Personality

The
Psychodynamic
Perspective
 Psychodynamic Perspective

Sigmund Freud Carl Jung

Psychoanalysis Analytical Psychology
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

Psychoanalytic theory attempts to explain

personality, motivation and psychological
disorders by focussing on the influence of early
childhood experiences, on unconscious motives
and conflicts, and on the methods people use to
cope with their sexual and aggressive urges..
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) believed that

personality has three components:
q  Conscious mental processes are the thoughts
that we are aware of.
q  Preconscious mental processes can become
conscious in response to some cue.
q  Unconscious mental processes are inaccessible
to us, but still influence our behaviour.
Freud…………psychoanalysis

Consciousness is only a small

part of the mind floating on an
unconscious sea.
Conscious: mental events we are
aware of - the top part of the
iceberg.
Preconscious: mental events we
can access with effort.
Unconscious: thoughts, feelings
and memories hidden from view -
the bottom part of the iceberg.
7
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory:
q  We have many passions and thoughts that we
are forced to repress because they are socially
unacceptable; however, they still have a
powerful influence on us.
q  There is a conflict between biological impulses
and internalised social restraints.
q  Sexual and aggressive urges given importance
because social norms dictate that they be
routinely frustrated.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

Freud theorised there are 3 interacting

systems:
q  id;
q  ego;
q  superego.
 " the first part of a personality
The Id
" we are born with the id
" operates on the pleasure
principle
" totally in the unconscious
" self serving, irrational,
impulsive
" has no consideration of reality
" gets basic needs met
 " the second part of our personality,
The Ego developing within the next 3 years
after birth
" it is the ego’s job to meet the
needs of the id, while taking into
consideration the reality of the
situation
" delays action until it is appropriate
" understands that other people
have needs
" floats in the conscious control of
personality
 The " the third stage, developing by
about the age of 5 years
Superego " the moral part of us, equates to
our “conscience” and dictates
what is right or wrong
" the judge and censor for
thoughts and actions of the ego
" punishes with guilt feelings
when standards of conscience
are not met
" rewards with feelings of pride
when these standards are met

A person with a weak superego is likely to be delinquent,

criminal, antisocial.
The primitive, Determines our The decision-making
instinctive component conscious moral component of
of personality that values; how we ought personality that
operates according to to behave; what we operates according to
the pleasure principle. would like to be. the reality principle.
Judges our actions; Develops during
Immediate responsible for us childhood experiences
gratification!! feeling guilty. with social
surroundings and
responsibilities.
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 ID SUPEREGO
I want it! Don’t!
I want it now! You can’t have it!

EGO
I’ll have just a
little bit later!
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The id, ego and superego
In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the
strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset
the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of
every situation.

Not an easy job by any means.

If the id gets too strong, impulses
and self gratification take over the
person's life.
If the superego becomes too
strong, the person would be
driven by rigid morals, would be
judgemental and unbending in his
or her interactions with the world.
 Personality Development

q  Personality develops in first few years of life.

q  Patients’ deep-rooted problems stem from
unpleasant childhood experiences
q  Freud postulated that children go through
psychosexual stages; the id’s energies are
focussed on pleasure-sensitive areas of body –
the erogenous zones.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

Freud’s Developmental Theory of Personality

The 5 stages in development are:
n  Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital

" The stages are meant to explain personality

development in terms of how sexual instincts are
satisfied throughout our lives.
" Freud believed that many adult personality traits
can be traced to fixations in one or more of these
psycho-sexual stages of development.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Oral Stage (birth -18 months)
" Erogenous zone is the mouth, and pleasure is
gained through sucking, biting, chewing.
" Fixation at this stage may result from early (or
delayed) weaning — from breast to bottle to cup.
" Adults fixated at this stage still seek satisfaction
through the mouth (talk or drink too much, overeat,
smoke, bite nails, etc) .
" They may often be gullible, demand lots of attention,
argue a lot, be cynical and get aggressive due to
frustration.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years)
" Child is considered to be able to control
(and gain pleasure from) body eliminations.

" Child is toilet training.

Control Issues
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Anal Stage (18 months - 3 years)
Adults fixated at the expressive stage may exhibit
destructive, disorderly, cruel, messy,and expulsive
behaviours.
Adults fixated at the retentive stage may exhibit controlling,
excessively neat and orderly, obstinate, cruel, stingy,
compulsively clean behaviours.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Phallic Stage (3 - 6 years)
n  Erogenous zone: genital region

n  Most controversial stage

n  Children curious about genitals, discover their sex

differences
n  Development of gender identity

n  Superegos gain strength; incorporation of parents’

values
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Phallic Stage (3 - 6 years)
n  Children cope with threatening feelings by repressing

them and trying to become more like their rival parent

n  Develop an unconscious desire for the parent of the

opposite sex, and wish to eliminate the same-sexed

parent - Oedipal Complex
n  Adults fixated at this stage may display vanity,

exhibitionism, narcissism (vanity) and pride.

 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Oedipal Complex
" refers to a boy’s attachment to his mother
" taken from Greek mythology, where Oedipus unknowingly
married his mother after killing his father
" feelings of guilt plague the boy
" a man fixated at this stage may become
preoccupied with demonstrations of his
manhood (acting “macho”)
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Electra Complex
" refers to a girl’s attachment to
her father
" taken from Greek mythology
where Electra, aided by her
brother, avenges her father’s
death by killing her mother and
her mother’s lover.
Freud…………psychoanalysis

n  Women fixated at this stage

are attracted to older men
(father figures), seducing
them to demonstrate their
powers and relieve feelings
of inferiority.
n  Freud later rejected the
Electra complex, though
many believe he was simply
appeasing the public.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Latency Stage (6 years - puberty)
n  Instinctual drives/sexual feelings are repressed, and

children begin to play with same sex peers.

Genital Stage (puberty - adulthood)

n  Begin to experience mature sexual feelings toward the

opposite sex.
n  This stage is often used to explain teenage behaviours.
 Psychosexual Stages
Stage Focus
Oral Pleasure centres on the mouth – sucking,
(0 - 18 months) biting, chewing
Anal Pleasure focuses on bowel & bladder
(18 - 36 months) elimination
Phallic Pleasure zone is the genitals
(3 - 6 years)
Latency Dormant sexual feelings
(6 yrs – puberty)
Genital Maturation of sexual interests
(puberty on)
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
The key idea behind Freud’s theory of
Personality may be described in terms of:
" the level of fixation
and
" the defence mechanisms most used.

The healthy personality is conceived as a

minimisation of fixation and defences.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis

q  Social groups require control over individual

impulses.
q  Ego struggles to find happy medium between
demands of id and superego à anxiety.
q  “Anxiety is the price we pay for
civilisation.” (Freud)
q  Ego therefore seeks to reduce or redirect
anxiety; often does this by distorting reality.
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Defence Mechanisms
­  The discomfort brought about by internal
conflict may lead to the use of defence
mechanisms, which may temporarily relieve
anxiety.
­  Defence mechanisms are largely unconscious
reactions that protect a person from unpleasant
emotions such as anxiety and guilt.
Write out definitions for the following:
personality regression
id reaction formation
ego projection
superego rationalisation
psychosexual stages displacement
repression sublimation
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Criticisms of Freud’s Theory
" too much emphasis on sexual/aggressive
urges; ignores other types of motivation
" ignores social interactions
" many aspects of theory cannot be scientifically
tested
" pessimistic about human nature
" difficult to measure objectively
" biased against women
 Freud…………psychoanalysis
Freud lives on ???

" importance of childhood experiences?

" the unconscious?
" defence mechanisms?
" conflicting wants/desires?
" development involves gaining control of
impulses & finding acceptable gratifications?
Psychoanalysis after Freud & Jung

Freudian notions are still used today; their

overall strength is reflected in the
persistence of their ideas in our society.

HOWEVER:
psychodynamic theories today have
diminished in their influence,
and
scientific and empirical research
approaches have gained more credibility
and strength.
Psychoanalysis after Freud & Jung

Go to
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/freud.html
to read more about Freud.