Neo-Freudians, Object Relations, and Current Research chp 11

Freudian Theory

The theory of the human mind developed by Sigmund Freud, emphasizing the role of unconscious processes, early childhood experiences, and the significance of sexual and aggressive instincts.

Object Relations Theory

A modern school of psychoanalysis focusing on how early attachments, especially with parents, influence perceptions and relationships with others, highlighting the importance of mental images called objects.

Attachment Theory

A psychological theory that examines how attachments to significant others, known as attachment figures, impact individuals' responses to stress and relationships, emphasizing the role of early bonding experiences.

Neo-Freudian Thought

The perspectives of post-Freudian psychologists who deviate from Freud's emphasis on sexual and aggressive instincts, placing more importance on interpersonal relationships, conscious thought, and general motivations toward life and creativity.

Ego Psychology

A branch of psychology that concentrates on conscious thought processes, perception, memory, learning, and rational thinking, diverging from classic psychoanalysis by focusing on the ego's role in understanding reality and development.

Masculine Protest

Adler's concept of overcompensating behavior in adults, particularly men, to prove dominance, power, and masculinity due to feelings of inadequacy or inferiority as children.

Style of Life

Adler's term for an individual's unique mode of behavior shaped by compensations for perceived childhood inferiorities.

Collective Unconscious

Jung's belief that all people share inborn human memories and ideas, including basic images called archetypes, residing in the unconscious.

Persona

Jung's concept of the social mask individuals wear in public, which may lead to identifying more with the persona than the real self.

Anima and Animus

Jung's idea of the idealized images of the female (anima) and male (animus) held in the mind, influencing psychological makeup and responses to the opposite sex.

Extraversion-Introversion

Jung's distinction between people oriented toward the external world (extraverts) and those turned inward (introverts), a dimension found in personality research.

Four Ways of Thinking

Jung's classification of rational thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting as fundamental ways individuals process information and make decisions.

Basic Anxiety

Horney's concept of the fear of being alone and helpless in a hostile world, leading to neurotic needs and self-defeating behavior.

Psychosocial Development

Erikson's theory emphasizing conflicts experienced at different life stages, such as basic trust versus mistrust and autonomy versus shame and doubt.

Identity Crisis

Erikson's stage where adolescents strive to establish a sense of self and values, choosing goals that are personally meaningful and consistent.

Generativity versus Stagnation

Erikson's concept where individuals in middle age face the conflict of either settling into passive comfort or turning their concerns towards the next generation.

Integrity versus Despair

Erikson's final crisis in old age where individuals must choose between regretting past mistakes or developing wisdom and finding value in their life experiences.

Object Relations Theory

A psychoanalytic approach focusing on how individuals relate to others through mental images, emphasizing that these images may not always match reality, and exploring the impact of relationships on psychological development.

Transitional Object

Coined by Winnicott, these objects like blankets or stuffed animals hold emotional significance for children, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality, providing comfort, and aiding in the transition to independence.

False Self

Winnicott's concept where individuals, including children and adults, adopt a persona to please others, potentially at the cost of their psychological integrity, serving as a protective shield for the true self.

Object Relations Theory

A psychoanalytic study focusing on interpersonal relations and the unconscious images and feelings associated with important people in an individual's life.

Neo-Freudian Psychology

The psychoanalytic work influenced by Freud's theory, encompassing various theorists and researchers.

Ego Psychology

A modern school of psychoanalytic thought emphasizing the ego's role in mediating between the id and superego impulses.

Organ Inferiority

Adler's concept in psychoanalysis suggesting that individuals strive for success in adulthood to compensate for perceived childhood weaknesses.

Masculine Protest

Adler's idea in psychoanalysis indicating that certain adult urges compensate for feelings of powerlessness in childhood.

Collective Unconscious

Jung's proposition in psychoanalysis stating that all individuals share unconscious ideas due to human species history.

Archetypes

Fundamental images in Jung's psychoanalysis, such as "the earth mother" or "the hero," present in the collective unconscious.

Persona

In Jung's psychoanalysis, the social mask individuals wear in public interactions.

Anima

Jung's concept representing the typical female in the mind of a male.

Animus

Jung's concept representing the typical male in the mind of a female.