Psychoanalytic Theory

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Psychoanalytic Theory

• Psychodynamic Theory
• Collective Unconscious
• Epigenetic Theory

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Psychodynamic Theory

• Psychodynamic Perspective
• Creator Sigmund Freud
• Defined Much of behavior is motivated by inner
  forces, memories, and conflicts of which a person
  has little awareness or control.
• Major Principles
• Unconscious forces act to determine personality
  and behavior.
• The unconscious is part of everyones
  personality.
• We are unaware of it though it strongly
  influences our behavior.

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Psychodynamic Theory

• Foundations of the Theory
• Psychological Determinism Behaviors do not
  happen by chance
• There are no accidents
• Everything happens for a reason
• Everything is determined by preceding events
• Psychodynamic theorists take the stance of ultra
  determinism.
• There is almost never the cause there is
  usually multiple causes.
• Once we find a less threatening and simple
  explanation we stop, this is the wrong way.
• Consciousness is Atypical Most of behavior and
  experience is occurring below the conscious level.

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Psychodynamic Theory

• ID Raw, unorganized, inborn part of personality
• Pleasure Principle Continue producing behavior
  that gives positive stimulus and stop behavior
  that produces a negative stimulus and/or avoid
  negative stimuli
• Primitive desires of hunger, sex, and aggression.
• Satisfaction is ultimate goal

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Psychodynamic Theory

• Ego Rational and reasonable
• Reality Principle Instinctual energy (ID) is
  restrained in order to maintain the safety of the
  individual and keep him/her within societies
  norms
• Superego Sense of right and wrong
• Conscience
• Develops at age 5 or 6
• Learned from others

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Psychodynamic Theory

• According to Freud development consists of
  stages
• Pleasure and gratification are focused on
  particular biological functions.
• If children are unable to gratify themselves
  sufficiently during a particular stage or receive
  too much of it, fixation will occur.

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Psychodynamic TheoryStages of Development
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Psychodynamic TheoryDefense Mechanisms

• People may feel anxious or threatened when the
  wishes of the id conflict with social rules.
• Ego has weapons at its command to relieve the
  tension.
• Defense Mechanism Used by the ego to prevent
  unconscious anxiety or threatening thoughts from
  entering consciousness.

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Psychodynamic TheoryDefense Mechanisms

• Repression When the threatening idea, memory, or
  emotion is blocked from consciousness.
• Something bad happens in childhood and you cant
  remember it anymore.
• Projection A Persons own unacceptable or
  threatening feelings are repressed and then
  attributed to someone else.
• Being obsessed with something may make you
  project your guilt onto it.
• Displacement When people direct their emotions
  toward things, animals, or other people that are
  not the real object of their feelings.
• You cant express your anger toward a caregiver
  thus you take it out on other kids.

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Psychodynamic TheoryDefense Mechanisms

• Reaction Formation When a feeling that produces
  unconscious anxiety is transformed into its
  opposite in consciousness.
• Someone that is scared to death of their spouse
  may intern believe that they are madly in love
  with them.
• Denial When people refuse to admit that
  something unpleasant is happening.
• Protects a persons self-image
• Preserves the illusion of invulnerability
• It cant happen to me

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Collective Unconscious

• Creator Carl Jung
• Modified Freuds Original Theory
• In addition to the individuals own unconscious
  we have
• Collective Unconscious-Contains universal
  memories, symbols, images, and themes
• Developed Archtypes
• Representation of our collective unconscious
• Can be a picture such as a magic circle (Called
  a Mandala in Eastern religions)
• Symbolizes the unity of life and the Totality of
  the self.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Creator Erik Erikson
• AKA Psychosocial Theory
• Considered Neo-Freudian
• Focus of Theory Ego development.
• Main Topic Identity

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Epigenetic Theory

• Main Tenants
• Emphasized our social interaction with other
  people.
• Society and culture both shape and challenge
  people.
• His stage covered the entire life-span (8
  stages).
• Each stage represents a crisis that must be
  resolved.
• Epigenetic Non-genetic causes of a phenotype.
• Change of a phenotype without change in a
  genotype.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Eight stages of development
• Unique development task confronts individuals
  with crisis that must be resolved
• Each stage has both positive and negative poles
• Positive resolution builds foundation for healthy
  development

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 1 - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
• (0-1 ½ )
• Developing trust is the first task of the ego.
• It is never complete.
• The child will let mother out of sight without
  anxiety and rage when
• She has become an inner certainty.
• Outer predictability.
• Quality of maternal relationship is everything.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• (1-2)
• If denied autonomy (ability to make independent
  choices)
• Child will resist urges to manipulate and
  discriminate.
• Shame develops.
• Left over doubt may become paranoia.
• The sense of autonomy serves the preservation in
  economic and political life of a sense of
  justice.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt
• (2-6)
• Initiative adds to autonomy the quality of
  (tasks for the sake of being active and on the
  move)
• Undertaking
• Planning
• Attacking
• The child feels guilt over the goals contemplated
  and the acts initiated in exuberant enjoyment of
  new loco motor and mental powers.
• The castration complex
• Due to the child's erotic fantasies.
• They will get in trouble for feeling that way.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt
• (2-6)
• A residual conflict over initiative may be
  expressed as
• Hysterical denial.
• May cause the repression of the wish or
  destruction of the ego.
• Results in paralysis and inhibition, or
  overcompensation and showing off.
• The Oedipal stage
• Results in oppressive establishment of a moral
  sense
• Sets the direction towards the possible and the
  tangible which permits dreams of early childhood
  to be attached to goals of an active adult life.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority
• (7-12)
• Bringing a productive situation to completion.
• Gradually supersedes the whims and wishes of
  play.
• The fundamentals of technology are developed.
• To lose the hope of such "industrious"
  association may pull the child back and cause
  them to become
• More isolated
• Less conscious
• The child can become a conformist and thoughtless
  slave whom others exploit.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 5 - Identity vs. Role Confusion
• (13-21)
• AKA Diffusion
• The adolescent is newly concerned with how they
  appear to others.
• Ego identity
• Accrued confidence that the inner sameness and
  continuity prepared in the past are matched by
  the sameness and continuity of one's meaning for
  others.
• Evidenced in the promise of a career.
• The inability to settle on a school or
  occupational identity is disturbing.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 6 - Intimacy vs. Isolation
• (21-35)
• Body and ego must be masters of organ modes.
• This is in order to face the fear of ego loss.
• In situations which call for self-abandon.
• The avoidance of these experiences leads to
  isolation and self-absorption.
• The counterpart of intimacy is distantiation
• Readiness to isolate and destroy forces and
  people whose essence seems dangerous to one's
  own.
• Now true genitality can fully develop.
• Danger
• Isolation which can lead to severe character
  problems.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation
• (35-60)
• Generativity is the concern in establishing and
  guiding the next generation.
• Simply having or wanting children doesn't achieve
  generativity.
• Socially-valued work and disciples are also
  expressions of generativity.

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Epigenetic Theory

• Stage 8 - Ego Integrity vs. Despair
• (60)
• Ego integrity is the ego's accumulated assurance
  of its capacity for order and meaning.
• Despair is signified by a fear of one's own
  death, as well as the loss of self-sufficiency,
  and of loved partners and friends.
• Healthy children won't fear life if their elders
  have integrity enough not to fear death.