Freudian Psychodynamic Theories of Behaviour Robert Averbuch MD
Freudian Psychodynamic Theories of Behaviour Robert Averbuch, MD Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry University of Florida Modified/edited and illustrations added by Lina Medaglia-Miller, Ph. D. For “The Great Pretender: The Art of Passing” GSSC 1073
Who Was Freud?
Freud’s Theories, in Context o o o Freud was originally trained as a Neurologist- biological approach to illness Treated mostly Hysteria (conversion disorders) Applied findings from abnormal patients to “normal” development
Freud: A Sign of the Times? Time period: late 1800’s o Victorian times: conservative, repressed society o Prohibitions against sex o
Selected Contributions of Freud o o Psychic Determinism/ Dynamic Model The Power of Catharsis Transference and Countertransference Topographical Model of the Mind n Unconscious, Preconscious, Conscious
Selected Contributions of Freud Structural Model of the Mind o n o ID, EGO, Super. EGO Defense Mechanisms
Behavior is Predetermined Freud sees people as passive; behaviors determined by interaction of external reality and family with internal drives o Psychic Determinism: all behaviors driven by past experiences n “There are no accidents” o
Conflict and Behavior o o Instinctual Drives (libidinal: sexual, aggressive) instincts drive people Behaviors result from conflicts: n Between instinctual (libidinal) drives and efforts to repress them from consciousness
Catharsis Inherent benefits come from releasing pent-up tension o Some inherent value in the “talking cure”: being able to “unload, ” or “get stuff off your mind” o
Transference and Countertransference
Transference Aka “emotional baggage” o UNCONSCIOUS misattribution of feelings, attitudes, and expectations from an important childhood relationship to a current one o
Countertransference Traditionally refers to the physician projecting her own feelings (“issues, ” “emotional baggage”) onto her patient o The corollary to “Transference” o
Freud’s Topographic Model The “Landscape” of the Mind
Topographical Model o o Freud’s first model of psychopathology Division of the mind into three different layers of consciousness: n n n Unconscious Preconscious Conscious
Freud conceived of these levels as parts of a “mental iceberg”
Unconscious Contains repressed thoughts and feelings o Unconscious shows itself in: n Dreams n Hypnosis n Parapraxes (Freudian slips) o Driven by Primary Process Thinking o
Primary Process Thinking Not cause-effect; illogical; fantasy o Only concern is immediate gratification (drive satisfaction) o Does not take reality into account o Seen in dreams, during hypnosis, some forms of psychosis, young children, psychoanalytic psychotherapy o
Freudian Slips (Parapraxes) o o A “slip of the tongue” Errors of speech or hearing that reveal one’s true but unconscious feelings
Preconscious o o Accessible, but not immediately available Always running in the background/ behind the scenes
Conscious Fully and readily accessible o Conscious mind does not have access to the unconscious o Utilizes Secondary Process Thinking: o Reality-based (takes external reality into consideration), logical, mature, time-oriented n
Structural Theory ID, EGO, and Super. EGO
The Structural Model
The ID Home of instinctual Drives o Completely Unconscious o Present at birth o “I want it and I want it NOW!” (Governed by Pleasure Principle) o
The Superego Internalized morals/ values- sense of right and wrong o aka Conscience o Suppresses drives of ID (thru guilt and shame) o
The Superego Mostly unconscious o Develops with socialization, and thru identification with same-sex parent (Neo-Freudians acknowledge that identifications can be with either parent) o
The EGO Mediates between the Id, Superego, and reality o Mostly conscious o Governed by Reality Principle o
Defense Mechanisms Keeping the unpleasant stuff out of mind
“Ego” Defense Mechanisms They serve to protect an individual’s Ego from unpleasant thoughts or emotions o Mostly unconscious o
Mature/Healthy Defenses Altruism Anticipation Humour Sublimation Suppression
Sublimation Rerouting an unacceptable drive in a socially acceptable (often constructive) way o A healthy, conscious defense n Martial arts, sports n
Suppression Deliberately (consciously) pushing anxiety-provoking material out of conscious awareness o
Immature Defenses o o o o Repression Acting Out Somatization Regression Denial Projection Splitting o Displacement Reaction Formation Magical Thinking o Intellectualization o Rationalization o o
Repression Keeping an idea or feeling out of conscious awareness o The primary ego defense o Freud postulated that other defenses are employed only when repression fails o
Acting out Behaving in an attention-getting, often socially inappropriate manner to avoid dealing with unacceptable emotions or material o
Somatization o Unacceptable impulses or feelings converted into physical symptoms
Regression Return to earlier level of functioning (childlike behaviors) during stressful situations o Kids regress after trauma n
Denial Unconsciously discounting external reality o
Projection Falsely attributing one’s own unacceptable impulses or feelings onto others n Can manifest as paranoia o
Splitting Selectively focusing on only part of a person o Seeing people as either all-good or all-bad (Black and White thinking) o Serves to relieve the uncertainty engendered by the fact that people have both bad and good qualities o
Displacement Redirection of unacceptable feelings, impulses from their source onto a less threatening person or object o Mad at your boss, so you go home and kick the dog n
Reaction Formation Transforming an unacceptable impulse into a diametrically opposed thought, feeling, attitude, or behavior; denying unacceptable feelings and adopting opposite attitudes n Ex. Person who loves pornography leads a movement to outlaw its sale in the neighborhood o
Magical Thinking The idea that one can control external events just by thinking a certain way, or by doing something that’s unrelated (superstitious behavior) o
Intellectualization Using higher cortical functions to avoid experiencing uncomfortable emotions; thinking without accompanying emotion o
Rationalization Perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are explained in a rational or logical manner to avoid the true explanation o
The End / Fin
- Slides: 45