CHAPTER THREE
OUTLINE
I.
The Neopsychoanalytic Approach - Jung
A.
Analytical Psychology
1.
B.
C.
Freud perceived Carl Jung as his spiritual heir for Freud’s perception of
psychoanalysis. However, Jung went on to develop a theory of personality that
deviated from Freud. Jung called his theory analytical psychology. Jung disagreed
with Freud’s emphasis on the role of sexuality. Jung also believed the libido should
be defined by psychic energy rather than always rooted in sexual themes. Jung
believed that human beings are shaped by our future as well as our past. Jung was
added a new dimension to the unconscious: the inherited experiences of human and
prehuman species.
The Life of Jung
1.
Jung was born in Switzerland into a family that included nine clergymen. Jung
experienced an unhappy childhood, with a relationship with his father that was close
but who was perceived as weak and moody by Jung. Jung’s mother was more
controlling, but emotionally unstable. Jung became wary of women, based on the
odd character of his mother.
2.
Jung isolated himself from his family by withdrawing into a world of fantasies and
dreams. These dreams, from a very early age, would shape his theory of personality.
To Jung, the interpreting of dreams allowed the exploration of the unconscious.
Jung’s theory reflects his life and how he would avoid other children. His loneliness
is reflected in his theory, which focuses on the inner growth of the individual rather
than on relationships with other people.
3.
Jung studied medicine at the University of Basel with a specialty in psychiatry.
Jung later developed a private practice in Zurich and conducted research using his
word-association test to investigate the emotional reactions of his patients.
4.
After developing a significant reputation on his own, Jung met Freud in 1907. They
became close friends and Freud literally “adopted” Jung as a son and heir to Freud’s
ideas of psychoanalysis. Freud and Jung went to the United States where Freud
received an honorary doctorate. Eventually, Jung had his own ideas and unique
view of personality, which conflicted with the views of Freud. Jung believed that
middle age was a time of great crisis in personality development, not childhood.
Jung’s theory was more rational and used data provided by his patients to reinforce
his theories. Jung explored different cultures to broaden his understanding of human
nature. By the time he was 86, Jung was popular for his analytical approach to
psychology and many of his works became known in the United States.
Psychic Energy: Opposites, Equivalence, and Entropy
1.
Jung used the term libido in two ways: first, as a diffuse and general life energy, and
second, for a perspective similar to Freud’s, as a narrower psychic energy that fuels
the work of the personality which he called the psyche. Drawing his ideas from
physics, Jung proposed three basic principles: opposites, equivalence, and entropy.
The principal of opposites is a conflict of polarities and becomes the primary
motivator of behavior and the generator of energy. Jung also believed in the
principal of equivalence where he stated that energy expended in bringing about
some condition is not lost but rather is shifted to another part of the personality. The
principle of entropy, (which comes from physics); refers to equalization of energy
differences. Jung believed these laws of psychic energy gave a human being
balance or equilibrium in their personality.
D.
The Systems of Personality
1.
According to Jung, the ego is the center of the consciousness, the part of the psyche
concerned with perceiving, thinking, feeling, and remembering. Jung believed that
psychic energy could be channeled internally (introversion), or toward the outside
world (extraversion). Extraverts are open, sociable, and socially assertive, while
introverts tend to be withdrawn and are often shy. Jung also believed that everyone
had the capacity for both attitudes, but only one would become dominant in the
personality.
2.
Jung developed eight different kinds of extraverts and introverts. These refer to
different and opposing psychological functions of sensing, intuiting, thinking, and
feeling.
3.
The personal unconscious in Jung’s system is similar to Freud’s conception of the
preconscious. This is stored information which may have been forgotten or
suppressed because it was trivial or disturbing. A person is able to retrieve this
material readily from memory and then return it at a later period in time. As we file
more and more of these experiences, we begin to put them in groups. These groups
are called complexes. A complex is a core or pattern of emotions, memories,
perceptions, and wishes organized around a common theme. These complexes may
be conscious or unconscious, harmful, or useful.
4.
The deepest and least accessible level of the psyche is the collective unconscious.
These are universal experiences inherited from previous ancestral generations. We
inherit the potential to have fears or are predisposed to behave and feel the same
ways as generations of our ancestors have in their lives. Jung believed people have
always had a mother figure who typically behaves in a nurturing and supportive
manner. Jung discovered these concepts as he studied ancient cultures, both
mythical and real. Jung also described how his patients, in their dreams and
fantasies, recalled and described for him the same kinds of ancient symbols and
themes which he believed was carried in each person’s unconscious mind.
5.
The ancient experiences contained in the collective unconscious are manifested by
recurring themes or patterns Jung called archetypes. Jung proposed such
archetypes as the hero, the mother, the child, God, death, power, and the wise old
man. The persona archetype is a mask, a public face we wear to present ourselves
as someone different from who we really are. The psyche of the woman contains
masculine aspects (the animus archetype), and the psyche of the man contains
feminine aspects (the anima archetype). Both of these archetypes should be
expressed in men and women, or Jung believed one would be one-sided in their
personality. The shadow was Jung’s most powerful archetype. The shadow
contains the basic, primitive animal instincts and therefore has the deepest roots of
all archetypes. The shadow is the source of evil in which we are to overcome, but
not totally suppress or we would become dull and lifeless, according to Jung. The
self-archetype represents the unity, integration, and harmony of the total
personality. Jung believed that we must strive towards wholeness as the ultimate
goal in life. This is most crucial in middle age as we make goals and plans for our
lives for the future.
E.
F.
The Development of the Personality
1.
Jung believed we develop and grow regardless of age and are always moving
toward a more complete level of self-realization. The ego begins in early childhood,
where a child is just a mere reflection of the parents. Parents urge or help a child to
be an extension of themselves. When puberty comes, the psyche is marked by
demands, difficulties, and the need to adapt. From the teenage years through young
adulthood, they are concerned with education, a career, getting married, and starting
a family. Middle age, according Jung; may be a time of personal crisis, where life
may lose its meaning. This is an inevitable time of transition where a person goes
through necessary and beneficial changes. Middle age is when we begin the process
of realizing or actualizing the self.
2.
Individuation, involves becoming an individual, fulfilling one’s capacities, and
developing one’s self. To strive for individuation, middle-aged persons must
abandon the behaviors and values that guided the first half of life and confront their
unconscious, bringing it into conscious awareness and accepting what it tells them to
do. The true self is revealed through this process. One the psyche’s structures are
individuated and acknowledged, and then transcendence can occur. Transcendence,
according to Jung; is an innate tendency toward unity or wholeness in the
personality, uniting all the opposing aspects within the psyche.
Questions About Human Nature
1.
G.
Jung believed the ultimate and necessary goal of life is the realization of the self.
We rarely achieve this goal, but are highly motivated to strive for it. Jung’s theory
is more positive and hopeful than Freud’s theories. Progress does not stop in
childhood, but continues throughout life.
Assessment in Jung’s Theory: Word Association, Symptom Analysis, and Dream Analysis
1.
Jung used both science and the supernatural in his assessment of personality. Jung
formed his personality theory on the basis of his patient’s fantasies and dreams, his
explorations of ancient languages, alchemy, and astrology. Jung believed his
patient’s fantasies were real to them and accepted them at face value.
2.
Jung used the word-association test, where a subject responds to a stimulus word
with whatever word came to mind. Jung used word association to uncover
complexes in his patients.
3.
Symptom analysis focuses on the symptoms reported by the patient and is based on
the person’s free associations to those symptoms, according to Jung.
4.
Jung was concerned with more than the causes of dreams in his use of Dream
analysis. Jung would work with a series of dreams, where he believed he could
discover recurring themes, issues, and problems that persisted in the patient’s
unconscious.
5.
H.
An assessment instrument related to Jung’s personality theory is the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is widely used for research and applied
purposes, especially employee selection and counseling.
Research in Jung’s Theory
1.
Jung used the case study method as did Freud. Jung called his method Life-history
reconstruction. As with Freud, Jung’s data did not rely on objective observation
and were not gathered in a controlled and systematic fashion. Jung did not keep
verbatim records of his patient’s comments, nor did he attempt to verify the
accuracy of his patient’s reports. Jung’s data was subjective and unreliable. His
work has been criticized for the use of his own dreams and visions. Most of the
research relates to the use of the MBTI in this section.