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Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud)
The Unconscious Mind:
Freud believed the unconscious held unacceptable
thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories.Free Association: A technique used to access the
unconscious by having patients say whatever comes to mind.
Levels of Consciousness:
Conscious: Thoughts and feelings we are currently aware of.
Preconscious: Memories and information not currently in awareness but easily accessible.
Unconscious: Hidden thoughts, desires, and memories that influence our behavior.
Dreams and Freudian Slips:
Dreams: Freud saw dreams as a "royal road to the unconscious," filled with symbolic meanings.
Freudian Slips: Accidental slips of the tongue that might reveal unconscious thoughts.
Personality Structure
Id:
The primitive, instinctual part of the personality.
Operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic needs and drives (hunger, sex, aggression).
Ego:
The conscious, rational part of the personality.
Operates on the reality principle, trying to satisfy the id's desires in socially acceptable ways.
Superego:
The moral component of the personality.
Internalizes societal rules and values, striving for perfection.
Analogy:
Id: The "devil" on your shoulder, urging you to indulge in impulses.
Superego: The "angel" on your shoulder, promoting moral behavior.
Ego: You, stuck in the middle, trying to balance the demands of the id and superego.
Defense Mechanisms
Definition: The ego's protective methods to reduce anxiety caused by conflicts between the id and superego.
Repression: Blocking unacceptable thoughts and feelings from consciousness.
Example: Forgetting a traumatic event.
Regression: Reverting to immature behaviors to cope with stress or anxiety.
Example: An adult throwing a temper tantrum when they don't get their way.
Displacement: Redirecting unacceptable impulses (usually anger) toward a less threatening target.
Example: Yelling at your sibling after a bad day at school.
Projection: Attributing your own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others.
Example: A dishonest person accusing others of being dishonest.
Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.
Example: A person with aggressive tendencies becoming a boxer.
Reaction Formation: Expressing the opposite of your true feelings.
Example: Being overly friendly to someone you dislike.
Rationalization: Justifying your actions or thoughts with seemingly logical reasons, even if they're not the real reasons.
Example: Saying you didn't get the job because you didn't really want it, even though you're disappointed.
Denial: Refusing to accept or acknowledge a painful reality.
Example: A person with a serious illness refusing to believe they are sick.
Neo-Freudians: Expanding on Freud's Ideas
Alfred Adler:
Key Idea: Childhood tensions are social, not sexual, in nature.
Inferiority Complex: Children struggle with feelings of inferiority and strive for superiority and power.
Karen Horney:
Key Idea: Childhood anxiety triggers our desire for love and security.
Countered Freud: Challenged his ideas about women's supposed "penis envy" and weak superegos.
Carl Jung:
Key Idea: We have a collective unconscious, a shared reservoir of memories and symbols from our ancestors.
Archetypes: Universal, symbolic images and themes found in myths, dreams, and across cultures (e.g., the hero, the mother, the shadow).
Projective Tests
Purpose: Reveal hidden thoughts, feelings, and conflicts by interpreting responses to ambiguous stimuli.
Examples:
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Individuals create stories about ambiguous pictures.
Rorschach Inkblot Test: Individuals interpret a series of inkblots.
Criticisms:
Reliability: Different interpreters may reach different conclusions.
Validity: Questionable whether these tests accurately measure personality or predict behavior.
Humanistic Perspective: Emphasizing Personal Growth
Background: Emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against Freud's negativity and behaviorism's focus on external control.
Core Belief: Humans are inherently good and have the potential for growth and self-actualization.
Key Figures
Abraham Maslow:
Hierarchy of Needs: We strive to fulfill basic needs (physiological, safety) before pursuing higher needs (love, esteem, self-actualization).
Self-Actualization: Reaching one's full potential.
Carl Rogers:
Person-Centered Perspective: Emphasized the importance of unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy in creating personal growth.
Self-Concept: Our understanding of who we are, important to personality.
Rogers' Conditions for Growth
Genuineness: Being open and honest with oneself and others.
Acceptance (Unconditional Positive Regard): Valuing and accepting others without judgment, regardless of their behavior.
Empathy: Understanding and sharing another person's feelings.
Assessing Personality (Rogers)
Ideal Self vs. Real Self: Comparing how we see ourselves to how we'd like to be.
Positive Self-Concept: When the ideal self and real self are closely aligned.
Key Takeaways
Focus on the Positive: The humanistic perspective emphasizes personal growth, self-acceptance, and reaching one's full potential.
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