Sigmund Freud
The Psychoanalytic Approach
Background
 Began
as a physician
 In seeing patients, began to formulate
basis for later theory

Sexual conflicts were primary cause of all
neuroses
Instincts
 Basic
elements of the personality
 Life instincts: Serve purpose of survival

Libido: Pleasurable behaviors
 Death
instincts: Uncs drive to death and
destruction

Aggressive drive: Compulsion to destroy,
conquer, kill
Levels of Personality
 Conscious:
Ordinary everyday meaning
 Preconscious: Between 2 layers

Memories of which we are not consciously
aware, but can be easily called into
consciousness
 Unconscious:
Instincts, wishes and
desires that direct all behaviors
3 Part Model of Personality

Id



Ego



Pleasure principle
Instinctual
Reality principle
Mediator between id and superego
Superego



Morality principle
Conscience
Ego ideal: Moral ideal for a behavior to which a
person should strive
Anxiety
 Feeling
of fear and dread w/o an objective
cause



Reality: Fear of tangible dangers in the real
world
Neurotic: Conflict b/t id and ego
Moral: Conflict b/t id and superego
Defense Mechanisms
 Function:
Used by ego to defend against
anxiety
 Involves distortion of reality
 Operate unconsciously
Defense Mechanisms
 Repression
 Denial
 Reaction
Formation
 Projection
 Regression
 Rationalization
 Displacement
 Sublimation
Psychosexual Stages of
Development
5





Stages
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital
 Fixation:
Portion of libido is stuck in 1
stage because of excessive frustration or
gratification
Oral Stage
 Birth
to 1 year
 Id dominates
 Mouth is pleasure center
 State of total dependence on caregivers
Anal Stage
 Ages
1-3 years
 External reality (toilet training) interferes
with gratification received from defecation
 Learn to control id impulses
Phallic Stage
 Ages
4-5
 Pleasure derived from genitals
 Oedipus complex: Uncs desire of a boy for
his mother, desire to replace his father

Castration anxiety
 Electra
complex: Uncs desire of a girl for
her father, desire to replace her mother

Penis envy
Latency Period
 Age
5-puberty
 Structures of personality largely formed by
age 5
 Sexual instinct temporarily dormant
Genital Stage
 Adolescence-adulthood
 If
no major fixations from earlier stages are
present, the individual leads a normal life
 Sexual energy finds acceptable outlets
 First 5 years of life determine adult
personality
Assessment
 Free


association
Patient says whatever comes to mind
Catharsis: Expression of emotions that is
expected to lead to the reduction of disturbing
symptoms
 Dream
analysis: The royal road to the
uncs


Manifest content
Latent content
Research
 Case
study method
 Personality formed by age 5


Studies show changes over time from
preschool to ages 12-13
Middle childhood years may be more
important in adult personality (ages 7-12)
 Notion
of uncs well-supported
 Defense mechanisms: Use simpler ones
earlier in life, more complex later
Criticisms of Freud
 Deterministic,
negative view of human
nature
 Flaws in case study approach
 Neglect of social factors in personality
 Emphasis on past to neglect of present
and future behavior
 View of women
 Ambiguous concepts
Contributions of Freud
 Contributed
to empirical study of
psychology
 Role of uncs in behavior
 Role of childhood experiences
 Defense mechanisms