7.6 – Psychoanalytic Theories of Personality

Freud’s parts of the mind

• Id

• Superego

• Ego

Id

seeking part of the unconscious operating on immediate gratification {devil}

Superego

standards in life and morals, restrains the id {angel}

Ego

executive decision marker, listens to id and superego, functions on delayed gratification {main character}

Freud’s psychosexual stages

each has a stage with a conflict, if not resolved→fixation

• Oral

• Anal

• Phallic

• Latency

• Genital

Oral

pleasure from oral stimulation like sucking and chewing (birth→18 months)

Anal

pleasure in learning to control bowel movements (18 months→ 3 years)

Phallic

seek genital stimulation and begin sexual identification (M or F) of parents (3→6 years)

Latency

sexual feelings remain hidden (6 years → puberty)

Genital

sexual pleasure comes from sexual behavior (puberty and on)

Freudian Defense Mechanisms

• Denial

• Repression

• Rationalization

• Projection

• Reaction Formation

• Displacement

• Regression

• Identification

• Compensation (substitution)

• Sublimation

Denial

refusing to recognize/acknowledge the situation

Example of Denial

denying being an alcoholic

Repression

pushing conflicts events out of conscious memory

Example of Repression

not remember being bullied in 2nd grade because it was so traumatic

Rationalization

making acceptable excuse for unacceptable behavior

Example of Rationalization

cheating is OK because online school is tough

Projection

placing one’s own unacceptable thoughts onto others, as if belonged to them

Example of Projection

I’m not attracted to my sister’s husband, she’s attracted to me

Reaction Formation

forming opposite reaction/emotion to unacceptable

Example of Reaction Formation

you want to go to prom with a nerd, but tell your friends she’s ugly

Displacement

expressing feelings that would be threatening to real target onto less threatening one

Example of Displacement

getting fired by boss, then picking fight with your girlfriend

Regression

falling back on childlike patterns to cope with stress

Example of Regression

4-year old wetting bed when parents bring baby home

Identification

trying to be like someone else due to anxiety

Example of Identification

I’m anxious, so let me dress like the popular girl

Compensation (substitution)

making up for inferior areas by being superior in others

Example of Compensation (substitution)

dumb jock being amazing at football but sucking at academics

Sublimation

making socially unacceptable behavior → acceptable

Example of Sublimation

an aggressive person teacher karate for a living

Collective unconscious/archetypes

• Carl Jung

  • Memories shared by all humans

Inferiority complex

• Alfred Alder and Karen Horney

  • we constantly strive for feelings of superiority

Birth order theory

• Alfred Alder

  • firstborn children feel inferior to younger children who receive attention; become overachievers

  • middle children feel superior to dethroned older children, as well as younger children; tend to be very competitive

  • younger children feel inferior because they don’t have the freedom or responsibility of older children

5 Big Traits

• Paul Costa and Robert McCrae

• Main traits:

  • Openness

  • Conscientiousness

  • Extraversion

  • Agreeableness

  • Neuroticism

Openness

Low score to high score

• practical, conventional → imaginative and curious

Conscientiousness

Low score to high score

• impulsive, disorganized → organized, hard-working

Extraversion

quiet, reserved → outgoing, adventurous

Agreeableness

critical, uncooperative → helpful and empathetic

Neuroticism

calm, secure → anxious, unhappy