Freud background

• Facts about Sigmund Freud?

  • born in 1856 in Czech Republic - moved to Vienna
  • Jewish
  • Had 6 children
  • Trained doctor - specialised in neurology in 1885
  • Died in 1939 (from cancer?)
• psychodynamic perspective?

  • all our behaviour is predetermined by our unconscious forces and drives (sexual, aggressive)
  • 3 parts of our personality - Id (unconscious), Ego (conscious), Super-Ego (ethical/moral)
  • personality is shaped by childhood experiences in Psychosexual Stages of Development
• defence mechanisms from trauma?

  • repression - put it to back of mind
  • denial - pretend it doesn’t exist
  • projection - put blame onto something else
  • regression - trauma causes you to go back in development - (sucking thumb)
• strengths of PD perspective?

  • focuses on individuals
  • detailed data collected from studies
  • holistic
  • useful as therapies have been developed - once unconscious conflicts are made conscious, they can be resolved
• weaknesses of PD perspective?

  • low generalisability as data from case studies
  • low reliability as longitudinal research occurs
  • subjective
• Stage 1 of psychosexual development?

  • oral (0-1 years old)
  • Nervous system isnt fully developed
  • Nerve endings around mouth are very sensitive (babies put things in their mouth)
  • If we have issues through stages, we develop fixations - oral indulgence/frustration
• stage 2 of psychosexual development?

  • anal (1-3 years old)
  • nerve endings around anus are sensitive
  • at age 3: children finish potty training as here endings fully develop
  • fixations: anally retentive (fussy)/expulsive (untidy)
• stage 3 of psychosexual development?

  • phallic (3-6 years)
  • nerve endings around genitals are sensitive
  • children are becoming aware of their sexuality
  • fixations: Oedipus/electra complex
• Oedipus complex in psychosexual development?

  • make strong attachment to others
  • jealous of affection to dad
  • aware of importance of dad, so repress feelings to mum
  • associate more time with dad
• Electra complex of psychosexual development?

  • girls suffer from penis envy
  • Become aware of others in family having a penis
  • Resent mum as she hasn’t got a penis
  • Get emotional feelings for dad
  • Repress feelings for dad
  • Associate more time with mum
• stage 4 of psychosexual development?

  • latency (6-12 years)
  • development of super-ego and consciousness (learning right+wrong)
• stage 5 of psychosexual development?

  • genital (13-18 years)
  • fixations: sexual deviance
• what is psychosis?

  • medical cause of mental health
  • treated medically
  • (schizophrenia)
• what is neurosis?

  • no medical basis
  • (phobias)
• features of individual differences approach?

  • ideographic - focuses on individual characteristics
  • uses case studies low
  • looks at abnormal rather than normal
  • looks at differences not generalisations