SIGMUND FREUD & THE MIND

T HE B RAIN VS. T HE M IND BRAIN: BRAIN: Is what is physically inside the skull, and its study consists of functions of its various structures. MIND: MIND: Refers to the mental processes, and its study is an attempt to understand the conscious and the conscious.

T HE B RAIN VS. T HE M IND Psychologists attempt to understand the brain and the mind in order to understand human behaviour.

SIGMUND FREUD Was an Austrian psychiatrist who was known as the “Father of Psychoanalysis”. As a result of working with patients he believed that many of our neurosis could be attributed to conflicts we have experienced in our past.

C ONSCIOUS M IND conscious mind is what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies, and feelings anything that can easily be made conscious, the memories you are not at the moment thinking about but can readily bring to mind

P RECONSCIOUS / S UBCONSCIOUS Largest part of the mind It includes all the things that are not easily available to awareness our drives or instincts, and things that are put there because we can't bear to look at them, such as the memories and emotions associated with trauma of our motivations, whether they be simple desires for food or sex, neurotic compulsions, or the motives of an artist or scientist we are sometimes driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of these motives, and they are often available to us only in disguised form Many artists find inspiration for their artwork through their subconscious

S TRUCTURE OF THE F REUDIAN P ERSONALITY Ψ Freud assumed that the mind is divided into 3 parts: Id, Ego and Superego

FREUD AND THE “MIND” Freud believed that these conflicts are stored in our “unconscious minds” – conceptual idea of brain. He believed 3 levels to the mind: EGO –conscious and rational. ID- unconscious and instinctive part mind. SUPEREGO – conscience.

ID P rimary Instinctive and present at birth P rimitive Consists of basic drives- P leasure Principle GRATIFY ME NOW!

ID Wants gratification now……..  but it cannot reason, plan, anticipate consequences  or grasp reality or actually DO anything  except stimulate reflexes &fantasies  So, drives remain unfulfilled  Creates tension  Libido  Psychic Energy VIDEO

E GO Ego The Ego is the conscious, rational part of the mind which develops during the first 2yrs of life. It is the part that perceives reality, anticipates consequences, decides what to do, directs action To the extent the ego reduces the ID‘s frustrations The energy generated by ID frustrations becomes bound or channeled into ego functions

E GO The Ego gratifies the ID but via the Reality Principle : WAIT for safe, realistic, appropriate time, place, & object The Reality Principle & the Pleasure Principle are in perpetual conflict Ego must work to prevent unsafe, unrealistic, inappropriate expressions of ID drives EGO DEVELOPS IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF LIFE

S UPEREGO Moral and judicial branch Internalizes Parental & Societal Values Enables self (verse external )control 2 Components i. - Ego -ideal represents that which is morally good (e.g.) Smile and you’ll be happy ii. Conscience : represents that which is morally bad (e.g.) Don’t frown or you’ll be sad The superego is meant to put the id “in check”. The superego develops at the age of 5.

S TRUCTURAL M ODEL ID Ø Now! EGO Ø Later. Ø Maybe. Ø Depends. SUPEREGO Ø Never!

T HE BATTLE BETWEEN THE I D, E GO AND S UPEREGO

FREUD AND PSYCHOANALYSIS Freud believed that people’s problems occurred in the “ego and superego” – unconscious part of the mind. He developed a technique “psychoanalysis” to access these parts of the mind. “Free Association” – people were hypnotized and were asked to respond to random words. Dream analysis – he would analyze dreams and interpret their hidden meanings.

C ONFLICTS AMONG THE I D,E GO AND S UPEREGO Ψ As the Id demands instant gratification, there is conflict with the Superego’s sense of right and wrong. Ψ Ψ Therefore, the Ego must step in to be the referee between the two to restore them to reality. Ψ This causes much anxiety and the Ego defends itself against this by using DEFENCE MECHANISMS which reduce the anxiety. Defense mechanisms (DF) – when there is a conflict with the EGO and ID/SUPEREGO, patients develop DF’s (hysteria, anxiety, denial etc).

D EFENCE M ECHANISMS Ψ Repression : Keep threats out of consciousness. Ψ Displacement: Move target of emotions e.g. aggression to someone/something else. Ψ Projection: Attribute undesirable characteristics to someone else..”it’s not me it’s you”. Ψ Denial: Refuse to accept the reality of an event. Ψ Intellectualisation: Remove emotions from a threatening event. Ψ Examples?

D EFENSE M ECHANISM & T HE S IMPSONS Conflict between ID and Superego causes the Ego to defend itself. Here is an example from the Simpsons. Homer is going mad because he was not able to gratify his IDs urges for alcohol and TV. V2WE

ID, EGO, SUPEREGO ROLE PLAY I need 3 volunteers to act out a scene demonstrating how the ID, EGO, AND SUPERGO function.