Psychoanalytic perspective

Flashcards based on lecture notes about Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis.

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst

Conscious Level

Elements about which a person is currently aware; contents can be articulated verbally and thought about rationally.

Preconscious Level

Represents elements in ordinary memory—those outside of current attention; contents are easily brought to current awareness.

Unconscious Level

Elements of the mind that are actively kept from consciousness; a repository for images, feelings, and ideas associated with anxiety, fear, and pain.

Id

Original part of personality; present at birth; embodies inherited, instinctive, and primitive aspects of personality; tied to biological functions; operates entirely in the unconscious.

Ego

Evolves out of the id because Id functions cannot deal effectively with objective reality; operates primarily at the conscious and preconscious, but also at the unconscious.

Superego

Embodiment of parental and societal values; arises from complex feelings resulting from relationships with parents; operates at all levels of consciousness.

Pleasure Principle

Asserts that the true purpose of life is the immediate satisfaction of all needs; unmet needs result in a state of aversive tension.

Reality Principle

Introduces a sense of rationality and logic into personality functioning; behavior is governed by an external, objective world.

Goals of Superego

Inhibits any Id impulse that would cause disapproval from parents; forces ego to act morally, rather than rationally; guides person toward perfection.

Drives of Personality

Energy used in psychological work is released through biological processes through the Id

Life or Sexual Drives (Eros)

Concerned with survival, reproduction, and pleasure; Examples: Hunger, pain avoidance, sex. Energy resulting from Eros = “Libido”.

Death Drives (Thanatos)

The goal of all life is death; usually held back by Eros.

Catharsis

The release of the tension resulting from an unmet drive.

Ego Strength

Ability to function effectively, despite conflicting forces between Id demands, Superego demands and external environment

Reality Anxiety

Fear of something real in the world.

Neurotic Anxiety

Fear of punishment resulting from Id impulses getting out of control

Moral Anxiety

Fear of violating moral/ethical codes arising from Superego

Defense Mechanisms

Tactics developed by ‘ego’ to deal with anxiety, operate unconsciously and distort, transform, or falsify our world view

Repression

Unconscious act of forcing something out of consciousness.

Suppression

Conscious repression

Denial

Refusal to believe event took place or condition exists.

Projection

Ascribing unacceptable impulses, desires, or qualities to someone else.

Introjection

Taking on board attitudes, feelings, behaviors of some significant other person.

Rationalisation

Finding a reason/excuse for behavior done for unacceptable reasons.

Intellectualisation

Thinking in a cold, analytical, or detached way about things that normally evoke distress.

Reaction Formation

Guards against expression of unacceptable impulse by replacing it with its opposite.

Regression

Giving up mature coping styles in favor of those from earlier stages of psychosexual development in which they fixated.

Dissociation

Defensive disruption in normally occurring connection between feelings & thoughts, behaviour and memories, evoked in order to reduce psychological distress

Displacement

Redirection of emotion, impulse, or preoccupation from initial object to another.

Sublimation

Transforms Id impulses, wishes etc. into socially acceptable forms

Manifest Content

Actual sensory images in dreams

Latent Content

Meaning underlying the dream