[Exam 2] Ch5: Psychoanalytic Approach - Neo-Freudian Theory

What are the points of agreement with Freud and the Neo-Freudians?

• Unconscious = key determinant of behavior ON EXAM

• Importance of early childhood experiences on personality development (except neo-freudians also emphasized later development, unlike Freud)

• Acceptance of defense mechanisms and dream interpretation

Alfred Adler (1870-1937) - main beliefs?

• believed all humans are frail and weak

• humans develop feelings of inferiority (inferiority complex)

• we strive for superiority (to be better for ourselves, not necessarily to mke others feel inferior)

• parenting styles (pampering and neglect) can lead to personality problems

• birth order is significant

inferiority complex

extreme inferiority feelings in poorly adjusted people; can lead to learned helplessness

According to Adler, how do well adjusted vs poorly adjusted people turn out in their strive for superiority?

Well adjusted people turn altruistic, while poorly adjusted people become egocentric and/or develop an inferiority complex

According to Adler, what are the types of parenting styles and how do they affect us?

can lead to personality problems

• Pampering - too much attention/protection and little punishment from parents

  • As adults…they struggle with responsibilities, learned helplessness, and act entitled

• Neglect - not enough attention from parents

  • As adults…they are self-reliant, reserved, interpersonal problems/trust issues, etc

According to Adler, how is birth order important?

• 1st born - initial attention from parents; pampering is short-lived; very strong feelings of inferiority; problem child

• Middle - more positive assessment; never really pampered; strong drive for superiority; most well-adjusted ON EXAM

• Last - pampering throughout life; strong feelings of inferiority

Carl Jung (1875-1961) - area of psychology? main focus?

• developed analytical psychology ON EXAM

• studied the levels of unconsciousness

  • main focus: personal and collective unconsciousness; archetypes (anima, animus, shadow)

According to Jung, what are the levels of unconscious?

• Personal - contains repressed thoughts, forgotten experiences, and undeveloped ideas

  • Can rise to consciousness if triggered; similar to Freud’s unconscious

• Collective - contains memories and behavior patterns inherited from past generations

  • includes archetypes (anima, animus, and shadow)

What is an archetype? What are the types?

• Archetypes - thought forms/collective memories; ex. Moms (how they should behave), death, etc

  • Anima - feminine archetype in the male; ex. A man taking a bubble bath

  • Animus - masculine archetype in the female; ex. A woman cuts her hair short

  • Shadow - dark side of the personality

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) - area of psychology? contribution to psychology?

• ego psychology ON EXAM

• developed the stages of psychosocial development

ego psychology

placed importance on the ego

What is the idea behind the stages of psychosocial development? Name the stages in order?

at each stage a conflict/crisis has to be resolved; how we resolve these conflicts shapes our lives

1. trust vs mistrust

2. autonomy vs shame/doubt

3. initiative vs guilt 

4. industry vs inferiority

5. identity vs confusion 

6. intimacy vs isolation 

7. generativity vs stagnation

8. integrity vs despair

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Trust vs Mistrust

• Stage 1. birth to 1 ½ years old (infancy)

• has to determine if love and care will be constant, if not this will result in mistrust/anxiety

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Autonomy vs Shame/Doubt

• Stage 2. 1 ½ to 3 year old (toddler)

• doing things (ie getting dressed by yourself, but with gentle support from parents

• if not achieved, results in shame/doubt

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Initiative vs Guilt

• Stage 3. 3-6 years old (early childhood)

• helping/getting involved

• if not achieved, results in guilt

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Industry vs Inferiority

• Stage 4. 6-12 years old (middle childhood)

• sense of confidence and being able to solve problems

• if not achieved, will result in inferiority

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Identity vs Confusion

• Stage 5. 12-18 years old (adolescence)

• finding sense of self

• if not achieved, will result in confusion

• most criticized stage (who knows who they are at 18 years old?) ON EXAM

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Intimacy vs Isolation

• Stage 6. 20-40 years old (young adulthood)

• focus on finding genuine/romantic relationships

• if not achieved, will result in isolation

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Generativity vs Stagnation

• Stage 7. 40-65 years old (middle adulthood)

• have you contributed to future generations (ie having children, volunteering, etc)

• if not achieved, results in stagnation

Describe the Psychosocial Development Stage: Integrity vs Despair

• Stage 8. 65+ (late adulthood)

• are you satisfied with the life you have lived

• if not, will result in despair

What are the ways Karen Horney (1885-1952) differed from Freud?

• Thought Freud overemphasized sex drives

• Environmental factors (specifically human relationships) are most important influence in shaping personality

What was Horney’s belief on anxiety?

• Anxiety - believed to be a stronger motivating force than sexual desires; originates in childhood (from parenting behavior)

  • Neurotically infested homes - children develop coping strategies to deal with anxiety

According to Horney, what are they types of neurotic styles?

• Moving toward people (submission) - emphasize helplessness; dependent on others (seeks acceptance); as adults, need to be liked/approved of by other

• Moving against people (aggression) - handles anxiety by fighting; pushes around/hurts other people; as adults, exploits others/wants power

• Moving away from people (detachment) - tunes out outside world; strives for self-sufficiency and independence; as adults, avoids affection, love, and friendship

According to Horney, how do neurotic styles affect a person in the short run? in the long run?

• In the short run…strategies help children deal with anxiety

• In the long run…affects adulthood (usually results in unsatisfying relationships)

Henry Stack Sullivan (1892-1949) - main focuses of interest?

• personifications (personifications of the self - good me, bad me, not me)

• developmental epochs

According to Sullivan, what are personifications?

mental images of other people and ourselves; develops during early childhood

• Ex. good mother (represents warmth and tenderness) vs bad mother (anxious mom; evokes anxiety)

• personifications of the self

According to Sullivan, name and describe the personifications of the self?

• Good me - includes positive, anxiety reducing characteristics; organized around experiences with mother that were rewarding/approved of; exists at conscious level

• Bad me - associated with anxiety; organized around experiences with the mother that weren’t rewarding/were disapproved of; exists at conscious level

• Not me - associated with extreme anxiety; threatening aspects of of self; exists at unconscious level

According to Sullivan, what are developmental epochs?

• 7 distinct stages

• emphasis on interpersonal relationships rather than biological changes

• satisfying, non-anxiety relationships increase likelihood of being a healthy adult

Name and describe the 7 developmental epochs’ stages.

• Stage 1.) Infancy (0-1 y/o) - child and mother relationship

• Stage 2.) Childhood (1-5 y/o) - peer interactions; where we develop good/bad/not me

• Stage 3.) Juvenile (6-8 y/o) - complex peer interactions and relationships with authority figures

• Stage 4.) Preadolescence (9-12 y/o) - same-sex friendships

• Stage 5.) Early Adolescence (13-17 y/o) - opposite-sex relationships

• Stage 6.) Late Adolescence (18 y/o-early 20s) - long-term relationships

• Stage 7.) Adulthood - long-term and career relationships

Name the strengths and weaknesses of Neo-Freudian theories

• Strengths

  • Elaboration of Freud’s work

  • Emphasized importance of personality development beyond early childhood

  • Emphasis on social development

  • More optimistic approach

• Weaknesses

  • Not much empirical work (systematic research)

  • Reliance on earlier theorists

  • Observations  of a small number of people - usually disturbed