Sigmund Freud and Neo-Analytic Theorists

Vocabulary flashcards covering the theories of Sigmund Freud and New-Analytic theorists like Jung, Adler, and Horney.

Topographical Model

A model dividing the mind into three levels of awareness: the conscious, unconscious, and preconscious.

Conscious mind

What we are currently aware of and the reality we live in.

Unconscious mind

Hidden wishes, drives, and fantasies, often sexual or aggressive, governed by the pleasure principle.

Preconscious mind

The censorship layer that works to keep unconscious thoughts out of awareness.

Structural model

A model describing three interacting psychological functions: the id, the ego, and the superego.

Id

The deeply rooted, animalistic part of the self that is unconscious and operates on pleasure.

Ego

The rational part of the mind that operates on the reality principle and acts as a chariot driver trying to control the id and superego.

Superego

The seat of the conscience and internalized cultural rules, which often causes guilt or shame.

Oral Stage

A psychosexual development stage occurring at ages $0-1$ where satisfaction is gained through sucking and biting; improper development leads to oral fixation.

Anal Stage

A psychosexual development stage occurring at ages $2-3$ focused on potty training; results in anal retentive (neat) or anal-expulsive (messy) personalities.

Phallic stage

A psychosexual stage occurring at ages $4-6$ where the libido moves to the genitals and includes the Oedipus or Electra complex.

Latency and genital stages

Periods where the libido remains dormant until puberty.

Manifest content

The surface content of a dream that disguises the unconscious meaning.

Latent content

The hidden, unconscious content of a dream.

Continuity hypothesis

The modern research support for the idea that dream content reflects waking life.

Denial

A defense mechanism involving the refusal to acknowledge a troubling reality.

Reaction formation

A defense mechanism where a person acts in a way that is the exact opposite of an unconscious impulse.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to someone else.

Displacement

Moving a troubling impulse onto a less threatening object.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable desires into productive work or art, such as an aggressive person becoming a surgeon.

Repression

Keeping impulses out of conscious awareness.

Defensive Pessimism

Preparing for the worst to manage anxiety and prevent disappointment.

Collective unconscious

A term used by Carl Jung to describe a universal layer of the unconscious shared by all humans containing archetypes.

Shadow

A major archetype representing the dark side of the psyche.

Anima/Animus

Archetypes representing the feminine in men and the masculine in women.

Self

The center of the psyche, often represented by a mandala.

Individuation

The process of becoming an individual by shifting the psychological center from the ego to the self.

Drive for power

Alfred Adler's belief that humans are motivated by power rather than sex.

Inferiority Complex

The belief that one is of lower status, leading people to compensate by acting exceptionally bold or aggressive.

Birth order

Adler's argument that a child's position among siblings influences power struggles and personality.

Womb envy

Karen Horney's feminist critique suggesting men may feel envy toward women's reproductive capabilities, challenging Freud's penis envy.

Coping with anxiety (Horney)

Three techniques identified as moving toward (connecting), moving against (competition/aggression), and moving away (avoidance/security).

Object Relations Theory

A theory focusing on how early relationships with objects impact adult personality, leading to attachment theory research.

Split-object Image

The inability to see others as complex, resulting in black and white thinking.