst offers interpretations of psychodynamic causes of problems to gain insight into the unconscious source of problems.

Resistance

obstacles created by the patient that hinder progress in psychoanalysis.

Transference

the patient's reaction to the therapist as if they were a person in their own life, a key concept in psychoanalysis.

Repressed issues

unresolved issues that tie up psychic energy and can manifest in dreams, accidents, humor, symbolic behavior, and Freudian slips.