Sigmund Freud
“The father of psychology”
Who was he?
Sigmund Freud was a neurologist (18561939) who made many contributions to the
field of psychology
Freud is best known for his method of
PSYCHOANALYSIS: the patient comes to
an understanding of his problems by
answering a series of probing questions
from the therapist.
Freud would use hypnosisby putting the conscious to
sleep, the problems rooted
in the subconscious can
then come to light. The
patient would wake up and
have awareness of his
problems. He could then
be treated with
psychoanalysis.
Freud’s motivation theory
Freud believed that the operation of the brain is
controlled by three elements:
EGO: The conscious part of the mind, the part that we
are aware of, the part where decisions are made
ID: The unconscious part of the mind that seeks to
bring pleasure to us
SUPEREGO: This is the moral aspect of the mind- our
conscience- it tells us what we should and should not
do
The id tells us what
we want, the superego
reminds us what we
should do and the ego
makes the decision
The id and superego
are constantly at war.
The job of the ego is
to find a compromise
between the two
Example of Dilemma
Example of a dilemma
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXynjpF
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• “on the beach”
Effects of excessive control of ID: too self-
centered, take what they want, childish, inferior
Effects of excessive control of SUPEREGO: too
other-centered, too proper, worry about how
they and others should behave, arrogant,
superior
Effects of dominant EGO: playful but not reckless,
responsible but not rigid.
Oedipus/Electra Complex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=nVH-YPaDzeo
Oedipus/ Electra Complex
Freud proposed that all children experience a
desire to have a sexual relationship with their
parent of the opposite sex. Boys want to have sex
with their mothers (Oedipus Complex) and girls
with their fathers (Electra Complex).
The child wants to eliminate the parent of the
same sex who stands as a rival for the affections
of the opposite-sex parent. For example, a young
boy may wish that his father was dead so that he
could have his mother to himself.
Freud believed that this desire comes
from the id and therefore is unconscious.
The superego tries to convince the ego to
say no. The ego fears the consequences
of expressing this desire and realizes that
these drives cannot be satisfied directly.
As a result, it holds the original sexual
feeling within the unconscious and seeks
partial satisfaction for it. The ego gets a
bit of satisfaction by spending more time
with the parent of the same sex- the rival.
Boys try to be as much like their fathers
as they can and girls try to be as much
like their mothers. By being similar to the
same-sex parent, children can vicariously
enjoy the love that the opposite sex
parent expresses for the same sex parent.
Got it? Phew!!
Freudian Slip
What is a Freudian Slip?
According to Freud, unconscious desires can
be seen in mistakes while speaking… For
example:
• My son is under the doctor’s care and
should not take gym class. Please execute
him.
• Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his
father’s fault.
Examples of Freudian slips!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_yQhA
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBlChT5
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• Freud documentary (3 parts)- complete
worksheet questions while watching video.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN80
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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN80
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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN80
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