Psychology: Anxiety and Defense Mechanisms

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Questions and Answers

What psychological state does an infant begin life in?

A state of chaos and non-integration (correct)

A well-integrated individual state

A condition of emotional independence

A state of complete harmony

What is the role of the Primary Maternal Preoccupation?

To prepare for a return to a self-centered state

To help the infant develop toward psychological integration (correct)

To focus solely on the mother's own needs

To foster complete independence in the child

What does a Holding Environment provide for an infant?

A sense of abandonment and chaos

An opportunity for the child to govern their own emotions

A competitive atmosphere for personal growth

A calm, secure, and integrated space (correct)

How does empathic anticipation benefit an infant?

It fosters a sense of safety and self-empowerment Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of mirroring refer to in caretaker-infant relationships?

Caretaker exhibiting responsiveness and empathy Signup and view all the answers

What does caretaker insensitivity lead a child to lose contact with?

True self and psychological needs Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the 'True Self' in a supportive environment?

Awareness and sensitivity to both personal and others' needs Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of a False Self disorder?

Vitality and psychological energy Signup and view all the answers

What is the main goal of 'Good-Enough Parenting'?

To help children deal with unfulfilled needs and learn self-soothing Signup and view all the answers

In the context of Winnicott’s therapy, play serves as a medium for what?

Satisfying children's emotional needs Signup and view all the answers

Heinz Kohut's self-psychology emphasizes which of the following?

Development of the self as essential for functioning Signup and view all the answers

How does Kohut interpret transference in therapy?

As a positive expression of unmet needs Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of parenting does the transitional experience in infants relate to?

Learning to forgo need satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

What issue arises from impingement during childhood?

Changes in diaper during hunger Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of Winnicott's therapy?

Creating an indifferent atmosphere Signup and view all the answers

What role does empathy play in Kohut's therapeutic technique?

It provides a way to understand the patient's past frustrations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the mirroring need in early development?

To develop a sense of importance and self-esteem. Signup and view all the answers

Which need is associated with the concept of an 'alter ego' in child development?

Twinship need. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of unsatisfied mirroring needs during childhood?

A sense of grandiosity or narcissism. Signup and view all the answers

How can children develop the ability to meet their needs when parents are unavailable?

By observing how their parents satisfy their needs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of need satisfaction by parents for a child's development?

It is essential for healthy emotional development. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Kohut's approach to empathy from simply meeting a patient's needs?

It focuses on empathy rather than gratification. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'idealizing need' in a child's development?

The need to see caregivers as all-powerful figures. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between anxiety and fear?

Anxiety does not involve a known source of worry. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of anxiety is characterized by fear of punishment from the superego?

Moral anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What defense mechanism involves shutting out threatening material from consciousness?

Denial Signup and view all the answers

In which defense mechanism do individuals attribute their unacceptable desires to others?

Projection Signup and view all the answers

What does the process of sublimation involve?

Redirecting drive energy into socially acceptable activities. Signup and view all the answers

Which therapeutic component encourages clients to express emotional connections to their past trauma?

Reexperiencing Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the phenomenon where clients project old relationship patterns onto new relationships in therapy?

Transference Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'equidistance' refer to in the context of psychoanalytic therapy?

Maintaining a non-judgmental presence. Signup and view all the answers

Which defense mechanism allows someone to act on socially unacceptable urges through opposite actions?

Reaction formation Signup and view all the answers

What might be an example of 'displacement'?

Feeling angry at a boss and instead yelling at a friend. Signup and view all the answers

How did Winnicott’s theory primarily relate to psychological development?

It emphasized the role of early mother-child relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of thoughts are isolated in the defense mechanism of isolation?

Affect linked to the threat remains conscious. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the first theory of anxiety according to Freud?

Anxiety manifests as a strangulated affect. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes how society uses defense mechanisms?

To allow individuals to function socially while satisfying drives. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Nature of Anxiety

Anxiety is a set of familiar, unpleasant physiological events, one may or may not know why they are afraid
Anxiety is different from fear because one does not know what they are worried about, while fear is knowing what you are afraid of
Anxiety can serve an important function by alerting one to possible danger
In such cases, drives, such as sexual desire may cause anxiety

Freud's Theories of Anxiety

First Theory: Anxiety is a manifestation of strangulated affect, where energy under pressure is released as anxiety
Second Theory: Anxiety is the cause, not consequence of repression, the warning bell of danger to ward off evil thoughts
Third Theory: Anxiety can be categorized as Realistic: Fear of the external world, **Moral:**Fear of punishment from the superego, Neurotic: Fear without a consciously recognized source (id)

Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are unconscious activities of the ego used to regulate the psyche
Repression is the process of pushing down psychic investment in an object, excluding libidinal desires from consciousness, pushing them out of the conscious.
Denial shuts down threatening material from conscious, commonly seen in fainting. It shuts down traumatic memories to protect the psyche.
Projection involves taking unwanted desires and projecting them onto others and seeing the world around us consumed with sex.
Reaction Formation replaces urges by opposites, such as a homosexual preacher who is homophobic.
Isolation involves repressing the affect associated with a threat, but the idea remains conscious such as violent obsessions
Undoing is opposite of isolation, relieving the ego of obsessive thoughts, such as OCD
Displacement transfers threatening drives to an easier target such as phobias and the "kick the dog" phenomenon.
Sublimation redirects drive energy into something greater, such as a surgeon who loves to cut.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

The ego strives to heal itself through awareness, accommodation and integration.
The therapist aids the ego in its synthetic function through aligning it with the synthetic function of the patient.
The therapist examines transference and repetition compulsion patterns
Key components of therapeutic components are re-experiencing, area of safety, neutrality and equidistance, avoiding either-or thinking and analyzing the client.

Winnicott's Object Relations Theory

Winnicott focused on the early mother-child relationship and saw maladaptive patterns emerging early in the relationship.
Infants begin life in a non-integrated state with shifting sets of drives and needs, no sense of self at birth, only a mother-child dyad.
The mother is biologically endowed to care for and help the infants develop toward psychological integration
The holding environment is a responsibility to hold together the infant's psyche and create a place of calmness and security.
A good mother responds to the child's needs and anticipates them, mirroring their needs and showing empathy through responsiveness.
Caretakers fail to satisfy the child's needs through insensitivity, leading to the child losing touch with their own needs.
True Self is promoted by a sensitive and responsive environment, while False Self is promoted by an insensitive mother.
Good-enough Parenting is not about perfection, but about creating opportunities for the child to transition from subjective omnipotence to objective reality.

Kohut's Self Psychology

Kohut believed that the self is the center of being, and that its development is necessary for healthy functioning.
There are three main needs necessary for self-development: mirroring need, where the child needs to feel important and grandioase, idealizing need, where the child needs a caregiver to idealize, and the twinship need, where the child needs to feel connected to another.
Transmuting internalization involves the child learning to satisfy their own needs in the absence of the parent.
Kohut’s therapeutic technique focused on empathy, not need gratification, which satisfies the mirroring need of the patient and allows them to grapple with unmet needs without being overwhelmed.

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Description

Explore the complex nature of anxiety and its distinctions from fear. This quiz delves into Freud's theories on anxiety, covering its various categories and the role of defense mechanisms in managing anxiety. Test your understanding of these psychological concepts and their implications.