Psychoanalysis Overview and Key Concepts

A renowned Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, known for his theories on the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and their impact on adult personality.

A part of the mind inaccessible to conscious awareness, containing repressed urges, desires, and traumatic experiences.

Painful memories that are pushed out of conscious awareness due to their overwhelming emotional intensity.

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety and conflict.

A method of therapy and a theory of personality that emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind, early experiences, and defense mechanisms in shaping behavior.

Jean Martin Charcot, a French neurologist, was the first to study the connection between trauma and mental illness in women suffering from hysteria.

Hysteria is a historical term for a condition characterized by sudden paralysis, amnesia, sensory loss, and convulsions. It was believed to be caused by the uterus.

Before Charcot, the most common treatment for hysteria was hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.

Charcot revolutionized understanding of hysteria by introducing a psychological perspective, suggesting that traumatic events were the origin of its symptoms, not the uterus.

Freud and Breuer proposed that hysterical phenomena are caused by a dissociation, or splitting, of consciousness, where the patient re-experiences a traumatic state.

Though initially believing sexual abuse as the root cause, Freud later shifted to believing that hysteria resulted from repressed phantasies, not necessarily real-life trauma.

Freud's focus on childhood experiences, repression, and the unconscious played a pivotal role in the development of psychoanalysis, influencing modern understanding of psychological disorders.

The hidden meaning of dreams or unconscious thoughts that the therapist aims to uncover.

A technique where the patient freely shares their thoughts, words, or images, allowing the therapist to understand their unconscious mind.

Unintentional mistakes in speaking or writing that reveal unconscious thoughts or conflicts.

Tests that use ambiguous stimuli (like inkblots) to reveal unconscious drives and conflicts by interpreting the patient's responses.

A method of therapy that uses free association and dream analysis to understand the unconscious mind and conflicts. It is a long-term process aiming to resolve unconscious conflicts and improve mental health.

It marked a significant turning point in the acceptance of psychoanalysis, bringing it into the mainstream of psychology.

An influential American psychologist who studied under Wundt, a pioneer in developmental psychology and the founder of the American Psychological Association. He was also a key figure in bringing Freud's work to the United States.

A significant point of disagreement between Freud and his followers, marking the beginning of different schools of thought within psychoanalysis.

A theory explaining human psychology and behavior, a method for diagnosing and treating mental health issues, and also a historical-cultural movement.

This phase of psychoanalysis (1895-1899) focused on how repressed traumas influence mental health. It eventually evolved into the idea that these traumas are often reinterpreted as fantasies.

This theory (1900-1922) describes different levels of conscious access. It suggests that our experiences occur in different states of awareness.

This theory (1923 onwards) suggests that the mind is structured around three parts: the Id (primitive urges), the Ego (decision-maker), and the Super-Ego (moral compass).

According to psychoanalysis, human behavior is driven by two fundamental forces: Eros (desire for life, love, and pleasure) and Thanatos (death instinct, aggression).

They are unconscious strategies used to protect the ego from anxiety and conflict. Examples include repression, denial, projection, and displacement.

This is a technique where patients are encouraged to say whatever comes to mind, without censoring themselves. This helps to access unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Dreams are seen as a window into the unconscious. They have manifest content (what you remember) and latent content (hidden meanings).

Psychoanalysis emphasizes the impact of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind on adult personality.

Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors and their environmental influences, while psychoanalysis delves into internal, often unconscious, motivations and conflicts.

A developmental psychologist who contributed significantly to attachment theory, known for her research on mother-infant interactions.

She observed mother-infant interactions in a natural environment to understand how early attachments develop.

A structured observation method used to assess child attachment by observing their behavior when separated and reunited with their caregiver.

Attachment theory highlights the importance of early caregiver relationships in shaping emotional and social development, while psychoanalysis emphasizes internal conflicts.

Blatz rejected Freudian theories and emphasized the importance of security in child development, influencing Ainsworth's focus on secure attachments.

It emphasizes the vital role of early relationships in shaping our emotional and social well-being throughout life.

The ability of a theory to be proven wrong by empirical evidence. A good scientific theory must be falsifiable, meaning it should make predictions that can be tested and potentially disproven.

Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, argued that psychoanalysis was not a scientific theory because it was unfalsifiable. Psychoanalytic theories could explain any behavior, making it difficult to prove them wrong.

A belief or practice presented as scientific but not based on scientific evidence, a field often lacking falsifiable claims and rigorous testing.

In Freudian theory, these are wishes, urges, or impulses that are pushed out of conscious awareness due to their taboo or unacceptable nature.

Freud believed that dreams are a window into the unconscious mind, providing symbolic representations of repressed thoughts and desires.

A type of therapy based on Freudian principles, focusing on uncovering and working through unconscious conflicts.

The idea that all psychotherapies, regardless of their specific techniques, produce equivalent outcomes. This controversial claim is often attributed to Saul Rosenzweig.