basics of psychoanalysis

1. discuss some key ideas of psychoanalysis 2. discuss defense mechanisms and how they are used to deal with anxiety 3. discuss slips and humor 4. discuss current research on attachment theory

what are the two key ideas of psychoanalytic theory?

1. psychic determinism

2. internal structure

what is psychic determinism?

the specific cause of everything that happens in a person’s mind, including everything a person thinks or does

what are the components of the mind’s internal structure?

• id

• superego

• ego

what are defense mechanisms?

techniques the ego uses, not necessarily conscious, to keep certain thoughts and impulses hidden in order to avoid or lessen anxiety

what are the eight defense mechanisms?

1. displacement

2. sublimation

3. denial

4. projection

5. reaction formation

6. intellectualization

7. rationalization

8. repression

what part of the mind does psychic determinism represent?

the unconscious

what is the difference between good and bad jokes?

good jokes are problematic thoughts and impulses that can be enjoyed without causing anxiety while bad jokes have no forbidden impulse

what is denial?

the refusal to acknowledge, or failure to see, a source of anxiety

when is denial best used?

in short-term, initial shock

what is the consequence of denial?

can lead to lack of contact with reality in the long run

what is repression?

banishing the past from your present awareness

how can constant repression be a bad thing?

building up of repression can lead to this breaking of a psychological dam and lose control

what is reaction formation?

acting in a manner opposite to forbidden/threatening unconscious desires, usually illogically strong and out of proportion

fill in the blank: people who have homophobic attitudes are more likely to have a discrepancy between ______ and _______

1. unconscious attraction to same-sex partners

2. what they’re unconsciously aware of

to get at unconscious sexual attraction, what kind of tasks can be used in the lab?

reaction-time tasks

fill in the blank: whenever we have strong feelings of _______ towards other groups, we should ___________

1. hatred or discrimination

2. wonder why

what is projection?

attributing a thought or impulse that is feared in oneself to someone else even if not consciously aware of own attribute

what is rationalization?

creating a rational reason for doing something that would otherwise cause shame

what is the most common defense mechanism?

rationalization

what is trivialization?

convincing yourself that something doesn’t matter

what is intellectualization?

turning an anxiety-provoking feeling into a thought that is cool, abstract, and analytical

when is intellectualization useful?

when the reality is too painful or horrifying to deal with directly

how can intellectualization be problematic?

if reality is not dealt with appropriately

what is displacement?

replacing one object of emotion with another, most commonly channeling impulses to non-threatening objects

how can displacement be a problem?

it doesn’t decrease anxiety/aggression, but it can rather increase it

what is sublimation?

forbidden impulses transformed into constructive behavior (channeling impulses into something good/socially acceptable)

what are the differences between parapraxes and humor?

parapraxes (Freudian slips) are unconsciously spoken while humor is consciously leaked out

what are Freudian slips?

leakages from the unconscious mind that manifest as mistakes, accidents, omissions, or memory lapses; usually the result of repression

what are the two types of Freudian slips?

1. actions

2. speech

what is an accident of a Freudian slip action?

forgetting something at someone’s house if you want to return

what is Freud’s theory of humor?

it is an unconscious conflict that is purposely stated

how did Freud teach catharsis relates to humor?

humor/jokes are pleasurable because it reduces tension and anxiety

what kind of defense mechanism is humor?

sublimation

what are the three types of attachment in children?

1. anxious-ambivalent

2. avoidant

3. secure

how has the value of the strange situation test been established?

in studies that test kids at one years old and then interviewed later about the relationship with their parents 20 years later

what is the key moment in the strange situation experiment?

the child’s reaction to the mother’s return

what is the difficulty facing children with an anxious-ambivalent attachment?

the mom cannot be a consistent base

fill in the blank: when a child learns that he can trust his mother to be available and responsive, he also learns _____

to trust others, understand his own emotions, and how to construe events that happen to him

what is anxious-ambivalent attachment?

inconsistent caregivers make kids vigilant about the mother’s presence

how do anxious-ambivalent attachment children tend to behave as adults?

• clingy

• jealous

• highly emotional

what is avoidant attachment?

kids that don’t appear distressed but there are physiological signs of tension/anxiety often because caregivers rebuff attempts for contact and reassurance

how do avoidant attachment children tend to behave as adults?

• angry self-reliance

• cold

• distant

• untrusting

what is secure attachment?

easily soothed children that actively explore their environment. children have confident faith in themselves and their caregivers

how do secure attachment children tend to behave as adults?

easy to get close and depend on others