Freud and Sleep Psychology

What is the name of the approach to psychology that Freud created?

Psychoanalysis

What two things did Freud give to the field of psychology?

A comprehensive theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy.

What are the differences between the conscious, unconscious, and subconscious mind?

Conscious holds current awareness; subconscious (preconscious) holds memories easily brought to mind; unconscious holds repressed desires and unacceptable urges.

According to Freud much of our behavior is motivated by…

Unconscious drives, conflicts, and desires, particularly sexual and aggressive urges.

What are the 3 parts of our personality? Which part is present at birth?

Id, ego, and superego. The id is present at birth.

What is the purpose of defense mechanisms? Which part of our personality uses them?

They reduce anxiety by distorting reality; they are used by the ego.

What are the stages in Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development?

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

What two things are present in nearly every psychosexual stage, except the latency stage?

An erogenous zone and a specific psychological conflict.

How does a fixation in the various stages affect your personality?

It causes an individual to become psychologically stuck at that stage, leading to distinct personality traits in adulthood.

What is the oedipal complex?

A boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father.

What is the electra complex?

A girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of her father.

What are Freudian slips?

An unintentional error in speech or action regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.

What are other possible explanations for these slips?

Cognitive fatigue, speech production mechanics, or memory retrieval interference.

What is the purpose of the forms of therapy used by psychoanalysts?

To bring repressed unconscious conflicts into conscious awareness so the patient can resolve them.

How do Neo-Freudians differ from Freud?

They placed less emphasis on sex and aggression and more on social and cultural forces in personality development.

What method of research did Freud use?

Case studies.

How does Freud define someone who is mentally healthy?

Someone who has the capacity to love and to work.

What is the difference between REM and nonREM sleep?

REM involves rapid eye movements, vivid dreaming, and high brain activity; nonREM involves deeper, slower brain waves and physical restoration.

How do REM and nonREM change throughout the night as we sleep?

NonREM sleep predominates early in the night, while REM sleep periods get longer as the night progresses.

Why is dreaming necessary? Meaning how does it help us?

It aids in emotional processing, memory consolidation, and problem-solving.

What is the difference between a nightmare and a night terror?

Nightmares are frightening dreams during REM sleep that are usually remembered; night terrors involve intense panic during deep nonREM sleep with no memory of a dream.

What is sleep paralysis?

A temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when waking up or falling off to sleep, caused by a mismatch in REM sleep timing.

What is the glymphatic system?

A waste clearance system that removes metabolic waste products from the brain primarily during sleep.

How is the prefrontal cortex affected by sleep?

Sleep deprivation impairs its function, leading to poor decision-making, weak emotional regulation, and reduced impulse control.

How is the amygdala affected by sleep?

Sleep loss causes it to become hyperactive, leading to heightened emotional reactivity and stress.

How is the hippocampus affected by sleep?

Sleep is critical for it to transfer short-term experiences into long-term memory storage.

How is serotonin affected by sleep?

Sleep regulates serotonin production, which impacts mood, appetite, and sleep-wake cycles.

How is norepinephrine affected by sleep?

Norepinephrine levels drop significantly during REM sleep, allowing the brain to process emotional memories without stress hormones.