Lecture 3 - Depth Psychology: Freud PDF

DEPTH PSYCHOLO GY FREUD LECTURE 3 CHAPTER 3  FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT Usually considered to be the earliest, most fundamental personality theory in Psychology. Viewed as the most comprehensive of all the theories c...

DEPTH PSYCHOLO GY FREUD LECTURE 3 CHAPTER 3  FREUD’S PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT Usually considered to be the earliest, most fundamental personality theory in Psychology. Viewed as the most comprehensive of all the theories concerning personality and human functioning. Over-emphasis of the role of sex in human functioning – regarded as the basis for all human behaviour. Psyche = personality Although modern day psychologists/theorists/academics do not wholly accept or apply Freud’s theory, it remains necessary for all psychologists to have a thorough knowledge of the theory, as: – Much of the terminology used in current psychological practices is based on Freudian concepts – Many other theories have since been developed in opposition to his ideas, and cannot be understood without a detailed understanding of Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory. – Psychoanalysis is fundamental to all psychological studies, whether one agrees with the theoretical model or not.  VIEW OF THE PERSON WHAT ARE THE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING FREUD’S THEORY? 1) Psychosocial conflict:  Constant conflict between primitive sexual & aggressive drives within the psyche (that demand satisfaction), and the moral prescriptions & norms of society.  Individual continually tries to experience as much drive satisfaction as possible whilst feeling the least amount of guilt about doing so. 2) Biological & psychic determinism:  Human drives are experienced physiologically (within the body), but are localized within a part of the psyche known as the id.  Societal rules are absorbed into another part of the psyche called the superego.  Thus, all expressed behaviour (biological) is determined by forces within the psyche (psychic). 3) The mechanistic assumption:  All human beings function as machines – thus, psychological processes and behaviours can ultimately be understood in the same way that mechanical or physiological processes are understood.  Uses the physical principles of energy consumption, conservation & transformation to describe human functioning (steam train analogy).  STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON HOW IS THE PERSONALITY STRUCTURED ACCORDING TO FREUD?  Assigned clear, definitive structural properties to the personality.  All human functioning takes place on three levels of consciousness within the psyche: 1) The conscious – Thoughts feelings & experiences of which the individual is currently aware. Contents of this level changes all the time. 2) The preconscious – Information that can be recalled to consciousness without much effort. Consists of memories that are NOT painful or anxiety provoking, and experiences and observations on which the individual is not concentrating at any particular moment. 3) The unconscious – ‘Forbidden’ sexual and aggressive drives, and memories of events that cause the individual pain, anxiety and guilt. Cannot be recalled to the conscious mind.  STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON  Levels of consciousness did not explain person’s complex psychic functioning satisfactorily– Consequently, Freud developed additional structural elements, namely the id, ego and superego.  These structures did not replace the levels of consciousness.  The structural elements of the psyche differ from one another in that they function on different levels of consciousness.  The id functions almost exclusively on the unconscious level – Can sometimes penetrate the preconscious level via dreams.  The ego and superego function on all three levels of consciousness, but not to the same extent.  For example, the individual’s conscious experience consists primarily of ego functions such as thinking and perceiving. STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON  STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON THE ID  The innate, primitive component of the psyche.  In direct contact with the body, from which it obtains energy for all behaviour.  This energy is linked to the life drive (serves to preserve life & includes sexual drives) and the death drive (a drive that serves to destroy life and underlies all destructive behaviour, such as aggression and violence).  Functions according to the primary processes and pleasure principle.  This means that the id seeks immediate & complete satisfaction of its sexual and aggressive drives without considering anything but its own instant gratification.  It is therefore entirely selfish and unrealistic, and has no contact with external reality.  Thus, it is not geared towards actual drive satisfaction, because it is incapable of finding appropriate objects in the environment that could satisfy its drives.  The only form of drive satisfaction the id is able to achieve is through fantasy.  STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON THE EGO  Develops from id through contact with the outside world.  Purpose – to serve the id’s needs by finding appropriate and suitable objects for real drive satisfaction (i.e. the executer of id’s wishes).  Functions according to the secondary process and reality principle.  Secondary principle – Evaluates a situation before taking action, reflects upon and plans appropriate ways to satisfy drives, postpones satisfaction to appropriate time and place.  Reality principle – Takes physical and social (moral codes) reality into account through using sensory perception, rational thinking, memory, and learning (i.e. recognizes the difference between the internal and external world through reality testing).  Experiences constant pressure from the id whilst also accommodating the demands of the physical environment and moral codes of society (via the superego) - A difficult balancing act.  The id threatens the ego with tension and discomfort if its drives are not satisfied; the superego threatens the ego with punishment of guilt.  STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON THE SUPEREGO  Develops from ego.  Represents behavioural and moral codes of society – serves to pressure an individual into abiding by these social norms.  Functions according to the moral principle – punishes individual by making them feel guilty about immoral wishes and behaviour, holds up perfectionistic ideal of moral behaviour.  Punishing element of superego known as the conscious.  Positive dimension that encourages moral behaviour known as ego ideal.  Superego compels the ego to keep forbidden drives at an unconscious level.  Anticathexis: The moral taboo placed on an object by the superego.  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY  Freud also developed a detailed theory of motivation, and studied how people try to deal with conflicts through the use of defense mechanisms, the causes and functions of anxiety, the causes and meanings of performance errors, and the development of neurotic behaviour and other psychopathological phenomena. MOTIVATION: FREUD’S DRIVE THEORY  Remember: One of Freud’s assumptions is the mechanistic assumption.  Thus, the human psyche functions with the help of energy that is converted from a physical-biological form to psychic energy through energy transformation.  Therefore, the drives that reside in the id, and the internalised moral code within the superego, both possess transformed energy. – Internalisation: The process by which people make things such as attitudes, values, and beliefs of others or the community, a part of their own personality so that they can cope with things better in future.  This energy can either urge the individual to act (i.e. to satisfy sexual/aggressive desires), or to torture the person with guilt feelings.  This means that the individual has to cope with a conflict between two forms of energy: drive energy in the form of (forbidden) wishes vs. moral energy in the form of guilt feelings.  Freud thus views drives as psychological representations of energy derived from the body that serves as a driving force in human functioning. This not only motivates and propels the person to function, but also determines the direction of their behaviour.  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY TYPES OF DRIVES  All drives (instincts) have two basic purposes in human functioning: 1) To develop constructively 2) To disintegrate and die  The life drive (eros): Functions to preserve life, and consists of ego drives (directed to survival) and sexual drives (directed towards procreation to ensure species survival). – Satisfaction of sexual drives provides erotic pleasure, while the non-satisfaction thereof causes discomfort. – However, society has strict moral codes regarding sexual behaviour – causes constant problems for individual.  The death drive (thanatos): Functions on the break down of complex cells and materials to inorganic matter – signifies the termination of life (a tensionless state known as nirvana). – Intrapsychic explanation for war, aggression, murder, suicide, and death. – Original object of death drive is the body itself. – In constant conflict with life drives – conflict is projected outwards in the form of aggression or destructive behaviour towards people and things. – Plays a role in the development of psychopathology  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY ANXIETY (Why do people become anxious?)  Ego’s reaction to danger.  Stems from conflict and tension between id’s forbidden drives and superego’s moral codes.  Uncomfortable feeling that motivates ego to avoid danger, and subsequently reduce state of anxiety.  Three types of anxiety: 1) Reality anxiety: Conscious fear about actual dangers in the external environment – possible to do something about this fear (i.e. fight, flight, freeze, fawn reaction). 2) Neurotic anxiety: Partially/wholly unconscious – threat comes from within. Ego fears that forbidden drive will penetrate the conscious mind or that drive will become uncontrollable (which would lead to punishment & feelings of guilt). 3) Moral anxiety: Partially/wholly unconscious – threat comes from within. Ego fears that superego will punish it for a forbidden drive or action.  In both neurotic and moral anxiety the ego feels threatened by the conflict between the contents of the id and the moral codes of the superego, and in both cases the individual is not aware of what is causing the feelings of anxiety.  The anxiety may become so severe and unmanageable that the person is compelled to develop a neurosis or psychosis to escape the situation.  Anxiety usually dealt with through the use of defense mechanisms.  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY DEFENSE MECHANISMS  Strategies that the ego implements to defend/protect itself against the conflict between the forbidden or repressed drives of the id and moral codes of the superego (which cause neurotic and moral anxiety).  An attempt to cope with unconscious psychic content.  Denials and distortions of reality geared towards keeping anxiety-provoking material unconscious.  Individuals are not aware of the fact that they are using defense mechanisms, and are not aware of the deep-seated reasons for their defensive behaviour.  A person rarely uses just one type of defense mechanism – typically involves the use of a variety of mechanisms simultaneously (usually involves repression and resistance PLUS other forms of defense mechanisms).  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY TYPES OF DEFENSE MECHANISMS Fixation (closely associated with regression): Psychological development becomes partly stuck at a particular stage. Individual behaves in a manner appropriate to an earlier stage in an attempt to avoid facing the challenges of the next developmental stage. Example: A three-year-old child continues to suck their thumb and resists toilet training. Identification: Person symbolically represents themselves with another person because of an unconscious desire to be like the other person. Best understood in the context of Freud’s developmental theory. Example: Oedipus complex – sexual attraction towards the mother & hatred of the father.  DYNAMICS OF THE PERSONALITY PARAPRAXES  An error in speech, memory or physical action that occurs due to the interference of unconscious repressed wishes, conflicts or thoughts surfacing to conscious.  Daily mistakes that we make that we generally regard as unimportant or insignificant.  Examples: Cannot remember the name of someone we actually know well, slip of the tongue where we say something we did not intend, bumping our toe on the corner of the bed, forgetting what we wanted to do, accidentally hitting your finger with a hammer.  Freud does not regard these mistakes as accidental. Believes that they are caused by unconscious desires and fears, and that they are a form of mild psychopathology (found in every ‘normal’ person).  DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONALITY FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT  Focuses specifically on the development of the sex drive and how society and the child deal with the obstacles/problems that accompany it.  Development of the individual occurs in successive stages that are determined by maturation.  Progression from one stage to the next is the result of changes in the sources of sexual drive energy (sources are mostly physiological, e.g. mouth, anus, genitals).  Overall pattern of development is determined by biological maturation, however, Freud moreover emphasizes the importance of the social environment – especially the role of the child’s parents.  Parent’s behaviour has a profound affect on how well, and in what ways the child will cope with the problems associated with each stage, and also determines how effectively the child will progress through the various stages.  Differences in social circumstances cause individual differences in the process of development, as well as in the personality characteristics that emerge.  DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONALITY PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT 1) Oral stage (± first year of life) Pre-genital stages: Sexual development that does not involve the aspect of 2) Anal stage (± second year) procreation.  Most important stages, as Freud believes that a person’s personality 3) Phallic stage (± third to sixth year) characteristics are permanently fixed during this timeframe. 4) Latent stage (± sixth to twelfth year) 5) Genital stage (puberty onwards) DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONALITY PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONALITY CONCEPTS RELATED TO PSYCHOSEXUAL PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT Oedipus complex: A developmental stage where a boy identifies with his father and his own gender role to cope with his sexual desires towards his mother, and aggression, hatred, and jealousy towards his father. Electra complex: A developmental stage where a girl envies her lack of a male sexual organ (‘penis envy’), which eventually leads to the identification with the mother and her own gender role. Serves as a way for her to cope with the anger she has towards her mother, whom she holds accountable for this ‘defect’.  OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT WHAT DOES FREUD REGARD AS IDEAL PERSONALITY FUNCTIONING?  Minimal focus on optimal development as Freud focused primarily on explaining and treating psychic disturbances.  Believes that there is no difference between healthy and psychologically disturbed individuals, as both struggle with the same psychic problems (i.e. managing the continual conflict between drives and morals).  The healthy can only be distinguished from the disturbed in that they are better at conflict resolution.  Genital character: Personality type that is closest to representing the ideal personality (i.e. can balance the need satisfaction of drives against the moral orders of the superego effectively). – Developmentally, there are no fixations during the pre-genital stages, and thus no regression to pre- genital stages of development either. – Structurally, the genital character has a strong ego, and a superego that is not overly strict or rigid. – Dynamically, the genital character is capable of effective reality testing, uses sublimation as a defense mechanism, and is able to satisfy sexual and aggressive urges in socially acceptable, and appreciated ways.  PSYCHOPATHOLOGY HOW DOES FREUD VIEW PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR?  Views abnormal behaviour as an extreme and exaggerated extension of normal behaviour.  Psychological disorders caused by imbalance in structure of personality.  Ego = too weak to handle conflict between the id and superego satisfactorily. Historical causes of psychopathology (i.e. can be traced back to psychosexual development in the pre-genital stages): 1) Fixation in a stage – Causes unresolved problems to be repressed to the unconscious, and subsequently allows excessive, anxiety-provoking drive energy to remain present in the psyche. 2) Weak ego development – Ego has not developed efficient rationality for drive satisfaction, or ineffective defense mechanisms were used. 3) Development of an overly strict superego – Parental discipline was too strict, or opportunity for the expression of aggression was too limited.  PSYCHOPATHOLOGY HOW DOES FREUD VIEW PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR? Contemporary causes of psychopathology:  Causes of psychological disturbances stem from any changes or crises that upset the person’s balance between the fulfilment of drives and guilt feelings.  Changes/crises usually brought about by transition from one stage to another or by a radical shift in the person’s lifestyle.  When ego is no longer able to cope with the anxiety that results from the conflict between the id and the superego by using defense mechanisms, it resorts to pathological ways of handling conflicts. Three types of mental disorders may emerge: 1) Neurosis – Ego’s inability to cope with conflict between the id and superego. 2) Personality disorders – Deeply rooted, disturbed ways of dealing with conflict/satisfying drives. 3) Psychosis – Complete inability of ego to deal with anxiety – withdrawal/distortion of reality.