FREUD’S THEORY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENTUnit 6

Lesson 2

OBJECTIVES

Discuss and evaluate Freud’s Theory of Personality Development.

Identify different defense mechanisms.

WARM UP

What school of psychology did Freud establish?

Psychoanalytic

THREE PART MIND

Conscious Everyday actions at

any given moment

Preconscious Easily accessible

memories & past events

Unconscious All traumatic or

unpleasant experiences

STUDYING THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND: TECHNIQUES

Dream Analysis Manifest vs latent content, symbolism

Para Praxes Slips of the tongue

Word Association Projective Tests

Inkblots, TAT Free Association

THREE PART PERSONALITY

The Id Pursues pleasure &

instant gratification

The Ego Aware of reality,

considers consequences

The Superego Social conscience

(ideal) & awareness of acceptable behaviors

PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES

Stage Libido Focus

Oral (0-18m) Pleasure centers on mouth – sucking, biting, chewing

Anal (18-36m) Pleasure focuses on elimination; coping with demands for control

Phallic (3-6y) Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with sexual feelings (Oedipus/Electra Complex); identification; development superego

Latency (6-pub) Phase of dormant sexual feelings

Genital (Pub ) Maturation of sexual interests

Fixation : When energy gets locked in stage, can lead to maladaptive adult behaviors.

EVALUATION

Personality formed in childhood?

Observable? Reliable? Sexual desires as

primary motivation? Condescending notions

of women (as incomplete men!)?

Cause of mental issues?

PLACE FOLLOWING STAGES IN ORDER

DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Ego’s job

Protect personality from hostile world…mind from anxiety.

Healthy Use / Overuse

ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY Put together a quick (2 min) role play that demonstrates

one of these defense mechanisms at work:

1. Regression – retreating to more infantile stage2. Reaction Formation – acting in opposite of true feeling3. Projection – attributing own threatening impulses to others4. Rationalization – explanation/justification of action;

reasoning5. Displacement – shifting impulses to acceptable/less threatening activity, object, person6. Denial – refusing to believe or perceive painful realities7. Repression – banishing thoughts/feelings from consciousness

MORE ACTIVITIES:

Applying Defense Mechanisms Read and apply to examples on back.

Extension activity: Here is a typical scenario – Jack asked Jill to the

homecoming dance, but she rejected him. Provide an example of each defense mechanism at work to protect his ego in this situation.

CLOSURE What defense mechanisms have

you used in the past year? Do you use some more than others?

HOMEWORK

Neo-Freudians

Many took inspiration from, but disagreed with his focus…

Examine the key ideas of the psychodynamic psychologists Carl Jung Alfred Adler Karen Horney Erik Erikson