Freud's Theories of Personality

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Questions and Answers

What technique did Freud use as his principal therapeutic method after hypnosis?

Behavior modification

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Group therapy

Free association (correct)

Who taught Freud about the process of catharsis?

Anna O

Wilhelm Fliess

Josef Breuer (correct)

Charcot

What was the significance of the case of Anna O in Freud's career?

It was his first case study.

It introduced him to cognitive therapy.

It inspired him to publish articles on hysteria. (correct)

It was the basis for his work on dream analysis.

After his professional disagreement with Breuer, whom did Freud turn to for support?

Wilhelm Fliess Signup and view all the answers

What personal crisis influenced Freud to start analyzing his own dreams?

The death of his father Signup and view all the answers

What did Freud expect to gain from his knowledge of male hysteria learned from Charcot?

Respect and recognition Signup and view all the answers

Which process involves removing hysterical symptoms through verbal communication?

Catharsis Signup and view all the answers

What influenced Freud to develop the free association technique?

The limitations of hypnosis Signup and view all the answers

What does Freud believe is the explanation for the meaning behind dreams?

Unconscious processes Signup and view all the answers

Which level of the mind contains elements that are not currently conscious but can become conscious?

Preconscious Signup and view all the answers

What concept refers to experiences handed down through generations that Freud believes influence the unconscious?

Phylogenetic endowment Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the conscious level of the mind from the other levels?

It is directly available to us at all times. Signup and view all the answers

From which two sources can ideas reach consciousness?

External world and preconscious Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the state of being aware of mental elements at any given moment?

Consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe forgetting due to repression according to Freud?

Repression Signup and view all the answers

Which level of mental life is described as being available only indirectly?

Unconscious Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes primary narcissism?

It is primarily self-centered and occurs during infancy. Signup and view all the answers

When does secondary narcissism typically occur?

Puberty, when libido is redirected back to the ego. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main drive behind sadism?

Achieving erotic pleasure through inflicting pain on another person. Signup and view all the answers

How is masochism characterized?

By achieving sexual pleasure from suffering and humiliation. Signup and view all the answers

What type of anxiety arises from conflict with the superego?

Moral Anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about neurotic anxiety is correct?

It results from id impulses causing fear of an unknown danger. Signup and view all the answers

What is the final aim of the aggression drive?

To return the organism to its inorganic state, which is death. Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates neurotic anxiety?

Experiencing fear in the presence of authority figures. Signup and view all the answers

What type of anxiety is characterized by a concern over possible danger in real situations?

Realistic anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Which defense mechanism involves forcing threatening thoughts into the unconscious?

Repression Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario is denial being exhibited?

Parents keeping a deceased child's room unchanged. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a defense mechanism?

Compassion Signup and view all the answers

What might happen to repressed impulses after being forced into the unconscious?

They may manifest unchanged in consciousness. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of reaction formation?

An individual who shows excessive affection to someone they secretly dislike. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these defense mechanisms might lead to neurotic behavior if taken to extremes?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of defense mechanisms?

To protect the ego from anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the anal stage in personality development?

Orderliness, stinginess, and obstinacy Signup and view all the answers

During which stage do boys experience the Oedipus complex?

Phallic stage Signup and view all the answers

What outcome results when a girl resolves her Electra complex?

She identifies with her mother and gives up masturbation Signup and view all the answers

What psychological phenomenon explains a boy's desire for his mother and rivalry with his father?

Oedipus complex Signup and view all the answers

Castration anxiety occurs during which part of the phallic stage?

After developing the Oedipus complex Signup and view all the answers

What feeling do girls experience towards boys during the Electra complex?

Envious feelings due to perceived anatomical superiority Signup and view all the answers

How do differences in superego strength manifest between boys and girls in Freudian theory?

Boys' superego is influenced by castration anxiety post-Oedipus complex Signup and view all the answers

In the phallic stage, what is girls' primary desire as they engage with the concept of penis envy?

To possess a penis or a child Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Freud's Journey to Fame and Theories of Personality

Freud's return from Paris in 1886, where he studied male hysteria under Charcot, initially hoped to gain recognition but found his colleagues were already familiar with the condition.
Developed a close professional and personal relationship with Josef Breuer, learning about catharsis—removing hysterical symptoms through talking.
Free association replaced hypnosis as Freud's primary therapeutic technique.
Breuer shared the case of Anna O, a young woman he treated for hysteria, leading to their collaboration on a publication about hysteria.
After a professional disagreement with Breuer, Freud collaborated with Wilhelm Fliess and began self-analysis, including dream interpretation.

Levels of Mental Life

Unconscious: Source of dream meaning, slips of the tongue, repression, and experiences passed down through generations (phylogenetic endowment).
Preconscious: Contains elements not currently conscious but easily accessible. Information originates from both the unconscious and conscious perception.
Conscious: Mental elements in awareness at any given time, receiving input from both the external world and the preconscious.

Drives: Sex and Aggression

Sex (Libido): Includes primary narcissism (infantile self-centeredness) and secondary narcissism (puberty, self-preoccupation). Love develops when libido is invested in objects or people other than the self. Sadism involves pleasure from inflicting pain, and masochism involves pleasure from suffering pain.
Aggression (Thanatos): A destructive drive aimed at returning the organism to an inorganic state (death), ultimately self-destruction.

Anxiety

Ego-based, originating from interactions with the id, superego, or external world.
Neurotic Anxiety: Apprehension about an unknown danger stemming from id impulses.
Moral Anxiety: Stemming from conflict between the ego and superego, arising from moral transgressions.
Realistic Anxiety: An unpleasant feeling related to a real, objective danger.

Defense Mechanisms

Normal, universal coping strategies that, when excessive, lead to neurotic behavior. These include repression, denial, reaction formation, displacement, fixation, regression, projection, introjection, sublimation, and rationalization.

Psychosexual Stages: Anal, Phallic

Anal Stage: Fixation leads to the "anal triad": orderliness, stinginess, obstinacy.
Phallic Stage: Genitals are the erogenous zone. Differences between male and female development originate in anatomical differences.
Oedipus Complex (Male): Boy's desire for mother, rivalry with father, followed by castration anxiety and identification with the father.
Electra Complex (Female): Girl's penis envy, resulting in desire for a penis (or a baby), possibly hostility towards the mother, and eventual identification with the mother and relinquishing desire for the father. The female superego is considered weaker due to the lack of a comparable experience to castration anxiety.

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Description

Explore the journey of Sigmund Freud from his studies in Paris to his development of key theories in personality. This quiz delves into his collaboration with Josef Breuer and the evolution of therapeutic techniques, including free association. Understand the levels of mental life according to Freud and how they contribute to his psychological framework.