SIGMUND FREUD

 

Core Characteristics

 

I. ID, has energy called libido.

       A. Life instincts, ex., hunger, thirst, & SEX

B. Death instincts, which through displacement cause human aggression

 

       The Id is guided by

              A. The Pleasure Principle (tension reduction of the libido is pleasurable).

              B. Primary Process Thought (dream-like fantasy)

 

II.EGO, begins development at about 6 mo. is guided by

              A. The Reality Principle (knows external reality), and

              B. Secondary Process Thought (logic and reasoning).

 

 

 

 

III. SUPEREGO, which comes from being rewarded and punished (like the conscience)

       Rewards produce the Ego Ideal; punishments produce the Conscience

 

       The Superego produces anxiety by remembering previously punished actions. Anxiety is a tension that we always want to reduce.

 

A.    Reality anxiety

 B. Neurotic anxiety

 C. Moral anxiety

 

The Ego functions to find realistic objects of gratification for the ID that are morally acceptable to the Superego.

 

Core Tendency: The Ego works to maximize instinctual gratification (Id demands) while minimizing anxiety and guilt (Superego demands) by using defense mechanisms.

 

The Ego forms a cathexis for objects that reliably produce tension reduction of libidinal energy.

The Superego forms a counter-cathexis to block energy discharge until a realistic and morally acceptable object of gratification is found.

 

Development occurs during the PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES

       Fixation during a psychosexual stage is undesirable. Fixation occurs when the Id is over gratified or under gratified. Fixation is incomplete personality development.

 

I. ORAL STAGE

       A. 0 mo.- 6 mo. Oral incorporative (erotic, dependent)]

       B. 6 mo.- 1 yr. Oral aggressive (sadistic)

 

II. ANAL STAGE: 1 YR. TO 2-3 YR.

       C. Anal retentive (under gratify)

       D. Anal Expulsive-aggressive (over gratify)

 

READ: CHAPTER 2

 

III.PHALLIC STAGE: 3 YR. TO 5-6 YR.

       This is the time of the OEDIPUS/ELECTRA complex

       D. Phallic Character #1-no labels (over gratification)--a dramatic, histrionic person

       E. Phallic Character #2-no label (under gratification)--a withdrawn, schizoid person

 

The latency period lasts from 5-6 yrs. until puberty.

 

 

IV. GENITAL STAGE; puberty till death

       F. GENITAL CHARACTER- the most “mature” personality type.

 

When stressed during adulthood, people regress back to their psychosexual stage of fixation.

 

DEFENSE MECHANISMS are all unconscious, and they deny or distort reality.

 

Conscious: What we are aware of in the present time

Preconscious: Memories that can be recalled with sufficient cues.

Unconscious: Memories forced into the unconscious (and very difficult to retrieve) because they are very anxiety provoking. Also, certain psychological processes (e.g., ID functions and defense mechanisms) are unconscious.

 

The ID is completely unconscious. The Ego and Superego have functions that are conscious, preconscious, and unconscious.

 

Major defense mechanisms

Oral Stage

 IDENTIFICATION, INTROJECTION,

 PROJECTION, DENIAL

 

Anal Stage

 RATIONALIZATION,

 REACTION-FORMATION

 

 

Phallic Stage

 REPRESSION versus Suppression (which is not a defense mechanism). This general conceptualization, found in most text books, is in fact not accurate. Freud used the terms “Repression” and “Suppression” interchangeably. Prior to 1915, defenses could also operate consciously or unconsciously. Only in theorizing after 1915 were defense processes unconscious.

 

Genital Stage

DISPLACEMENT, SUBLIMATION,

REGRESSION

 

PERIPHERAL PERSONALITY TYPES

 

1. ORAL DEPENDENT

2. ORAL AGGRESSIVE

3. ANAL RETENTIVE

4. ANAL EXPULSIVE

5. PHALLIC “HISTRIONIC, NARCISSUS” TYPE

6. PHALLIC “SCHIZOID” TYPE

7. GENITAL TYPE-- The best that we can be is, “Arbeiten und Lieben”

 

 

Freud’s Clues to the Unconscious

       1. Hypnosis: Anna O was a famous patient of Freud’s who suffered from a conversion disorder, known as “hysteria” in those days

       2. Slips of the tongue.

Read: Freud, Ch. 2 & Jung, Ch. 3

       3. Psychoanalysis-causing transference, the goal is insight. The client’s neurotic misery is transformed into ordinary unhappiness. Time magazine, Feb. 13, 2006, pp. 58-67: “Happiness Isn’t Normal

       4. Dreams: Latent Content>is transformed by Dreamwork into>Manifest Content

 

 

Freud believed that his lack of acceptance was due to his ideas disappointing peoples’ lofty views of themselves. So Freud classified himself with these great thinkers

 

1. Galileo--”The earth is not the center of the universe”

2. Darwin,--”Human beings are the biological cousins of the apes”

3. Freud,--”Human rationality and intelligence is caused and determined by our biological structure, which is primarily sexually motivated.”