Oral Stage

• What happens in the oral stage of psychosexual development?

  The libido receives satisfaction from the lips and mouth which occurs during feeding.
• How can fixation occur?


  If too much or too little oral stimulation occurs.
• What did Freud believe?

  Individuals with schizophrenia experienced fixation during the first 2 months of the oral stage of development.
• What is regression?

  An ego defence mechanism which causes the ego to retract back to an earlier stage (this stage is typically the oral stage of development)
• As an adult how do individuals satisfy the oral stage?


  Kissing, smoking or chewing gum.
• How can an adult retract back to an earlier stage?

  If they're experiencing an excessive amount of stress.
• How can this defence mechanism effect adulthood?


  It causes the ego to retract to a stage where it is less developed or doesn't exist (before 2 years old).
• What does this leave in the mind?

  The ID is in control of the psyche.
• What do the positive symptoms of scz represent?


  Hallucinations and delusions are said to supposedly represent the unchecked activities of the ID.
• How can this affect an individual?

  They'll lose touch with reality and can no longer transition between desires and life. This is evident in narcissistic symptoms (delusions of grandeur)
• Why is this explanation reductionist?

  • Excludes consideration of the environment and wider society.
  • Freud suggested that the development of scz was the consequence of early experiences only.
• What is another problem with this explanation?

  Lack of scientific evidence.

  • the existence of the id, ego and superego are hard to prove and test the existence of.
• Why isn't this a good thing?

  They cannot be falsified which questions the validity.
• How can this be applied to methods of modification?

  An effective therapy hasn't been made from the theory which suggests that the principles are inaccurate.
• What did Freud believe about schizophrenics and psychoanalysis?

  Believed individuals weren't suitable candidates for psychoanalysis as they had lacked insight.
• What is the evidence for the methods of modification?


  Strupp et al (1992)
• What did Strupp's study show?


  Psychoanalytical therapies led to a worsening of symptoms and did more harm than good.