Personality An individual’s unique and relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving Keywords: personality

Personality Theory Attempt to describe and explain how people are similar, how they are different, and why every individual is unique

Personality Perspectives Psychoanalytic—importance of unconscious processes and childhood experiences Humanistic—importance of self and fulfillment of potential Social cognitive—importance of beliefs about self Trait—description and measurement of personality differences

Psychoanalytic Theory Personality According to Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Founder of psychoanalysis Proposed the first complete theory of personality A person’s thoughts and behaviors emerge from tension generated by unconscious motives and unresolved childhood conflicts. Learn more about Freud at: www.freud.org.uk www.lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/freud

Psychoanalytic Approach Developed by Sigmund Freud Psychoanalysis is both an approach to therapy and a theory of personality Emphasizes unconscious motivation – the main causes of behavior lie buried in the unconscious mind Keywords: psychoanalytic approach, unconscious motivation Graphics: picture of Freud pg. 420 Myers

Psychoanalysis as a Therapy A therapeutic technique that attempts to provide insight into one’s thoughts and actions Does so by exposing and interpreting the underlying unconscious motives and conflicts

Freud’s View of the Mind

Free Association Freudian technique of exploring the unconscious mind by having the person relax and say whatever comes to mind no matter how trivial or embarrassing Hypnosis – Relaxing a person into a highly suggestive state to uncover unconscious memories or conflicts The Couch

Personality Assessment Projective Techniques Interpretation of an ambiguous to trigger projection of one’s inner thoughts and feelings Used to determine unconscious motives, conflicts, and psychological defenses & traits

Rorschach Inkblot Test Presentation and interpretation of a series of black and white and colored inkblots Developed in 1921. Personality test that seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of 10 inkblots Numerous scoring systems exist

Unconscious Mind A region of the mind that includes unacceptable anxiety causing thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories Not aware of these thoughts, wishes, etc… but they exert great influence over our conscious thoughts & behavior. DREAMS - “The royal road to the unconsciousness” – behind the surface image (manifest content) lied the true hidden meaning (latent content). Can also surface as “slips of the tongue” or Freudian Slips.

Preconscious Mind A region of the mind holding information that is not conscious but is easily retrievable into conscious awareness Holds thoughts and memories not in one’s current awareness but can easily be retrieved (childhood memories, phone number)

Conscious Mind All the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that you are aware of at this particular moment represent the conscious level

FREUD’S ICEBERG MODEL OF THE MIND

The Psychodynamic Perspective: The Id, Ego, and Superego

Psychoanalytic Divisions of the Mind Id—instinctual drives present at birth does not distinguish between reality and fantasy operates according to the pleasure principle Ego—develops out of the id in infancy understands reality and logic mediator between id and superego Superego internalization of society’s & parental moral standards One’s conscience; focuses on what the person “should” do Develops around ages 5-6. Partially unconscious Can be harshly punitive using feelings of guilt Keywords: id

Freud’s Concept of the “Id” The part of personality that consists of unconscious energy from basic aggressive and sexual drives Operates on the “pleasure principle” - the id demands immediate gratification Is present from birth

Id: The Pleasure Principle Pleasure principle—drive toward immediate gratification, most fundamental human motive Sources of energy Eros—life instinct, perpetuates life Libido—sexual energy or motivation Thanatos—death instinct, aggression, self-destructive actions

Superego The Shoulds & Should Nots of Society Your Conscience Moralistic, judgmental, Perfectionist dimension of personality

Freud’s Concept of the “Ego” The part of personality that mediates the demands of the id without going against the restraints of the superego Rational, organized, logical, mediator to demands of reality Reality principle—ability to postpone gratification in accordance with demands of reality Can repress desires that cannot be met in an acceptable manner

The Personality Id: “I want” Superego: “I should” Ego: “I will”

Psychoanalytic Approach Conscious Unconscious Superego Preconscious Id Ego Information which can easily be made conscious Thoughts, feelings, urges, and other information that is difficult to bring to awareness in your immediate Rational, planful, mediating dimension of personality Moralistic, judgmental, perfectionist dimension of personality Irrational, illogical, impulsive Conscious Ego Superego

Unconscious Self-Deceptions Defense Mechanisms Unconscious Self-Deceptions

Defense Mechanisms Unconscious mental processes employed by the ego to reduce anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

Repression Puts anxiety-producing thoughts, feelings, and memories into the unconscious mind Unconscious forgetting The basis for all other defense mechanisms

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Denial Rejecting the truth of a painful reality.

Regression Going back to a safer, simpler way of being. Assuming childlike behaviors when facing stress or trauma

Reaction Formation Replacing an unacceptable wish with its opposite Behaving in ways that are exactly opposite of how we truly feel.

Projection Attributing something that we don’t like about ourselves to someone else.

Displacement Shifts an unacceptable impulse toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person “Taking out” an emotion on a safe or more accessible target than the actual source of the emotion.

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Rationalization Displaces real, anxiety-provoking explanations with more comforting justifications for one’s actions Reasoning away or making excuses to reduce anxiety-producing thoughts

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Sublimation Substitute an undesirable emotion or drive with a socially acceptable one. Keywords: displacement, sublimation 40

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Undoing Unconsciously neutralizing an anxiety causing action by doing a second action that undoes the first.

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Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Psychosexual Stages In Freudian theory, the childhood stages of development during which the id’s pleasure seeking energies are focused on different parts of the body The stages include: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital A person can become “fixated” or stuck at a stage and as an adult attempt to achieve pleasure as in ways that are equivalent to how it was achieved in these stages

Oral Stage (birth – 18 mo.) Mouth is associated with sexual pleasure Pleasure comes from chewing, biting, and sucking. Weaning a child can lead to fixation if not handled correctly Fixation can lead to oral activities in adulthood Keywords: oral stage 48

Freud’s Stages of Development

Anal Stage (1 – 3 years) Gratification comes from bowel and bladders functions. Toilet training can lead to fixation if not handled correctly Fixation can lead to anal retentive or expulsive behaviors in adulthood Keywords: anal stage 50

Freud’s Stages of Development

Phallic Stage (3 – 6 years) Focus of pleasure shifts to the genitals Sexual attraction for opposite sex parent Boys cope with incestuous feelings toward their mother and rival feelings toward their dad (Oedipus Complex). For girls it is called the Electra Complex. Keywords: phallic stage, Oedipus complex, Electra complex Child identifies with and tries to mimic the same sex parent to learn gender identity. 52

Oedipus Complex Boys feel hostility and jealousy towards their fathers but knows their father is more powerful. This leads to… Castration Anxiety results in boys who feel their father will punish them by castrating them. Resolve this through Identification – imitating and internalizing one’s father’s values, attitudes and mannerisms. (Formation of gender identity & superego) The fact that only the father can have sexual relations with the mother becomes internalized in the boy as taboo against incest in the boy’s superego.

Electra Complex Girls also have incestuous feelings for their dad and compete with their mother. Penis Envy – Little girl suffer from deprivation and loss and blames her mother for “sending her into the world insufficiently equipped” causing her to resent her mother In an attempt to take her mother’s place she eventually indentifies with her mother Fixation can lead to excessive masculinity in males and the need for attention or domination in females

Freud’s Stages of Development

Latency Stage (5 – puberty) Sexuality is repressed (Latent means “hidden”) due to intense anxiety caused by Oedipus complex Children participate in hobbies, school, and same-sex friendships that strengthen their sexual identity Keywords: latency stage 56

Freud’s Stages of Development

Genital Stage (puberty on) Incestuous sexual feelings re-emerge but being prohibited by the superego are redirected toward others who resemble the person’s opposite sex parent. Healthy adults find pleasure in love and work, fixated adults have their energy tied up in earlier stages Keywords: genital stage 58

Freud’s Stages of Development