Studied by 0 people
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?
psychic determinism
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?
displacement
sublimation
denial
projection
reaction formation
intellectualization
rationalization
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 _______
unconscious attraction to same-sex partners
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 ___________
hatred or discrimination
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?
actions
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?
anxious-ambivalent
avoidant
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
