Psychoanalytic Theory
Core Concepts: 1. Psychic Determinism 2. Unconscious Motivation 3. Epigenetic Development 4. Conflict
Sub-Theories: Economic/Drive Theory ( Dual Instinct ) Topographic ( UNC, Preconscious, CON ) Structural ( ID, EGO, SUPEREGO )
Instincts: Eros (libido) Thanatos (death/aggression) Love and Death (Creation and Destruction)
Cathexis (investment of psychic energy) Fixation (getting stuck)
Structures of the Mind Id instinctual gratification Pleasure Principle / Primary Process Ego reality testing Reality Principle / Secondary Process Superego
Psychosexual Development Oral (0-18 mo.) Pleasure zone: mouth; Activities: sucking, mouthing, biting etc. Anal (18-36 mo.) Pleasure zone: anus Activity: elimination & retention of feces (control) Phallic (3-6 yo) Oedipus Complex
Latency Genital Personality fixed by the end of Phallic stage
Anxiety and Defense Repression Defense Mechanisms Examples: Projection, Displacement, Reaction Formation, etc.
Character Fixed patterns of conflict and defense.
Criticism of Freud Overemphasis on unconscious processes Overemphasis on “sexual” development Neglect of interpersonal environment and social learning Overemphasis on early development Difficult to operationalize and test Biased by era and culture
Post-Freudian Theories
Jung Collective UNC Archetypes Anima/Animus Introversion/Extraversion
Adler “Individual Psychology” unique individuality and unified strivings of the whole person Ego functions Social environment Inferiority/Superiority Compensatory Motivation Inferiority Complex
Erikson Psychosocial Development Crises
OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY Interpersonal relations and the development of the SELF Internalized “object” representations Fundamental role of ATTACHMENT as primary need
Klein Stages: 1. (Schizoid) Fusion “Mommy and I are one” 2. (Paranoid) Good bad splitting similar to “bi-polar representations” (Kernberg) 3. (Depressive) Integration ambivalence & compromise “good enough mothering”
Attachment MAHLER, BOWLBY, AINSWORTH, KERNBERG etc. responsive parenting secure/anxious/avoidant attachments
Kohut SELF PSYCHOLOGY Self-objects Functions Mirroring
Horney psychosocial and sociocultural factors “womb envy”
ASSESSMENT tip of the iceberg ambiguous stimuli
Projective Testing Rorschach TAT Murray’s Needs “higher order motives” Interrater/Interjudge reliability
Empirical evidence Criticism superficial isolated artificial
Empirical evidence 1. UNC processing Automaticity 2. UNC motivation Nisbet & Wilson (unconscious behavior) Silverman (subliminal activation) 3. Repression Mixed results Repressed Memory Debate