psychoanalysis

7.6

psychoanalytic theories

theories of personality development, human behavior and experience determined by forces over which we have very little control over/are generally unaware of
by Sigmund Freud

psychoanalysis

Freud’s techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

unconscious

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

ego

the largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality

id

part of the human personality that is made up of all our inborn biological urges that seeks out immediate gratification

superego

the part of personality that, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

psychosexual stages

the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones

oral stage

obtaining pleasure from the mouth via sucking, biting, swallowing.
0-1 years
no gratification will result in
underfed → oral passive: trusting & dependency (addiction)
overfed → oral aggressive: dominating & aggressive

anal stage

pleasure obtained by learning to control bodily wastes.
1-3 years
no gratification will result in
too harsh → anal retentive: tidiness, obsessiveness, mean, stubborn
too lax → anal expulsive: messiness, generosity

phallic stage

pleasure zone in our genitals and we are focusing on coping with incestuous feelings
3-5 years
no gratification will result in unusual relationships with parent(s), sexual anxiety, inadequacy, inferiority, envy

latency stage

suppress sexual interest - play mostly with same sex peers
5-12 years

genital stage

adult sexuality; feeling more comfortable with the mature understanding of what sex means and what is about
comfort and maturity in expressing with the sexual feelings towards others
adolescent +

oedipus complex

boys have feelings of love towards mothers and feel hostile their fathers

electra complex

girls develop penis envy and love towards fathers, but feel hostile towards mothers

identification

the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos

fixation

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

free association

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

repression

banishing anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.
eg: war veterans with ptsd not recalling details of the war

regression

an individual faced with anxiety retreats to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated
eg. child sucking thumb when anxious on the first day of school

reaction formation

the ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses to their opposite
people may express feelings that are opposite of their unconscious feelings
eg. saying you hate something/someone you secretly really like

projection

people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

rationalization

offers self-justification explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions

displacement

shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person
redirecting anger toward a safer outlet
eg. kicking a trash can when angry

denial

people refuse to believe or even perceive painful realities
a river in africa

collective unconscious

this is our supposedly common collection of images that we have gained together as human beings from our ancestral & evolutionary past

archetypes

major structural components of the collective unconscious
universal pattern or predispositions that structure how all humans consciously and unconsciously adapt to their world

anima

the hidden feminine side of man
based on men’s collective experiences with women throughout time 

animus

the hidden masculine side of woman

inferiority complexs

consists of feelings of not measuring up to standards, a doubt and uncertainty about oneself, and a lack of self-esteem