Psychology definitions ARG

Unconscious Mind

The part of the mind containing inaccessible thoughts, memories, and desires that influence behavior.

Id

the impulsive, unconscious part of the mind that's driven by pleasure and basic needs, and is the source of a person's desires and impulses. 

Ego

the conscious, realistic part of the mind that mediates between the id and the superego, and makes decisions. 

Superego

the judgmental, moralizing part of the mind that pressures the ego to resist the id's impulses and fit social norms. 

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect against anxiety and maintain psychological balance, including repression, denial, projection, and sublimation.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Freud's theory that personality develops through stages in childhood, each focused on a different erogenous zone (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital).

Oedipus Complex

A concept in the phallic stage where a child has a subconscious desire for the opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward the same-sex parent.

Electra Complex

A concept similar to the Oedipus complex, involving a girl's competition with her mother for her father's affection.

Fixation

A condition where a person remains stuck in a psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflicts, affecting adult behavior and personality.

Transference

A phenomenon where patients project feelings about significant people onto the therapist, providing insight into unresolved issues.

Countertransference

The therapist's emotional reaction to the patient, influenced by the therapist's own background and experiences.

Dream Analysis

A method used by Freud to interpret dreams as a way to uncover the unconscious mind's workings and hidden desires.

Free Association

A therapeutic technique encouraging patients to speak freely to uncover unconscious thoughts and feelings.