PDE Q3 Lesson 3.1: Sigmund Freud (Psychoanalytic Theory)

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Founder of psychoanalysis, a controversial theory about the workings of the unconscious mind.

Theory of Personality Development

It has (5) psychosexual stages

Oral (first 2 years of life)

Infant finds gratification through stimulation of the lips and the mouth region as in sucking and nursing.

The ___________ is the zone of primary pleasure for the infant

Receptive

involves taking food for the body use or pleasure

Aggressive

biting to represent displeasure

Anal (12-30 months)

The child receives primary pleasure from _______ activities

Toilet training is related to this period

During the second year of life, the child is encouraged to "control" elimination of waste.

Reflexive

pleasurable stimulation from retaining feces

Retentive

tension related to expelling

waste

Anal-retentive Personality

Overly organized and neat.

Anal-expulsive Personality

Messy, disorganized, or destructive.

Phallic (3-6 years)

Child develops an instinctual attraction for the opposite-sex parent

This results in fear of the same-sex parents.

The attraction and fear become/bring severe conflict.

Oedipus Complex

son-mother relationship

Electra Complex

daughter-father relationship

Latency (6 to puberty)

Increased activity with the same sex peers which corresponds with a decrease in heterosexual activity - activities like studying and sports dominate.

Period of repression of sexual desires

Genital (stage of normal adulthood)

The child's basic interest and sources of

EROTIC SATISFACTION becomes CENTERED in

heterosexual behavior.

This stage is characterized by ATTRACTION to the opposite sex.

Fixation

Occurs when there is arrested development or inability to pass to the next stage.

Phallic Character

It is reckless in behaviour and defines his sexual prowess without feelings of love.

Theory of Personality Dynamics

Aims of the motivational and emotional components of personality. According to Sigmund Freud, man inherits the LIFE instinct and the DEATH instinct (LIBIDO and MORTIDO)

Psychoanalytic Theory

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior

Conscious

It consists of thoughts, feelings, and memories that we are actively aware of at any given moment. These are the mental experiences we can easily access and respond to.

Example: If you are currently reading this and thinking about the words, or if you're aware of feeling happy or sad, those thoughts and feelings are part of your conscious mind. You're directly aware of them.

Preconsious

It contains thoughts, memories, and feelings that are not currently in your conscious awareness but can be brought into consciousness with some effort. These are things you could easily access if you tried.

Example: If someone asks you to recall your childhood friend's name, you might not have it at the forefront of your mind, but you can easily retrieve the memory once you think about it. Your knowledge of facts, like the capital of a country, is also preconscious until you need to use it.

Unconscious

It contains thoughts, memories, desires, and experiences that are outside of conscious awareness. These are typically things that are repressed because they may be unpleasant, anxiety-provoking, or socially unacceptable. The unconscious mind can influence our behavior, often without our awareness.

Example: You might have a strong fear of public speaking, but you aren't consciously aware of the specific traumatic event in childhood that caused this fear. That repressed memory is stored in your unconscious, influencing your behavior today. Similarly, if you have unresolved emotions related to a past relationship, these feelings might influence your current relationship choices without you realizing it.