Neo-Freudian/Psychosocial Perspective

3 major differences between Freudian and Neo-Freudian thought

* sex is less important
* not main focus for neo-freudians
* less focus on the unconscious
* freud believed conscious processing was masking unconscious impulses
* less emphasis on instinctual drives and mental life, and more on interpersonal relationships

What is Ego Psychology?

* branched from psychodynamic theory; focuses more on perception, memory, learning, and rational conscious thinking.
* the psychology of “i” “i am perceiving, i am learning”
* the ego is a representation of who you think you are and how you understand yourself.
* looks more like current mainstream psych.

How does ego psychology differ from Freudian Psych?

* Ego is more conscious concept, compared to how freud believed it operated as preconscious, and conscious

the ego’s function is to?

make sense of everything a person experiences.

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e.g: memories that you use to make decisions today

Jane Loevingers story of ego development

* focus is on ego
* how someone understands themselves in relation to other people.
* then trying to understand what other people/society wants from us and our own wishes; and then also other peoples’ wishes
* Ego is trying to understand and conceptualize these things.
* not everyone will get a fully formed ego.
* how does one become an individual in respect to both societal and parental pressures.
* \*this is based on western individualistic ideals, not collective.

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* FROM HERE JUST EXTRA INFO

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* ind. learns from environment, culture, and people in their life
* begin to learn self-control, based on punishment and rewards, taught by their parents/surroundings
* they learn what is expected of them by their culture/group, and act with those expectations.
* where they actually are vs. where they should be (criticism) people typically don’t go past this stage.
* standard set by cultures typically
* ind have internalized roles of society
* but their are special circumstances that should be considered when making judgement
* e.g:murder, acceptable during self-defense
* people have diff views and beliefs from you, and that’s okay.
* after thats it’s just self - fulfillment, acceptance and respect for others and yourself.
* ego has high self-acceptance and sympathy for others, appreciates individuality.

Alfred Adlers’ main difference from Freud

* motivation was due to social influence and striving for superiority and success
* freud believed more sex drive, primal instincts
* believed people are responsible for who they are, and what they do
* freud believed that childhood experiences shape and drive individuals later in life
* present behaviour is caused by peoples view of future
* freud believed present behaviour was determined by past experience
* psychologically healthy people are aware of what they’re doing and why
* freud focused more on unconsciousness
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Adlers main foundation of work

* people are “blessed” to be born in weak and inferior bodies
* as a baby, someone has to do everything for you making you feel inferior
* causes drive to become independent
* motivates people to overcome inferiority

Organ Inferiority

* the idea that adults are motivated to succeed in something that they felt in childhood was their weakest aspect, they are compensating for their inferiority.
* e.g: a child who was unhealthy and overweight works out and becomes healthy.
* indirect compensation would be trying to make up for where they lack
* e.g: a kid who sucks at math compensates by becoming funny

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compensate for sucking at something/feeling incompetent

Masculine Protest

* Urge in adulthood to compensate for the lack of power one felt as a child. so they attempt to make power.
* seen in women as well.

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compensate for feeling weak, not being to protect/feel power

Alfred Adler developed what type of psychology?

* individual psychology
* created distance from Freud

Adlers 6 tenets of individual psychology

* one dynamic force behind people’s behaviour is striving for success or superiority
* people’s subjective perceptions shape their behaviour and personality
* personality is unified and self-consistent
* the value of all human activity must be seen in the pov of social interest
* the self-consistent personality structure develops into a person’s style of life
* style of life is molded by people’s creative power.

to compensate for our inferiority we may strive for s__ __or__ _____? what’s the difference?

* superiority
* unhealthy way to compensate
* personal goals that increase personal gains
* disregards need of other people, trying to rise above people.
* personal worth is how you perceive yourself above ppl (personal credit)


* success
* healthy way to compensate
* what does society need? try to do this in a productive way making you feel equal
* personal worth is tied to contributions to society, focus is social progress

inferiority complex

* abnormally strong feelings of inferiority, which interferes with social useful solutions to life’s problems
* disrupts ability to exist functionally within a society

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e.g: feeling isolated and unsafe, instead of reaching out and trying to make friends, they might assert dominance by being loud, and taking up space.

social interest

the desire to relate positively and productively with other people; oneness with all humanity

there may not be a direst connection between our inferiority and our “final goal”

final goal developed by one’s creative power at around 4-5 years of age

* underlies personality and explains all bheaviour from a more holistic view
* the striving force is innate but the nature/direction, how it will be fulfilled, are due to feelings of inferiority (what made them feel inferior) and the goal of superiority/success (what will they decide on?)

fictions vs. truth

* fictions: a belief or expectation of the future that serves to motivate present behaviour
* the truth of a fictional idea is has no value since the person believes it is the truth
* e.g: becoming a college professor makes society better, doesn’t matter if it actually does cuz it motivates them to overcome the inferiority they felt as a child.
* teleological motivation

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teleology

explanation for one’s behaviour for its function, “whats going to happen in the future if i was to do this type of behaviour?” “how can i achieve this future goal?”

teleology vs. causation

* what behaviour can i do now to reach my future goals
* what in my past has occurred to influence my behaviour now
* behaviours springing from certain cause
* e.g: unresolved oedipus complex.