Chapter 6: The Neo-Freudian Theories

reality anxiety

Also known as objective anxiety, which is a response to a perceived threat in the real world..

neurotic anxiety

experienced when unacceptable id impulses are dangerously close to breaking into the consciousnes. It’s the type of anxiety that leads the ego to use defense mechanisms.

moral anxiety

brought about by the superego in response to id impulses that violate the superego’s strict moral code. Generally, experienced as guilt.

defense mechanisms

unconscious processes to cope with anxiety

coping strategies

conscious efforts to cope with anxiety

coping style

a person’s general approach to dealing with stress

repression-sensitization

a personality trait that measures how people deal with anxiety and threats. It is based on a scale that identifies defense mechanisms used to reduce anxiety. The scale was developed by US psychologist Donn Byrne and published in 1961.

repressors

people that try not to think about the situation and thereby succeed in avoiding the anxiety as much or as long as possible.

sensitizers

people who deal with stressful situations by finding out as much as possible, as soon as possible, and thereby put themselves in a position to take the most effective action.

repression

putting something off, deal with it later

problem focused strategies

strategies used to take care of the problem and thereby overcoming the anxiety.

emotion-focused strategies

strategies designed to reduce the emotional distress that accompanies the problem.

avoidance strategies

strategies used to deal with emotions by pushing anxiety-provoking situations out of awareness.

coping flexibility

the ability to effectively utilize different coping strategies.

thanatos

death instinct, desire to destroy ourselves and others

frustration-aggression hypothesis

aggression is always a consequence of frustration, the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposes the existence of frustration and, contrariwise, that the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression.s

sublimation

a defense mechanism in psychology that involves redirecting unacceptable impulses or feelings into socially acceptable activities. It's considered a mature way of dealing with difficult situations and can help reduce negative feelings.

displacement

redirecting aggression to another target

triggered displaced aggression

displaced aggression on targets that may have annoyed the person attacking. Likely to occur when we encounter a minor annoyance that we otherwise would easily tolerate or ignore and when there is a convenient targtet nearby on which we can displace our feelings.

object relations theory

a psychoanalytic theory that explores the relationship between people and their internal images of others. It suggests that a person's behavior is shaped by their interpersonal relationships, rather than biological forces or unconscious desires.

attachment theory

a psychological theory that explores the emotional bonds between people, particularly the bonds between infants and their caregivers. The theory suggests that these early bonds are important and can influence how people perceive and interact with others throughout their lives.

anxious-ambivalent

those comfortable with closeness, also called preoccupied. These individuals lack internal feelings of self-worth, so they seek self-acceptance by becoming close and intimate with others. High fear of abandonment.

secure

adults who are comfortable with closeness and who don’t overly concern themselves about being abandoned

avoidant

sometimes called dismissing, shy away from close relationships. They do not fear abandonment.

disoriented

also called fearful. These adults see themselves as unworthy of love and doubt that romantic involvement will provide much-needed intimacy. They avoid getting close to others because they fear the pain of rejection.