4.5A Psychoanalytic and Humanistic Theories of Personality: Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Theories

Unconscious

the part of the mind that holds thoughts, memories, desires, and feelings that are hidden from our awareness but still influence our behavior

Ego

part of your mind that helps you make smart choices, balances between the id and the superego. Think of it as the mediator

Id

part of your mind that wants things right away, without thinking about rules or consequences

Super ego

part of your mind that knows right from wrong and tries to make you do the right thing, even if it means not getting what you want

Defense mechanism

a way your mind protects you from feeling bad/stressed by hiding or changing uncomfortable thoughts/feelings

Repression

defense mechanism where the mind pushes away scary/upsetting thoughts so you don’t remember them

Psychosexual development

freud’s idea that children go through stages where diff body parts are the focus of pleasure

Fixated

freud’s idea where you become stuck at a stage of psychosexual development

Oral Stage

first stage of psychosexual development. Baby’s pleasure comes from mouth (sucking, biting, chewing) happens from birth to 18 months

Anal Stage

second stage in freud’s psychosexual development, child’s focus is on controlling bathroom habits, happens from 1.5-3 yrs old

Phallic Stage

third stage in freud’s psychosexual development, children from yrs 3-6 start to notice diffs between boys + girls and become more aware of their own bodies 

Oedipus Complex-Castration Anxiety

young boy feels deep attachment for mom, sees dad as rival. Castration anxiety is the fear the boy feels, thinking his father will punish him (by cutting off his gentials) for these feelings.

Electra Complex & Penis Envy

Sigmund Freud’s idea that young girls feel unconscious attraction to their father and jealousy toward their mother. “Penis envy” is Freud’s claim that girls feel inferior because they lack a penis (this idea is widely criticized today).  

Latency stage

A period in Freud’s theory (around age 6–12) when children focus on school, friendships, and hobbies, with little interest in sexual matters.  

Genital Stage

The last stage in Freud’s psychosexual development (starting in puberty), where a person develops mature sexual relationships.  

Projective Test

A psychological test (like the Rorschach inkblot test) where people interpret ambiguous images, revealing hidden thoughts or feelings.  

Neo-Freudians

Psychologists who built on Freud’s ideas but focused more on social and cultural influences (like Jung, Adler, and Horney).  

Carl Jung

A Neo-Freudian who expanded Freud’s ideas, introducing concepts like the collective unconscious and archetypes

Collective Unconscious

Jung’s idea that all humans share a deep, inherited layer of unconscious thoughts, filled with universal symbols and memories.  

Archetypes  

universal symbols or patterns in our thoughts and behaviors that are shared by all humans. They represent common experiences

(ex. a hero facing challenges/ the shadow representing our hidden side)

Alfred Adler

A Neo-Freudian who emphasized social influences and introduced the inferiority complex and compensation

Compensation

When someone tries to make up for weaknesses in one area by excelling in another (e.g., someone short becoming a great athlete). 

Inferiority Complex

A deep feeling of insecurity or not being good enough, often leading to overcompensation to prove oneself.

Karen Horney

A Neo-Freudian who challenged Freud’s views on women and emphasized the role of relationships and anxiety in personality development.

anxiety

A feeling of worry or fear that can be caused by stress, conflict, or unconscious fears. 

Neurotic Trends

Horney’s idea that people develop unhealthy coping strategies to deal with anxiety, such as needing constant approval or being overly aggressive.