Personality - Chpt. 9 - Psychoanalytic Approaches

Intrapsychic approach

Therapists attempt to help people by making the unconscious conscious.

Libido

Refers to the life instinct in Freud's theories.

Thanatos

Refers to the death instinct in Freud's theories.

Unconscious

The largest part of the human mind according to psychoanalytic theory.

Ego

The part of the mind responsible for giving the id a 'reality check'.

Superego

The part of the mind that internalizes society's values, morals, and ideals.

Neurotic anxiety

Jack is probably suffering from this due to his aggressive impulses and worries.

Reaction formation

The defense mechanism employed by Lindsey, who feels strong sexual impulses but acts prudish.

Defense mechanisms

Various strategies that serve to defend oneself against anxiety.

Anal stage

Freud might describe Geoffrey as being fixated at this stage due to his obsession with organization.

Latent content

Refers to the hidden meaning behind what people experience in their dreams.

Sigmund Freud

Had medical training and treated people with 'nervous disorders'; believed past experiences shape present mental state.

Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Theory

Parts of the mind are outside of conscious awareness and can affect conscious thoughts and behavior.

Psychic energy

Motivates all human activity.

Basic Instincts

Initially includes self

The Parts of the Mind

Includes conscious, preconscious, and unconscious; the unconscious is most important to psychoanalytic theory.

Carl Jung

Introduced the concept of collective unconscious, which is inherited unconscious content common across the human species.

Archetypes

Expressions of human nature, such as the fear of the dark.

Iceberg metaphor

Illustrates the motivated unconscious that can affect conscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Psychic Determinism

'Nothing happens by accident'; every act, thought, and feeling is an expression of the mind.

Freudian slip

Looks like an accident but may have hidden meaning, reflecting repressed thoughts/feelings.

Structure of Personality

Psychoanalytic Personality Theory explains how people cope with sexual/aggressive instincts within societal constraints.

Id

Primitive part of the mind that operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification.

Anxiety

An unpleasant state signaling that something must be done; felt when control of ego is threatened.

Types of Anxiety

Includes objective (response to real threat), neurotic (conflict between id and ego), and moral (conflict between ego and superego).

Psychosexual Development

Stage theory where instinctual energy is invested in different body parts, and failure to resolve conflicts leads to fixation.

Oral Stage

Birth to 18 months; key conflict is weaning, which might explain desires for nurturing and behaviors like smoking or nail biting.

Phallic Stage

3-5 years; Child discovers he/she has/doesn't have a penis; Sexual desire directed toward opposite sex parent - Oedipal/Electra conflict

Latency Stage

6 years to puberty; little psychological development occurs, focus on skill and ability development.

Genital Stage

Puberty to adulthood; libido focuses on genitals and involves sex/reproduction without specific conflict.

Psychoanalysis

Deliberately altering personality to make the unconscious conscious and resolve unconscious conflicts.

Free Association

A technique where the patient says whatever comes to mind.

Dream Analysis

Involves manifest content (what you see) and latent content (hidden meaning).

Evaluating Freud's Contributions

Influenced modern therapy and contemporary theory, but faced many criticisms for being unscientific and not generalizable.