Psychoanalysis: Mind, Id, Ego, Superego

Psychoanalysis

• The conscious mind is the part of the mind that is currently active and aware.
• The preconscious mind contains memories and stored information that is not immediately conscious but can be accessed with some effort.
• The unconscious mind holds repressed memories and desires beyond our awareness.
• The id is the primal, impulsive part of the personality that operates on the pleasure principle.
• The ego is the rational part of the personality that mediates between the id and external reality and operates on the reality principle.
• The superego represents the moral conscience and internalized societal and parental values, striving for perfection.
• Defense mechanisms are strategies to protect the mind from anxiety and conflicts through repression, denial, projection.
• Psychosexual stages are developmental periods where libido energy is focused on different body parts and include oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages.
• The Oedipus complex involves a child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy towards the same-sex parent, and is critical in the phallic stage.
• Libido is psychic energy that drives motivation and behavior, especially as it relates to sexual instincts.

Psychosexual Stages

• The oral stage occurs from birth to 1 year, the erogenous zone is the mouth, and weaning creates dependency issues.
• The anal stage occurs from 1 to 3 years, the erogenous zone is the anus, and toilet training develops control over bodily functions.
• The phallic stage occurs from 3 to 6 years, the erogenous zone is the genitals, and resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex is related to sexual identity.
• The latency stage occurs from 6 to puberty and involves dormant sexuality.
• The genital stage starts from puberty onward, the erogenous zone is the genitals, mature relationships are formed, and healthy adult sexuality develops.

Psychoanalysis Aspects

• The theory of personality states humans are comprised of the id, ego, and superego.
• The unconscious contains repressed desires, memories, and emotions, influencing behavior.
• Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies that alleviates anxiety through distorting reality.
• Freud proposed personality develops through psychosexual stages which occurs through oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.
• Therapeutic techniques involves a long-term, intensive exploration of the unconscious involving talk therapy and dream analysis.
• Psychoanalysis has faced criticism for its lack of empirical evidence and in response modern psychodynamic therapies have evolved to incorporate shorter-term.

Freud's Development Theory

• Freud's oral stage (birth to 1 year) focuses on oral gratification through sucking, biting, chewing while Piaget's sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years) involves developing sensorimotor coordination and understanding object permanence.
• Freud's anal stage (1-3 years) focuses on bodily functions while Piaget's preoperational stage (2-7 years) is marked by the development of symbolic thinking, language, and egocentric thought.
• Freud's phallic stage (3-6 years) highlights the Oedipus/Electra while Piaget's concrete operational stage (7-11 years) stresses on logical thinking, conservation.
• Freud's latency stage (6 to puberty) involves suppressed sexual feelings and social and intellectual pursuits while Piaget's formal operational stage (11 years onwards) features abstract thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Freud's genital stage (puberty onwards) focuses on mature sexual relationships, while Piaget makes no comparison.

Defence Mechanisms

• Repression is unconsciously blocking distressing thoughts or memories.
• Denial is refusing to accept reality.
• Projection involves attributing one's own thoughts or feelings to others.
• Displacement is redirecting emotions to a less threatening target.
• Sublimation is channeling socially unacceptable impulses into acceptable activities.
• Rationalization is providing logical explanations for behaviors.
• Intellectualization involves separating emotions from ideas.
• Reaction Formation is expressing the opposite of what one truly feels.
• Suppression is consciously pushing away distressing thoughts or feelings.

Gordon Allport's Trait Theory

• Allport emphasized the uniqueness of individuals.
• Cardinal traits shape a person's entire life, an example being Mother Theresa.
• Central traits include being kind, trustworthy or loyal.
• Secondary traits are context dependent.
• Functional autonomy states adult behavior is not always tied to childhood experiences, rather they are separate.
• Proprium represents the self, including sense of self, self-esteem, and self-image.
• Allport highlighted the significance of personal dispositions.
• Allport used methods to measure traits.
• Universality and subjectivity are part of Allport's research.

Cattell's 16 Personality Factors

• Warmth measures the degree of emotional warmth displayed.
• Reasoning reflects the preference for concrete versus abstract thinking.
• Emotional Stability indicates the emotional resilience of an individual.
• Dominance captures the tendency to be dominant and assertive.
• Liveliness measures the level of spontaneity.
• Rule-Consciousness reflects adherence to rules versus independence.
• Social Boldness indicates social confidence.
• Sensitivity measures the balance between practical thinking and emotional sensitivity.
• Vigilance reflects the level of wariness.
• Abstractedness captures the tendency to be imaginative versus practical.,
• Privateness reflects the degree to which individuals are reserved versus open.
• Apprehension indicates the level of anxiety versus self-assurance.
• Openness to Change measures the willingness to embrace change.
• Self-Reliance captures the preference for independent behavior.
• Perfectionism reflects the degree of flexibility versus a detail-oriented approach.
• Tension measures the level of stress.

Personality Traits

• Openness to Experience has people who tend to be imaginative, creative, and open to new ideas.
• Those who tend to be more practical and conventional are low scorers.
• Conscientiousness High Scorers tend to be organized, responsible, and goal-oriented.
• While Low Scorers tend to be easygoing, flexible, and less focused on structure.
• Extraversion High Scorers tend to be very outgoing and enjoy social interactions.
• And Low Scorers tend to be more reserved.
• Agreeableness High Scorers tend to be compassionate, cooperative, and empathetic.
• Whereas Low Scorers tend to be more competitive, sceptical, and less harmonious.
• Neuroticism High Scorers tend to be very anxious, worried, and emotionally reactive.
• Low Scorers tend to be calm, and able to handle stress effectively.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Self-Actualization is the realization of one's potential, self-discovery, and personal growth.
• Esteem Needs involves recognition and respect from others, self-esteem, and accomplishment.
• Love and Belonging involves social relationships, love, intimacy, and community.
• Safety Needs is the requirement of physical and emotional safety and protection.
• Physiological Needs involves basic survival needs like air, water, food, shelter, and sleep.
• Personality can be influenced through the expression of creativity, and continuous improvement.
• Those with influences derive positive and self-confident personality development.
• Impacts interpersonal relationships and approval.
• Influenced by experiences of safety in life, leading to a more secure personality.
• Basic needs impact personality development.

Person-Centered Personality Theory

• Self-Actualization involves an innate drive toward achieving one's unique potential.
• Self-Concept involves individual's mental images of oneself shaped by interaction with others.
• A positive self-concept is crucial for well-being and personal progression.
• Unconditional Positive Regard involves acceptance and support without judgement which develops self-esteem.
• Empathy involves the ability to connect with another and understand feelings.
• External conditions of worth can be detrimental to the development of a positive and authentic view of oneself.

Memory Types

• "Memory is broken down into Sensory, Short-Term, Long-Term and Working memory. "

Theories of Memory

• "Atkinson-Shiffrin Model is a three-stage model including Sensory, Short-Term and Long-Term. "
• "Levels of processing depends on the depth of processing. "
• Dual Coding is when enhanced verbal and visual information is enhanced. "

The Memory Process

• Encoding converts sensory information.
• Storage retains encoded information.
• Retrival accesses stored information when needed.

Types of Long Term memory

• Explicit Memory is facts and personal experiences.
• Implicit Memory is procedural and priming.
• Cognitive load is correlated to the total mental effort required.
• Emotional arousal often triggers enhances memory recall.
• Adequate sleep is crucial.
• High stress levels are shown to impact memory, potentially negative ones.
• And memory can change over time, over the different ages.

Memory Disorders

• Amnesia is a partial or complete loss of memory.
• Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive declining disorder.
• Korsakoff's Syndrome is memory impairment often with those with chronic alcoholism.":

Memory Strategies

• Mnemonic devices are strategies to improve memories.
• Chunking is when you break down smaller parts.
• Rehersal when you repeat information.
• Visualization or association.

Important Concepts for memory

• Flashbulb Memories are linked to emotional events.
• Serial Position is a tendency to remember the things at the beginng and end of a list better.
• Or that retrieval is enhanced when the condiditions at encoding match those at retrieval
• Where as a cognitive load can impact it.

Theories of Memory

• Atkinson-Shiffrin Model proposed a 3 stage memory; it included Sensory, Short-Term and Long-Term flow
• Craik & Lockhart came up with the theory that memory depends on processing.
• Allan Paivio stated that memory is enhanced when the information is processed visually.
• Alan Baddeley & Graham Hitch had the idea of a detailed structure model with the central executive, visuospatial and phonological loop.
• Collins & Loftus stated the mind is interconnected by facilitation retrieval.
• Rumelhart & McClelland proposed that information is processed during knowledge gaining.
• Atkinson & Shiffrin, Craik & Lockhart compared recall to compouter storage.
• Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered curve of where mitigation forgetting.
• Bartlett, Rumelhart had the theroy of mental information.

Sleep

• A naturally recurring state of mind and body is characterized by consciousness and reduced sensory activity.
• Stages of sleep include wakefulness, NREM (N1, N2, N3), and REM.
• A complete sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes with NREM and REM stages
• Vital for physical health, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.
• Habits promoting healthy sleeping includes maintaining constant sleep schedules, limiting caffeine, and regular exercise.
• Conditions includes insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and circadian rhythm disorders.
• Lack of sleep can lead to impaired cognitive function and mood disturbances.
• Sleep needs vary across age groups.
• Electronic devices before can disrupt sleep.

Sleep Stages

• Wakefulness during alpha displays high frequency and low amplitude EEG.
• Stage 1 includes theta and transition from being wakeful/sleep.
• Stage 2 includes deeper sleep, body temperature drops, and reduced rate.
• Stage 3 includes SWS sleep.
• Stage 4 is the deepest sleep and is predominantly delta waves.
• The REM displays growth, hormone secretion, and active vivid dreaming.

Sleep Waves

• Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz) = deep sleep
• Theta waves (4-8 Hz) = dreaming
• Alpha waves (8-12 Hz) = relaxed alertness
• Beta waves (12-30 Hz) = active thinking
• Gamma waves (30-100+ Hz) = higher cognition
• Low beta frequency band (13-15 Hz) is associated with focus.
• Mid Beta range for focus.
• High Beta even agitation.

Sleep Disorders

• Insomnia is difficulty in sleeping, where a main feature is difficulty initiating sleep.
• Sleep Apnea is when breathing repeatedly stops and starts which can cause a loud snoring.
• Narcolepsy is when sleepiness occurs during odd time and sudden cataplex.
• The unresistant urge to move legs occurs with Restless Leg Sydrome(RLS).
• Periodic Lib movement disorder occurs when there is cramping.
• Distruption can occur for the sleep cycle.
• Parasomnias are abonormal behaviours during sleep.
• Hypersomnia occurs when fatigue is present.
• Sleep-related is involuntary movements.