psycholgy
mid_19
freudm15ppt_1.pptAnnouncements
- Review sheets on elearn: Exam 2 tomorrow
- Today
- Freud’s Theory of
Personality
- More theories of
personality
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Personality: Part 1
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What is Personality?
- A person’s unique pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting that is stable across time and situations
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Unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits
Derives from Latin term “persona”
Theatrical masks worn in ancient Greek dramas
Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory
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WARNING: Freud’s theory contains the following:
- Sexually explicit content
- Sexuality in young children
- Sexist/heterosexist themes
KEEP AN OPEN MIND!
Substitute “pleasure” for “sexual urges” and I think you’ll find the theory much easier to stomach and evaluate objectively.
History of Psychology: Summary
Philosophy & Physiology
1879 – Wundt’s Psychology Lab
Late 19th century
Structuralism (Wundt & Titchener)
Functionalism (James)
Early 20th century
Psychodynamic (Freud)
Behaviorism (Watson & Skinner)
Mid 20th century
Humanistic (Rogers & Maslow)
Cognitive (Piaget, etc.)
Today
Cognitive, Behaviorism, Cultural (Manly), Neuroscience, etc.
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Who was Freud?
- Sigmund Freud
- Vienna, Austria
- Physician
- Interested in trying to understand mental problems (1890-1939)
- Developed an important theory of personality
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Innately bad (nature)
aggression, pleasure-seeking
Manifest in “Freudian slips” & dreams
The most famous of these approaches was the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud
Freud (1856 – 1939) was an Austrian physician who developed his theory while treating people with physical and mental problems
From his work with these patients, Freud began to formulate a theory that centered on early childhood experiences and fantasies
Originally, Freud believed the neurotic symptoms of his adult patients resulted from being sexually seduced by an older person
Things that influence personality according to Freud
- Early childhood experiences
- Coping with unconscious sexual and aggressive desires
- Libido – sexual desire Thanatos – aggressive desires
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Today’s Outline: Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory
- What are the 3 parts of personality?
- How do the parts of personality interact with each other? What is the dynamic between them?
- What are defense mechanisms and what is their purpose?
- How conscious (aware) is each part of personality? Why is an iceberg a good analogy?
- The Psychosexual Stages of Development
- What causes personality problems to develop?
- Evaluation of Freud’s theory
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What are the 3 parts of personality according to Freud?
ID
EGO
SUPER EGO
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Freud’s 3 Parts of Personality
The Dynamics of Personality
How do the id, ego, and superego interact with each other?
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How the id, ego, and superego interact in a nutshell:
- Let’s say you are sexually attracted to a friend. The id nags you about wanting immediate gratification of its sexual desires, but the superego thinks the idea of sex is shocking and bad. The id says, “Go for it!” The superego says, “Gross, don’t think of it again!” The ego says, “I have a plan. Let’s ask him/her out on some dates, share our feelings, and see if we can get them to marry us.”
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Which one is the id?
devil
guy in the middle
angel
Which one is the super ego?
devil
guy in the middle
angel
Dynamics
- Id (little devil)
- must have sex, must fight, must eat more…
- Superego (little angel)
- Sex is bad! Fighting is wrong! Eating too much is bad!
- Ego (problem-solver caught in the middle)
- I have a plan!
- Let’s go out on some dates and try to get this person to marry us.
- Let’s try to talk to the person who made us angry and get them to apologize.
- Let’s eat something healthy.
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What can the ego do to protect itself?
Defense Mechanisms
The ego is always caught in the middle:
Pressure from id -> neurotic anxiety
Threat of punishment from superego -> moral anxiety
Defense Mechanisms
- Any mental process used to avoid, deny, or distort sources of threat (superego) or anxiety (id)
- They basically involve lying to yourself
- Purpose: to protect the ego who is caught in the middle of the id-super ego argument
- These are unconscious – we don’t know we do these!
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Typically work through self-deception
Types of Defense Mechanisms
- Repression – pushing something into your unconscious so you no longer are aware of it
- Regression – using more immature coping methods
- Reaction Formation: (2 parts)
- 1) pushing something you don’t like about yourself into your unconscious so you are not aware of it
- 2) acting out in the opposite way
- Projection – Thinking that other people are feeling a certain way, when in reality YOU are the one who feels that way
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Assumptions about defense mechanisms:
They are normal and universal
When carried to extremes, may lead to compulsive, unhealthy behavior
They operate on an unconscious level
They protect the ego against anxiety
They are helpful to the individual, and generally harmless to society
Repression - underlies all defense mechanisms; banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness (e.g. repressed memory debate)
Regression - retreat to an earlier, more infantile stage of devel; reverse to immature patterns of behavior (e.g. road rage- have temper tantrum when don’t get your way)
Reaction Formation - ego unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites; express feelings that are the opposite of their anxiety-arousing unconscious feelings (e.g. Little boy pulls her hair, but he really likes her; person ashamed of homosexuality is a “homophobe”)
Projection - people disguise their own threatening impulses by attributing them to others (e.g. “He doesn’t trust me” is really “I don’t trust him” or “I don’t trust myself,” or don’t like boss, so assume he doesn’t like you even though you like him)
Rationalization - offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one’s actions (e.g. “I just drink to be sociable,” watch TV instead of studying, so say it wouldn’t help to study anyway)
Displacement - diverts impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person (e.g. father mad at boss, comes home and hits his child, who hits the dog)
Identify the defense mechanism
Your significant other dumps you and your response is to…
…pout.
repression
regression
reaction formation
projection
…say: “(S)He’s miserable without me.”
repression
regression
reaction formation
projection
…yell: “I hate him/her!”
repression
regression
reaction formation
projection
…can no longer remember his/her phone number or picture his/her face.
repression
regression
reaction formation
projection
What do we know so far? What is left?
- What are the 3 parts of personality?
- How do the parts of personality interact with each other? What is the dynamic between them?
- What are defense mechanisms and what is their purpose?
- How conscious (aware) is each part of personality? Why is an iceberg a good analogy?
- The Psychosexual Stages of Development
- What causes personality problems to develop?
- Evaluation of Freud’s theory
How conscious (aware) is each part of personality?
Why did Freud think an iceberg is a good analogy for demonstrating this?
-current thoughts.
-thoughts you can
access at any time;
Memories.
-thoughts so deep
down inside you
you don’t even
know they are there.
Each part of your personality is different in terms of how conscious (aware) it is.
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What’s missing?
preconscious
The next table organizes Freud’s theory of personality into one table…
Freud’s Psychodynamic Personality Structure
| Component | Purpose | Level of awareness |
| Id (biological instincts and urges) | Satisfy sexual and aggressive urges | Unconscious |
| Ego (executive; delays actions until practical/ appropriate) | Helps satisfy the id’s needs while keeping the superego happy | Conscious & preconscious |
| Superego (internalized parent) | Follows social standards | Conscious, preconscious, and unconscious |
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Id - operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification; Demanding, irrational, selfish, and immoral
Superego: Represents internalized ideals; provides an ego ideal and a conscience
Ego - operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain (delays gratification of id’s urges until appropriate outets and situations can be found)
How does personality develop?
Psychosexual Stages of Development
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Psychosexual Stages of Development
- We all progress through the same 5 stages
- These stages are based on age
- During each stage:
- the child has a primary pleasure (erogenous) zone
- there is a task the child needs to accomplish
- If the child is EITHER overindulged (too lenient) or frustrated (too strict) during this task, they can get FIXATED in that stage
- This leaves a lasting mark on the adult personality
Stage 1: Oral Stage
- Age: 0-1 year old
- Pleasure (erogenous) zone: mouth (sucking/nursing)
- Task: feeding/weaning
- 3 possible outcomes:
- Fed too much/too long -> oral fixation
- Fed too little/weaned too early -> oral fixation
- Fed just right -> healthy personality
Stage 2: Anal Stage
- Age: 2-3 years old
- Pleasure (erogenous) zone: anus (bowel control)
- Task: potty training
- 3 possible outcomes:
- Too early/strict -> anal fixation
- Too late/relaxed -> anal fixation
- Just right -> healthy personality
Stage 2: Anal Stage
- Age: 2-3 years old
- Pleasure (erogenous) zone: anus (bowel control)
- Task: potty training
- 3 possible outcomes:
- Too early/strict -> anal fixation
- Too late/relaxed -> anal fixation
- Just right -> healthy personality
Stage 3: Phallic Stage
- Ages: 3-6 years old
- Pleasure (erogenous) zone: genitals (masturbation)
- Task: Oedipus Complex (boys)
- Boys sexually desire their mother until a threatening father scares the boy into not doing that anymore
- Now boy wants to be like father
- Possible outcomes:
- Problems -> Unresolved Oedipus Complex (problems with parents and future sexual relationships)
- Just right -> boy identifies with father and this allows his SUPER EGO to develop (he internalizes his father)
King Oedipus, without knowing it, killed his father
and married his mother.
Stage 4: Latency
- Ages: 6-12 years
- Nothing happens during this stage
- BIG CRITICISM OF THIS THEORY
- Do you think ages 6-12 years had no effect on your personality?
Stage 5: Genital Stage
- Ages: puberty
- Pleasure (erogenous) zone: genitals (sexual activity)
- Task: establishing mature sexual relationships
- Possible outcomes:
- Problems -> unhealthy sexual relationships
- Just right -> healthy sexual relationships
Psychosexual Stages of Development
| Psychosexual Stage | Erogenous Zone (area of pleasure) | Key Tasks & Experiences |
| Oral (0-1) | Mouth (sucking, biting) | Feeding/Weaning |
| Anal (2-3) | Anus (elimination) | Toilet training |
| Phallic (3-6) | Genitals (masturbation) | Coping with Oedipus by identifying with adult role model to avoid castration (girls resolve Electra complex and penis envy by identifying with mom) |
| Latency (6-12) | None | Expanding social contacts |
| Genital (puberty onward) | Genitals (being sexually intimate) | Establishing mature sexual relationships |
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Psychosexual stages – developmental periods with a charactristic sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality
At each stage, they experience conflicts associated with erogenous zones
These are areas of the body that give rise to sexual sensations when stimulated
ORAL - infant’s instincts focus on the mouth as the primary pleasure center
ANAL- Children learn to control the immediate gratification they obtain through defecation; learn to respond to some of parents’ and society’s demands
Phallic - This complex involves unconscious wishes to have sexual intercourse with one parent. During the Oedipus complex the child wants to “remove” or kill the other parent
During the complex, a boy develops hostility toward his father
This rivalry produces castration anxiety
During the same stage girls develop penis envy
The Oedipus complex is resolved by identifying with the same sex parent
This leads to the acquisition of a superego
Fixation
- Fixation: you get emotionally stuck in a stage because of either overindulgence (too much) or frustration (too little) gratification
- Oral fixation
- Oral dependent – wants to be mothered
- Oral aggressive - biting sarcasm, cynical and aggressive
- Anal fixation
- Anal-retentive – rigid, orderly (holding-on)
- Anal-explosive - messy, disorderliness (letting-go)
- Phallic
- Phallic personality - promiscuous, narcissistic, vain
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Fixation - a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, where conflicts were unresolved
Evaluating Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory
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What are the best parts of Freud’s Theory of Personality?
- Pros
- Widely accepted that people use defense mechanisms
- Importance of early childhood
- The idea that humans develop in stages
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What are the worst parts of Freud’s Theory of Personality?
- Cons
- Latency stage: we learn a lot ages 6-12 yrs
- Sexist: what about girls? Penis envy?
- Single parent families and the Oedipus Complex?
- Heterosexist– excludes other sexual orientations
- NOT SCIENTIFICALLY BASED OR TESTABLE
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What have we learned today?
- What are the 3 parts of personality?
- How do the parts of personality interact with each other? What is the dynamic between them?
- What are defense mechanisms and what is their purpose?
- How conscious (aware) is each part of personality? Why is an iceberg a good analogy?
- The Psychosexual Stages of Development
- What causes personality problems to develop?
- Evaluation of Freud’s theory
