1. Getting Started Copyright © 2007 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self The Conscious Self Focus on Unconscious Alternatives This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any image; any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

2. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Are there Unconscious Agencies… Are there some parts of personality that are: –Unconscious –Yet still exert free will? An agency is a part of personality that exerts free will. Usually, agencies are “superparts” combining many functional areas of personality.

3. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Freud’s Concept of the Id The “it” dreams Source of all mental energy Primary process –Dreams –Fantasies –Elicits pleasures –Source of energy Unconscious Mental Energy Sexual desire; Aggressive desire Dreams and Fantasies Play out and experiment with desires Aims of Desire the id identifies what it wants; this information is communicated to the ego

4. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self The superego Originates around age 3-5 Instills cultural values Developed through identification with parents, and fear of their punishment (Older explanation: Oedipal/Electra complexes) Sometimes conscious, sometimes not Conscience Ego-Ideal (Ideal Self)

5. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Alters and Dissociative Identity Disorder The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states, each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person’s behavior Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

6. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Alters and Dissociative Identity Disorder Relationships Among Personalities Called alternate personalities or subpersonalities Switching – sudden and dramatic (growling, twitching, blinking) Various Relationships –Mutually cognizant (all know one another) –Mutually amnestic (no awareness of each other) –One-way amnestic –Etc.

7. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder Presenting problem: –A mother, Julie, and her son, age 9, are the clients. –The child had been under performing at school and poor social relations Early History of Therapy –Five weeks of family therapy proceed and some progress appears to be occurring

8. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self On Week 6, Julie says, “Doctor, there is someone I’d like to introduce to you.” The therapist expected her to go to waiting room and introduce someone. Instead, the woman closed her eyes, frowned, and opened eyes saying, “I wish Julie would stop smoking, I hate the taste of tobacco.” -- Introduced self as Jerrie; Later in hour, introduced Jenny, as 3rd personality. A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder

9. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Birth to 3: Original personality : Jenny –Ages 3-7: Physical Welfare neglected; sexually molested by neighbor Age 3: Jenny Invents Jerrie, a tough masculine figure able to cope. –Age 8: parents gave her away as “incorrigible” Age 8: Jenny Invents Julie, who is more sensitive and less vulnerable to cruelty; Julie knows Jenny, but not Jerrie. A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder

10. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Age 18: Jerrie and Julie alternate as external personalities; Jenny is always inside. Age 24: Jerrie marries; adopts Adam from husband’s previous marriage A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder

11. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self JennyJulieJerrie Frightened, shy, vulnerable. Felt she had created two Frankensteins now out of her control; hoped to integrate Julie and Jerrie as best mother for Adam. Best mother, but rather stubborn and very strong individually. Heavy smoker. Julie took LSD and then let Jerrie out to victimize her. Tough, able to cope, homosexual, dressed in masculine fashion. Sophisticated, sure, accomplished in the business world. Doesn’t smoke or do drugs. A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder

12. Are There Alternatives to the Conscious Self? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self Jerrie told Adam there were two personalities who had contributed to his misery. Adam: “Mother is two people who keep going in and out, but both of them love me.” He was relieved rather than disturbed. Julie admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital with suicidal depression, but Jerrie talked her way out, and that was the last seen of them. A Case Study of Dissociative Identity Disorder

13. How Is the Conscious Self Expressed? © Copyright 2006 Allyn & Bacon Mayer’s Personality: A Systems Approach Part 2: Parts of PersonalityChapter 7: The Conscious Self ~ end ~