Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 6 – DISS Subject Teacher:

Psychoanalysis
OBJECTIVES:
The learners shall be able to:
identify key concepts and approaches in the social sciences,
interpret personal and social experiences using relevant approaches in the Social Sciences,
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the approach,
analyze the psychodynamics of a person’s personality in terms of id, ego and superego, and;
identify the key theorists on psychoanalysis.

PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOLOGY
- views behavior as a product of the interaction between biologically based instincts (for example,
hunger, sex, survival, and aggression) and our efforts to satisfy these instincts in socially acceptable
ways.
PSYCHOANALYSIS
- school of thought developed by Sigmund Freud
- is a type of insight-oriented therapy that encourages patients to think about themselves—their
problems, dreams, and memories—so that they can gain insight into the causes of their own
difficulties. Psychoanalysis encourages patients to talk about early childhood experiences, thus
revealing unconscious thoughts and processes (most concerning early-childhood conflicts and
sex).
- revelations may result in greater insight as to the impact of these experiences on personality
development
Basic premise: “Unconscious is the key to understanding our personality.”
 these are thoughts, memories, emotions, and feelings that are hidden from a person’s conscious
mind, which, without him knowing, affects the way he thinks, feels and acts.
 there are drives and desires in a person’s unconscious mind that influence his view of the world
and how she decides to go about his daily life
- Unconscious desires originate from childhood experiences that people have long forgotten or
repressed
- Although repressed, these propels one to function in society
- Psychoanalytic practice – method by which the troubling unconscious material, such as
memories and desires, is brought to the level of the conscious mind so that the individual could
understand herself better

Psychosexual Development of the Personality

Psychosexual - individual derives pleasure from different parts of the body in different stages of
growth; pleasure and the human body
- how the mind relates to the body and the pleasure derived from the activities of the body
- Libido: natural mental energy that operates the mechanisms of the mind

I. Oral Stage
- birth to 18 months
- child is totally dependent on others to provide for his needs
- pleasure is derived from the use of the mouth (sucking, chewing, biting)
- personality developed: Dependence
2. Anal Stage
- 18 months to 3 years (toilet training years)
- personality developed: independence, self-control and sense of accomplishment
3. Phallic Stage
- 3 to 6 years old
- child develops attraction to their parents of the opposite sex (Oedipus Complex/Electra Complex)
4. Latency Stage
- 6 to 12 years old
- personality developed: skills associated with social skills and social interactions
5. Genital Stage
- 12 years onward
- personality developed: sexual maturity
 Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 6 – DISS Subject Teacher:

Key Concepts in Psychoanalysis

1. Three Levels of Awareness
a. Conscious
- accessible information, memories and thoughts of an individual
b. Pre conscious
- accessible and retrievable pieces of information are situated but are not currently in the
conscious level
c. Unconscious
- inaccessible memories, thoughts, emotions and feelings that are most populated by childhood
events

2. 3 Levels of the Mind

a. Id (“I want it now”)
- occupies the unconscious level (pleasure principle)
- instincts and basic urges (biological aspect)
- seeks pleasure and demands instant gratification
- does not take reality into account as it only demands what it wants without logic or reason
b. Ego (“Maybe I can find a compromise”)
- resides in conscious and preconscious levels ( reality principle)
- decision-maker (center of logic and reason)
c. Superego (“nice people don’t do that”)
- resides in all levels of the mind
- moral and social aspect of personality (conscience)
- demands strict adherence to the laws of society and conformity to social norms

Important Theorists:
1. Sigmund Freud
- Father of Psychoanalysis
- behavior and personality are driven by past events, which are mostly inaccessible in the
conscious mind
Psychotherapy: originating event which hinders an individual to have a healthy life is brought to the
surface of the consciousness
 Interpret patient’s problem and allow subject to directly come to terms with his problem
 Free Association: technique that allows a patient to have an inner dialogue with oneself by
saying freely the words that he associates with a thing, person or event
 the unconscious reveals itself and the words associated with an object would gradually lead
to the originating event which caused a mental problem
 Freudian slip (slip of the tongue)-unintentionally saying something opposed to what one
wanted to actually say; thus, revealing his innermost thoughts

2. Carl Jung
Analytic Psychology: departed from Freud’s psychoanalysis
- healthy mental life is achieved through a balanced and well-understood personality
Extroversion: personality motivated by outside stimuli or factors
- relies on statistical data to come up with analysis and conclusion
- quickly adapt to environmental and social changes
Introversion: personality motivated by inner necessity
- how statistical data make an impression upon his thoughts and ideas
- difficulty in quickly adapting to environmental and social changes as they would be very
subjective in the way they form ideas

3. Jacques Lacan
- French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
- developed Freud’s psychoanalytic thought
- his psychoanalytic theory is centered on language
 Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 6 – DISS Subject Teacher:

 medium by which psychoanalysis operates between patient and specialist

Metonymy - figure of speech wherein an object is understood not for what it actually means
but for the associations that the object possesses (associating different meanings to
something)
 Mirror Stage (associated with Freud’s phallic stage and superego)
- child sees himself for the first in a mirror and establishes a relationship with image he sees
- could be theoretical - could either be an actual mirror or a person
4. Eric Fromm
- German sociologist, psychologist and psychoanalyst
Humanistic Psychoanalysis: uses historical, anthropological and psychological perspectives to
approach an individual
- helps the individual realize how to achieve human needs and to be productive members of
society
 humans have lost their ties with nature and are now left with no instincts capable to adapt to
the everchanging world
 Human dilemma: humans can rationalize their isolated existence or condition because of the
ability to reason
 Dilemma (problem) – problem of reuniting with nature, similar to the union of our prehistoric
ancestors and their relationship with the environment; which is unattainable
5. Louis Althusser
- French /Marxist philosopher who used psychoanalytic theory to form and support his theory
- reinvention of Marx’s term of ideology: reflection or misrepresentation of already imaginary
understanding of the world
 Ideology is a mere representation of our imaginary perspective of reality, society and culture
Criticism and Limitation
Psychoanalysis is merely criticized as unscientific or pseudoscience. Critics argue that psychoanalysis
takes a phenomenological approach instead of a positivistic approach in investigating the mind.
This phenomenological approach is characterized by the lack of quantitative and experimental
research in its theory and practice. Psychoanalytic theory is also allegedly untestable and is not
falsifiable. It is also argued that it lacks scientific basis and at times is associated with the mystical
practices of witch doctors. Because most of the psychoanalytic theories are based on case studies,
their applicability is questioned to be limited only to the specific cases studied and not the general
public.

Activity:

1. Do you believe in the statement that ―UNCONSCIOUS is the key to understanding our
personality‖, true? Why or why not? Explain your stand in not more than 8 sentences.
2. If ever you will decide to pursue counseling, what are your personal issues that would prevent
you from becoming a good therapist? Expound. Answer in not more than 8 sentences.
3. Of all the theorists in your handout, who do you think among them set the most realistic
approach to human personality? Support your answer. Answer in not more than 8 sentences.

Basis for Scoring:

Content- 10 points

Organization/ Quality- 10 points

Grammar and Punctuation- 5 points

TOTAL: 25 POINTS

Reference:
Jison, J. and Ponsaran, J., 2018. Disciplines and Ideas In The Social Sciences For Senior High School. 1st
ed. 809 EDSA, South Triangle, Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc.