Psychology 305A: Lecture 6
After Freud: Contemporary views of
Psychoanalysis
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Class Issues
• Missed homework
– 1. Check the slides from the previous class
(www.psych.ubc.ca/~jltracy)
– 2. email someone else in class
– 3. email one of the TAs (alisa@psych.ubc.ca;
laknin@psych.ubc.ca)
– 4. bring the HW to the next class
• PDFs of slides
– 6 per page vs. 1 per page?
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Freud Wrap-Up
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Psychosexual Stages
• 1. Oral Stage (0-1.5)
– sucking and eating
– Fixation: hostility, oral needs
• 2. Anal stage (1.5-3)
– toilet training
– Fixation: control issues
• 3. Phallic Stage (3-5)
– Discovery of penis, or lack thereof
– Fixation: Oedipal Complex
• 4. Latency stage (5-11): nothing happens!
• 5. Genital stage
– Puberty
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Problems with Freud’s theory of
personality development
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No evidence for fixations
Is latency stage really latent?
Development is over after puberty?
What is up with that Oedipal Complex??
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Can we take anything from
psychosexual stages?
• Childhood influences adult personality
• Development occurs through struggle
between reliance/dependence and desire
for autonomy
6
What did Freud do for Psychological
Science and Personality Research?
• A talking cure
– “free-association,” “stream of consciousness”
– Birth of modern therapy
• Mind-Body connection
– Basic tenet of modern health psychology
• Psychic issues may influence behavior, even
when people aren’t aware of them
• Case Study Method
– Based on experiences with patients, Freud developed
an elaborate theory
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A Few Studies Testing
Psychoanalytic Theory
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Oedipal Attraction Study
• Oedipal/Electra Complex
– Childhood attraction to opposite sex parents
• Oedipal Attraction in adulthood
– Are we attracted to individuals resembling our
parents in adult romantic relationships?
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Test of Oedipal Complex
Subliminal presentation of opposite-sex parent
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How attractive do you find…
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Test of Oedipal Complex
• Were participants more attracted to
yearbook photos after subliminally
seeing “mom” or “dad”?
• YES!
• Does this support the Oedipal
Complex?
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“Mommy and I are one” Studies
• Subliminal psychodynamic activation
– Priming: voice repetition
– Theory: Reduces unconscious conflicts by supporting early
childhood fantasies
• Results
– Reduces phobias, weight loss, better grades
• But, “Professor and I are one” produced same effects
for grades
• And, presentation of just “Mommy” can produce same
effects
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• What is being activated?
Dreams and Repressed
Thoughts Experiment
• Participants think of a:
– “crush”
• “a person you have never been in a romantic
relationship with but whom you have thought
about in a romantic way”
– “noncrush”
• “a person you feel fondly about but to whom
you are not attracted”
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Dreams and Repressed Thoughts
• Stream of Consciousness writing task
• 3 Conditions
– Suppression: “Try not to think about this person…”
– Expression: “Try to focus your thoughts on this person…”
– Mention: “Write down initials of person but then think
about whatever you want.”
• Next morning, participants reported their dreams
from the night before
• Which group dreamed about the crush?
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Occurrences in Dream Reports
Crush
Non-crush
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Suppression
Expression
Mention
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Contemporary Approaches
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Contemporary Psychoanalysis
• Desire to keep the parts of Freudian theory that
work
– Unconscious influences
– Behavior reflects conflicts between desires and
societal norms
– Childhood influences adulthood
– Mental representations of self and others guide
relationships
• But cut the parts that don’t work
– Unconscious is all about sex
– Psychosexual stages
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A Few Contemporary Research
Directions Based on the
Psychoanalytic Approach
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•
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Cognitive View of Unconscious
Ego Psychology
Narcissism
Object Relations Theory (Attachment)
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1. Cognitive View of the
Unconscious
• Memories of abuse may be false
memories
– Unintentionally suggested by therapists
• Loftus research: false memories can be
implanted
– “Learned” taste aversion
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Read this list of words
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•
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•
•
•
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Bed
Rest
Awake
Tired
Dream
Wake
Snooze
Blanket
Doze
Slumber
Snore
Nap
Peace
Yawn
drowsy
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Which of these words did you
just see?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Snooze
Mother
Bed
Television
Sleep
Chair
___
___
___
___
___
___
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Motivated vs. Cognitive
Unconscious
• There is an unconscious, but does it have
“desires”?
– Motivated view: We bury hidden needs/desires
in the unconscious
– Cognitive view: information perceived may get
into unconscious and influence us, but it’s not
“buried” there
• Similar to Freud’s pre-conscious
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Psychodynamic (motivated) vs.
Cognitive Unconscious
• Dynamic
• 1. Content focus:
Motives & wishes
• 2. Defense
mechanisms
• 3. Distinctly irrational
• 4. Special conditions
to make conscious
• Cognitive
• 1. Content focus:
Cognitions
• 2. Not defended
• 3. Rational
• 4. perception and
memory
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Cognitive Unconscious
• Subliminal Priming
– Concepts may be perceived and influence
us, without our even knowing it
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Controversy about subliminal
priming
But, no clear evidence
that subliminal priming actually
influences BEHAVIOR
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Projection: A New Account
• Projection: seeing in others the traits most
fear and loath in self.
• Cognitive explanation: we protect the self,
but in doing so the trait becomes ‘hyperaccessible’ in unconscious
– Leads to increased application of the trait to
others
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2. Ego Psychology
• Anna Freud, Erik Erikson
– Students of Freud
• More complex view of ego
• Focus on the strengths of conscious self
• Control over one’s environment
– Goal is to establish a secure identity
– Failure to do so creates identity crisis
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Erikson’s 8 Stages of
Development
• Different from Freud’s psychosexual
Development
– Cover the full lifespan
– Allow for development during “latency” and
adulthood
• Similar to Freud’s
– Each stage marked by conflict
– Failure to resolve conflict leads to fixation, or
crisis
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Erikson’s 8 Stages
• 1. Infancy
– Trust vs. Mistrust
– Important for attachment bond
• 2. Toddlerhood
– Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Is it ok to be independent?
• 3. Young Childhood
– Initiative vs. guilt
• Beginning of practicing adult tasks
• 4. Elementary School
– Inferiority vs. industry
• Social comparisons, ability to accomplish tasks
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Erikson’s 8 Stages
5. Adolescence
– Identity vs. Role Confusion
– One of the most important periods
– Beginning of questions about identity
– Often lasts well beyond adolescence
• Post-college identity crisis
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Erikson’s 8 Stages
6. Young Adult
– Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Relationship and career decisions
7. Adulthood
– Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Building career, family
8. Old Age
– Integrity vs. Despair
• Reflecting back on life’s accomplishments
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3. Emphasis on Narcissism
• Exaggerated positive self-esteem
• Does the individual really believe his/her
positive self-views?
– Narcissistic Paradox: People who seem to
think they’re great may feel insecure
underneath
– Narcissism is a defense
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NARCISSISM
• DSM characteristics: grandiosity,
dominance, entitlement, superiority
• In normal range, characterized by selfenhancement
– i.e., excessively positive view of self and
negative view of others
– bragging, egotism, superiority, derogation of
others, entitlement
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Classic Narcissist
Armand Hammer
• Wealthy tycoon
• Bought Leonardo DaVinci’s book “Codex
Leicester” and renamed it “Codex Hammer”
• "My ideas are beyond the comprehension of
ordinary mortals. The brilliance of my mind
can only be described as dazzling. Even I am
impressed by it...“
– After Hammer’s death, Bill Gates bought back “Codex
Hammer” and renamed it “Codex Leicester”
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• “Around the time of grammar school I had this
incredible desire to be recognized… I didn’t
care about the money, I thought about the
fame, about just being the greatest. I was
dreaming about being some dictator of a
country or some savior like Jesus. Just to be
recognized.”
• -Arnold Schwartzenegger
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What Causes Narcissism?
• Parents over-idealize child, set up unrealistic
standards
• Simultaneously, excessively criticize child for
failing to meet unrealistic standards
• “Narcissistic wound” – early humiliation experience
• Narcissists overcompensate for insecurities by
self-aggrandizing
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Measuring Narcissism
Circle the choice that most accurately
describes you:
– A. I am much like everyone else
– B. I am an extraordinary person
– A. I like to look at myself in the mirror
– B. I am not particularly interested in looking
at myself in the mirror
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Measuring Narcissism
• Unrealistically positive beliefs about abilities and
achievements
– "I can make anybody believe anything I want them
to."
– 37% agree
• Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success,
power, brilliance, and beauty
– "If I ruled the world it would be a much better place.“
– 45% agree
• Strong sense of entitlement
– "I will never be satisfied until I get all that I deserve.“
– 26% agree
• Grandiose sense of self-importance
– "I am an extraordinary person.“
– 55% agree
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Measuring Narcissism
• Subtle items
– “People pretend to care more about one
another than they really do”
– “I have never indulged in any unusual sex
practices.” (reverse keyed)
– “I believe there is a Devil and Hell in afterlife.”
(reverse keyed)
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Narcissism and Therapy
• Narcissists typically go to therapy for external
life problems
– Work
• Repeated failures
• Not living up to their own career expectations
– Love
• Idealization and devaluation of romantic partners
• Always need to be center of attention
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder is very difficult
to treat in therapy
– Why?
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Research Findings on Narcissism
• More first person pronoun usage
– I, me
• Look in the mirror more frequently
• Take credit for their accomplishments but
blame others for their failures
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How Deep-Seated Are
Narcissistic Illusions?
• Do narcissists become less grandiose when
they have the opportunity to see how others
see them?
• Experiment: Manipulate visual perspective via
video
– Show narcissists how others see them
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Method
• 1) Self-Evaluation
– Rate self’s performance relative to other group members
• 2) Objective Evaluation
– 12 psychologists
– 5 other group members ("peers")
– Objective task outcome (success vs. failure)
• DV: Self-Enhancement Bias = degree to which selfevaluation is more positive than objective evaluation
• IV: Manipulation of Self-Focused Attention
– Control Condition:
• Evaluate performance immediately after group discussion
– Self-Focused Condition:
• Evaluate performance after viewing videotape of self participating
in discussion
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How will people rate their performance in each condition?
2.4
Self-perceived performance
Narcissists
2.6
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.4
NonNarcissists
3.6
3.8
Control
Self-Focused
Experimental Condition
Actual
Performance
Comments After Watching Self on Video
• Narcissistic Individual
– "I came across more or less the way I would want
to: stern but compassionate, matter of fact, business
like and effective. I liked watching myself very
much. Not too many surprises."
• Non-Narcissistic Individual
– "I don't think I performed as well as I thought I did.
The only impressions I got from watching myself on
videotape were the bad ones. It was quite a
sobering experience."
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Narcissism as Pathology
• 2 types
– Grandiose/Malignant Narcissist
– Fragile narcissist
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Grandiose/malignant narcissist
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Has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Appears to feel privileged and entitled
Has little empathy
Tends to blame own failures or shortcomings on
other people or circumstances
• Tends to be critical of others
• Tends to be controlling
• Has little psychological insight into own motives,
behavior, etc.
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Fragile narcissist
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Tends to feel unhappy, depressed, or despondent
Tends to be critical of others
Has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Tends to feel anxious
Tends to feel envious
Is prone to painful feelings of emptiness
Appears to feel privileged and entitled
Tends to feel s/he is inadequate, inferior, or a
failure
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Next Class
– Motives and personality
– Read Larsen & Buss Chapter 11
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