Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality

Sigmund Freud: A Brief Biography

• Born in 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia (now Czech Republic), moved to Vienna at age 4.

• Excelled in school, obtained medical degree from University of Vienna.

• Initially trained in neurology, shifted to private practice, treating patients with nervous disorders.

• Studied hypnosis with Jean-Martin Charcot in Paris, leading to his interest in the unconscious mind.

• Published "The Interpretation of Dreams" in 1900, proposing that dreams reflect unconscious motivations.

• Formed the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in 1908 and gained international recognition.

• Fled to London during Nazi persecution of Jews in 1938, died in 1939 after battling cancer.

Fundamental Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory

Basic Instincts: Sex and Aggression

• Freud proposed two basic instincts: the life instinct (libido) and the death instinct (thanatos).

• Libido: sexual and life-sustaining drives.

• Thanatos: instinct toward destruction and aggression, often linked to societal conflict and war.

Unconscious Motivation

• The unconscious mind contains memories and desires not easily accessible, influencing behavior.

• Concepts like repression allow individuals to forget traumatic events, which may resurface later.

Psychic Determinism

• Freud believed that nothing happens by chance; every action is rooted in unconscious motivation.

• Everyday slips (Freudian slips) are seen as expressions of unconscious desires.

Structure of Personality

Id: Reservoir of Psychic Energy

• The id is the primal part of personality, operating on the pleasure principle; demands immediate gratification.

• Represents basic needs and desires, significantly dominant in infants.

Ego: Executive of Personality

• The ego develops to mediate between the demands of the id and reality, operating on the reality principle.

• It works to satisfy id impulses in socially acceptable ways and governs behavior with logic.

Superego: Upholder of Societal Values

• Develops around age five; embodies moral standards and ideals taught by parents and society.

• Utilizes guilt and shame to enforce adherence to societal norms.

Interaction of the Id, Ego, and Superego

• All three structures are in constant dynamic interaction, managing internal conflicts and desires.

• A healthy personality results from a well-balanced interaction where the ego manages the demands of the id and the superego.

Dynamics of Personality

Types of Anxiety

1. Objective Anxiety: Fear in response to a real external threat.

2. Neurotic Anxiety: Conflict between id impulses and ego's control.

3. Moral Anxiety: Conflict between ego and superego—often manifests as guilt.

Defence Mechanisms

• Methods employed by the ego to cope with anxiety and maintain self-esteem include repression, denial, displacement, rationalization, and sublimation.

• Repression blocks unacceptable thoughts from awareness, while denial refuses to acknowledge reality.

• Displacement redirects emotions from a threatening target to a safer one.

Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development

1. Oral Stage (0-18 months): Pleasure focuses on the mouth (weaning conflict).

2. Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years): Control over bowel movements (toilet training conflict).

3. Phallic Stage (3-5 years): Genital awareness and the Oedipus/Electra complex.

4. Latency Stage (6-puberty): Development of skills; sexual feelings are repressed.

5. Genital Stage (puberty onwards): Maturation of sexual interests; focus on relationships.

Personality and Psychoanalysis

• Goal of Psychoanalysis: To make unconscious conflicts conscious; thought patterns and relationships must be explored.

• Techniques: Include free association, dream analysis, and use of projective techniques like inkblots to reveal underlying desires and fears.

Why is Psychoanalysis Important?

• Freud's ideas shaped psychotherapy; concepts like the unconscious and defence mechanisms remain influential.

• Psychoanalysis emphasizes understanding the past's role in shaping current behavior.

• While some theories have faced criticism and revision, many remain integral to psychological concepts today.

Psychoanalytic Research

• Ongoing research seeks to validate and measure the outcomes of psychoanalytic treatments.

• Innovations such as neuropsychoanalysis link traditional psychoanalytic concepts with modern neuroscience.

Beyond Classical Psychoanalysis

• Neo-analytic Theories: Address criticisms of Freud's original theories by focusing on relationships and cultural influences.

• Ego psychology emphasizes the ego's role in self-control rather than merely a mediator for the id and superego.

• Object Relations Theory: Highlights the importance of early relationships rather than just sexual conflicts in personality development.

Evaluation of Psychoanalysis and Freud's Contributions

• Critical debates surround the scientific grounding of psychoanalysis; Freud's reliance on case studies limited broader application.

• However, his theories opened discourse in various fields, influencing areas beyond psychology and fostering new innovations in treatment.

Key Terms: Anal stage, anxiety, blindsight, castration anxiety, conscious, defence mechanisms, denial, displacement, ego, ego depletion, fixation, genital stage, id, latency stage, libido, moral anxiety, oral stage, Oedipal conflict, projection, repression, resistance, sublimation, thanatos, transference.

Psychoanalytic Approaches to Personality

Sigmund Freud: A Brief Biography

• Born in 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia (now Czech Republic) and later moved to Vienna at age 4.

• Education and Early Career: Excelled in school and obtained a medical degree from the University of Vienna. Initially trained in neurology and later transitioned to private practice, where he treated patients with various nervous disorders.

• Influence of Hypnosis: Studied hypnosis under the guidance of Jean-Martin Charcot in Paris, which sparked his interest in exploring the unconscious mind as a key element of psychological treatment.

• Key Publication: In 1900, published "The Interpretation of Dreams," where he proposed that dreams serve as a window to the unconscious motivations and desires of individuals, asserting that they play a critical role in personal psychology.

• Professional Society: Formed the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in 1908, which led to his gaining substantial international recognition as a leading figure in psychology.

• Later Life and Legacy: Fled to London during the Nazi persecution of Jews in 1938; he passed away in 1939 after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind a profound legacy in psychoanalysis and depth psychology.

Fundamental Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory

Basic Instincts: Sex and Aggression

• Life Instinct (Libido): Represents not only sexual desires but also encompasses various life-preserving instincts that drive individuals to seek pleasure and create connections.

• Death Instinct (Thanatos): This darker aspect suggests an innate tendency toward aggression, self-destruction, and conflict, often manifested in societal violence and personal turmoil.

Unconscious Motivation

• The unconscious mind is a repository of repressed memories, desires, and fears, many of which can influence behavior in subtle yet powerful ways.

• Repression Mechanism: A key concept that allows individuals to forget or block out traumatic past experiences, which may emerge later through dreams or altered behaviors.

Psychic Determinism

• Freud introduced the notion that all thoughts, feelings, and actions are determined by previous experiences and unconscious motivations rather than free will; nothing occurs by chance.

• Freudian Slips: Everyday errors in speech or memory that reveal underlying thoughts or feelings that a person may be unaware of.

Structure of Personality

Id: Reservoir of Psychic Energy

• Functions entirely in the unconscious and is guided by the pleasure principle, which seeks immediate gratification of basic desires and needs. Dominant during early infancy, it represents innate pleasures and instincts.

Ego: Executive of Personality

• Develops as a mediator between primal id urges and the realities of social life, operating under the reality principle. It helps navigate the demands of reality while satisfying the id's desires in socially acceptable ways, making it critical for functioning in society.

Superego: Upholder of Societal Values

• Emerges around age five and represents internalized ideals and moral standards, often leading to feelings of guilt or shame when societal rules are violated. It aims to control the id's impulses and encourages conformity to societal norms.

Interaction of the Id, Ego, and Superego

• A dynamic interplay among the three structures leads to personality development, where a healthy balance ensures a well-functioning individual capable of navigating complex social situations.

Dynamics of Personality

Types of Anxiety

• Objective Anxiety: Triggered by external threats and manifests as fear in response to real dangers.

• Neurotic Anxiety: Arises from internal conflict within the mind, particularly between the impulses of the id and the ego's attempts to control those impulses.

• Moral Anxiety: Stemming from conflicts involving the superego, typically resulting in feelings of guilt when one's behavior does not measure up to moral standards or societal expectations.

Defence Mechanisms

• Various strategies employed by the ego to protect the individual from anxiety and maintain a positive self-image, including:

  • Repression: Blocking out distressing thoughts.

  • Denial: Refusal to accept reality or facts.

  • Displacement: Redirecting emotional responses to safer targets.

  • Rationalization: Offering logical explanations for irrational behavior.

  • Sublimation: Transforming socially unacceptable impulses into acceptable actions.

Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development

1. Oral Stage (0-18 months): Infants derive pleasure from oral activities; issues may arise from weaning.

2. Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years): Toilet training becomes the focal point; success leads to feelings of control.

3. Phallic Stage (3-5 years): Focus on genital awareness and the development of the Oedipus or Electra complex, which involves attachment to the opposite-gender parent.

4. Latency Stage (6 years to puberty): Characterized by the suppression of sexual feelings while developing social and academic skills.

5. Genital Stage (puberty onwards): Mature sexual interests emerge, and focus shifts toward healthy relationships with others.

Personality and Psychoanalysis

• Goal of Psychoanalysis: Aims to bring unconscious conflicts to consciousness, enabling individuals to understand and address their underlying thought patterns and emotional issues.

• Core Techniques of psychoanalysis include:

  • Free Association: Patients express their thoughts freely without censorship.

  • Dream Analysis: Interpreting dreams to uncover the unconscious mind's desires and fears.

  • Projective Techniques: Such as the Rorschach inkblot test that reveals hidden emotions and conflicts.

Importance and Influence of Psychoanalysis

• Freud's contributions profoundly shaped the practice of psychotherapy; the concepts of the unconscious and defense mechanisms continue to be pivotal in therapy and psychological assessment.

• Psychoanalysis emphasizes how understanding one's past experiences can illuminate current behaviors and relationships.

• Theories have received criticism for lack of scientific rigor, yet they remain foundational in understanding psychological concepts today.

Psychoanalytic Research

• Ongoing research aims to validate psychoanalytic treatments and understand their efficacy in modern therapeutic contexts, integrating findings from neuroscience into traditional psychoanalytic frameworks.

Beyond Classical Psychoanalysis

• Neo-analytic Theories: Critique Freud’s theories by incorporating the impact of relationships and culture on personality.

• Ego Psychology: Focuses on the role of the ego in self-regulation and adapting to societal demands.

• Object Relations Theory: Highlights the crucial role of early relationships and attachments in personal development rather than merely sexual conflicts.

Evaluation of Psychoanalysis and Freud's Contributions

• Despite debates regarding scientific validity, Freud's theories ignited discussions across various disciplines and fostered innovations in treatment practices, making him a seminal figure in psychology.

Key Terms

• Anal stage, anxiety, blindsight, castration anxiety, conscious, defense mechanisms, denial, displacement, ego, ego depletion, fixation, genital stage, id, latency stage, libido, moral anxiety, oral stage, Oedipal conflict, projection, repression, resistance, sublimation, thanatos, transference.