The Psychodynamic Perspective NeoFreudians Psychodynamic Perspective A more

The Psychodynamic Perspective: Neo-Freudians

Psychodynamic Perspective • A more modern view of personality that retains some aspects of Freudian theory but rejects other aspects • Neo-Freudians - Followers of Freud’s theories but developed theories of their own in areas where they disagreed with Freud • Agreed with Freud’s ideas on: – – Importance of unconscious Personality Structures of Id, Ego, Superego Shaping of personality in childhood Defense mechanisms to protect us against anxiety • Disagreed with Freud on: – Conscious mind’s role in interpreting experience & environment – Role of sex & aggression as motivating factors for our behaviors

Updating Freud’s Theory • Most psychodynamic psychologists agree: – Sex is not the basis of personality. – People do not “fixate” at various stages of development. – Much of a person’s mental life is unconscious. – Childhood experiences shape us socially and psychologically. – People struggle with inner conflicts and regulating their impulses, emotions and thoughts toward what society deems acceptable.

Psychodynamic Theories The Neo-Freudians • Alfred Adler’s Inferiority Complex • Karen Horney’s focus on Basic Anxiety & Security • Carl Jung’s Collective Unconscious

Alfred Adler (1870 -1937) • Agreed with Freud on the importance of early childhood but thought social tensions were more important than sexual tensions • Believed psychological problems were the result of feelings of inferiority from childhood • Inferiority Complex - A condition that comes from being unable to compensate for normal inferiority feelings

Alfred Adler • Most fundamental human motive is striving for superiority • Arises from universal feelings of inferiority that are experienced during childhood • People compensate for their weaknesses by emphasizing their talents and abilities or by working hard to improve themselves. • If unable to compensate or when feelings of inferiority are too great a inferiority complex can result where person feels inadequate, weak & helpless and are unable to try to improve. • If people overcompensate for their feelings of inferiority then they develop a superiority complex where one exaggerates achievements and importance to cover up their own limitations.

Karen Horney (HORN-eye)(1885 -1952) • Believed childhood anxiety (not sexual tension) trigger our need for love and security. • Found psychoanalysis negatively biased against women. – Women didn’t have “penis envy” it was instead that they envied men’s superior status in society. – Instead said men have “womb envy” and compensate by making creative achievements in their work.

Karen Horney • Looked at anxiety related to security and social relationships, especially parent-child relationships. • Basic anxiety— “the feeling of being isolated and helpless in a hostile world” • Deal with this anxiety by. – Moving Toward Other People – having an excessive need for approval & affection – Moving Against Other People – having an excessive need for power over other people – Moving Away from Other People – having an excessive need for independence making them aloof and detached from others. • Felt that healthy personalities are flexible in balancing these needs but unhealthy people are stuck in one of ways of dealing with anxiety.

Carl Jung (Yoong)(1875 -1961) • Rejected Freud’s assertion that human behavior is directed by unconscious sex & aggression. • Believed in general psychic energy that pushes us to grow psychologically. • Believed that humans share a collective unconscious—set of common themes, or archetypes inherited from the wealth of human experience & shared by all people. – “The whole spiritual heritage of mankind’s evolution born anew in the brain structure of every individual. ” • First to describe introverts & extroverts

Archetypes • Archetypes – Mental images of human instincts, themes and preoccupations that are shared by all cultures. • Often expressed in a culture’s mythology & folk tales. – “Hero” – savior or deliverer – “The Quest” – a long journey where battles, trials & challenges take place to achieve a lofty goal – “The Scapegoat” – when the hero must die or sacrifice something to save others – “Great or Good Mother” – representing warmth, fertility & abundance – “Terrible Mother or Witch” – representing danger, fear or death – “Soul Mate or Princess” – representing inspiration or fullfillment – “The Shadow” - dark side inside us all, the hero, the wise old man, the nurturing mother.

Assessing the Unconsciousness Projective Techniques • Interpretation of an ambiguous (neutral) stimulus to trigger projection of one’s inner thoughts and feelings • Used to determine unconscious motives, conflicts, & psychological defenses & traits

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) • Person views an ambiguous picture & then makes up a story about it. • Story is thought to be a projection of their inner feelings or conflicts. • Answers are scored based on themes, motives, and anxieties of main character

Rorschach Inkblot Test • Personality test that seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of 10 inkblots • Numerous scoring systems exist • Used more as an icebreaker or reveal hidden themes in a person’s mind

Drawbacks to Projective Tests • Examiner or test situation may influence individual’s response • Scoring is highly subjective • Tests fail to produce consistent results (reliability problem) • Tests are poor predictors of future behavior (validity problem)

Modern Understanding of the Unconscious Mind • We do have an unconscious mind but its focus is on information processing. Examples include: – Schemas – affect our perceptions & interpretations – Priming – unconsciously affecting our thinking – Implicit Memories – Procedural memories you use without having to think about – Emotions – occur without conscious effort – Self-Concept & Stereotypes – influence how we process & understand info about ourselves and others.

Evidence for Defense Mechanisms • False Consensus Effect – Tendency to overestimate the extent others share our beliefs & behaviors – Like Freud’s idea of Projection – putting our thoughts and attitudes about ourselves onto others. – Defense Mechanisms today are viewed as a way to protect our own self-image rather than protect us from undesirable thoughts or wishes. • Terror-Management Theory – When thinking about one’s own mortality we invoke defenses to lessen the anxiety – When death is thought about we relieve anxiety by focusing on family, close relationships & religion to lessen our anxiety