Psychology Chapter on Freud and Neo-Freudians

Freud's Psychoanalytic Perspective

• Freud's theory features stages of psychosexual development, with the Oedipus complex emerging during the phallic stage.
• Issues with Freud's theory include vagueness, untestability, overemphasis on sex, and neglect of social and later-life factors.

Neo-Freudian Perspectives

• Alfred Adler: Individual psychology emphasizes compensation for perceived inferiority, forming the inferiority complex. Social connections and birth order are crucial.
• Erik Erikson: Developed eight psychosocial stages of development across the lifespan.
• Carl Jung: Proposed a collective unconscious shared by all humans, encompassing archetypes (universal themes).
• Karen Horney: Focused on social factors, addressing gender bias and emphasizing the need for security.

Social Cognitive Theory

• Albert Bandura: Highlights reciprocal determinism (interaction between personality and environment) and observational learning (acquiring behaviors through observation). Self-efficacy is essential.
• Julian Rotter: Introduced the concept of locus of control (belief about personal power over life events).

Situationism and Personality

• Walter Mischel: Emphasizes situational influences on personality (situationism). Self-regulation, exemplified by the marshmallow test, is relevant.

Humanistic Approach to Personality

• Abraham Maslow: Emphasizes self-actualization (reaching full potential).
• Carl Rogers: Focuses on self-concept, conditions of worth, and the distinction between the real-self and ideal-self.

Biological Approach to Personality

• Minnesota twin studies indicate significant genetic influence on personality. Neurotransmitters play a role (e.g., dopamine and extraversion).

Trait Theories of Personality

• Gordon Allport: Identified three trait categories: cardinal, central, and secondary.
• Raymond Cattell: Argued traits exist on a continuum.
• Hans and Sybil Eysenck: Proposed two personality dimensions: extraversion/introversion and neuroticism/stability.
• Big Five Factors: Five key dimensions of personality (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism).

Personality Assessment: Self-Report Inventories and Projective Tests

• Self-report inventories (e.g., NEO-PI-R, MMPI-2) measure personality using self-reported responses.
• Projective tests (e.g., Rorschach, TAT) utilize ambiguous stimuli to infer personality attributes.

Psychological Disorders: Definition, Classification, and Causes

• Psychological disorders are characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, often influenced by cultural contexts.
• The DSM-5, is a primary diagnostic tool for classifying psychological disorders.
• Causes of disorders involve complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences (biopsychosocial model).

Anxiety Disorders

• Anxiety disorders feature excessive and persistent fear and anxiety, differing substantially from normal anxiety.
• Specific phobia: Excessive fear of a particular object or situation.
• Social anxiety disorder: Persistent fear of social situations.
• Panic disorder: Reccuring panic attacks.
• Generalized anxiety disorder: Chronic, excessive anxiety.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Other Anxiety, Mood, and Dissociative Disorders

• Body dysmorphic disorder: Preoccupation with perceived physical flaws.
• Hoarding disorder: Excessive accumulation of items.
• PTSD: Reaction to a traumatic event characterized by flashbacks, avoidance, and hyperarousal.
• Mood disorders (depressive and bipolar): Severe disturbances in mood.
  • Major depressive disorder: Prolonged sadness without mania.
  • Persistent depressive disorder: Chronic low mood.
  • Bipolar disorder: Alternating periods of depression and mania.
• Schizophrenia: Severe disruptions in cognitive thought/perception.
• Dissociative identity disorder (DID): Presence of two or more distinct personalities.

Personality Disorders

• Personality disorders represent enduring, maladaptive personality patterns that significantly impact social functioning. Examples include Borderline Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Treatment Approaches

• Psychotherapy aims to improve personal well-being and address problems.
• Different approaches include psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and integrative therapies.

Social Psychology

• Group psychology: Topics include conformity, risky-shift, groupthink, group polarization, social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, and social contagion.
• Intergroup relations: Explores prejudice, aggression, and altruism among groups and individuals.
• Social identity theory: Emphasizes the role of ingroups and outgroups in self-image.

Explore Freud's psychosexual development theory along with Neo-Freudian perspectives from Adler, Erikson, Jung, and Horney. The quiz covers key concepts like the Oedipus complex, inferiority complex, psychosocial stages, and social cognitive theory. Test your understanding of these foundational ideas in psychology.