Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment TaWonnia Jackson PSY250 September 6, 2012 Loretta Harris Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment The following statements discussed will analyze the components of the psychoanalytic approach to personality. The theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler are compared and contrasted by research found. There will be characteristics of two theories along with descriptions of the stages to Freud’s theory, and characteristics along with Freudian's defense mechanisms. Each theorist’s had their own unique way of developing their very own theory. Sigmund Freud's theory is the psychoanalytic theory unique to a certain point and which it has developed formal models describing the ways in which individuals process information on different levels (Bornstein, 2010).
Discuss the psychodynamic approach. Refer to another approach in your answer. The psychodynamic approach began with and is largely based on the ideas and theories of the psychologist Sigmund Freud. Since his institution of the psychoanalytical theory, it has been expanded on by other psychologists such as Erik Erikson. This was also the first “real” form of psychology (i.e.
Describe and Evaluate the Psychoanalytical / Psychodynamic Approach to Personality Development Psychoanalytic theory originated with the work of Sigmund Freud (Gross 2010). Through his clinical work with patients suffering from mental illness, Freud came to believe that childhood experiences and unconscious desires influenced behaviour. Based on his observations, Freud developed a theory that described development in terms of a series of psychosexual stages. According to Freud (1949), conflicts that occur during each of these stages can have a lifelong influence on personality and therefore behaviour (Hayes 2000). Within this essay I am going to delve further into these principles and evaluate their validity and reliability as an approach to personality development.
I am going to write my reflection on the story of Young Goodman Brown in the light of psychoanalysis theory. I will start with the theory, then applied it on the story. Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist, introduced us to a new theory in the world of criticism; he invented the concept of Psychoanalytic Criticism, in which he divided the mind into conscious and unconscious. Returning to the history of the theory and its development, we can say that Sigmund Freud, believed that the unconscious is the storehouse, where all the hidden desires, fears, and ambition are stored and suppressed. He declared that our mind consists of both conscious (ID), and the unconscious (ego).
Psychoanalytical theories of personality stress the individual’s unconscious motivations which can be identified through dreams, slips of the tongue and fantasies (McCrae & Costa, 2003; 21). “The psychoanalytical theory views personality as biologically based, relatively unchangeable and determined by the need to control sexual and aggressive instincts which are unconscious in nature” (Rust & Golombok, 1989, 131). Sigmund Freud was the founder of the psychoanalytical approach to personality although many academics have expounded on his research since then (Bernstein, 2001; 125). This contrasts with the humanistic theory which was adopted by leading 20th Century psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow (Nicholas, 2008; 226). Robert Ewen suggests that
In this essay Freud sets out his theory of psychosexual development. He asserts that there is in all humans an innate drive or instinct for pleasure, a sort of psychic energy, which he calls the libido and this energy needs to be discharged. He then goes on to describe how this drive finds outlet at the earliest stages of life, as babies, toddlers and infants and describes the oral, anal and phallic stages and the psychological effects of fixation at these stages. It is important to note that Freud separated sexual aims and objectives. His work on sexuality and perversions led to the wider theory of sexuality whereby he differentiated the sexual aim (the desire for pleasure) and the object (the person or thing used to fulfil the desire).
It was conceived and developed by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) who taught other psychologists such as, Jung, Adler and Reich who then went onto develop psychotherapy in different directions. (http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/psychistory_3.htm) Behavioural psychology or behaviourism which is based on an approach to the way a person may behave in their environment, or observable behaviour. This is known as the second force. Writers such as Pavlov
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) theory on the psychodynamic approach to abnormality comprises of three sections; psychic conflict, ego-defence mechanisms and psychosexual stages. The psychodynamic model of abnormality suggests that behaviour is driven by the unconscious processes and problems of the mind. The unconscious mind is thought to be a deeper part of a person's mind that operates without an individual knowing it. This includes feelings, thoughts, desires, instincts and emotions which can drive a person’s personality. In the psychic conflict section of Freud’s psychodynamic theory it claims that the structure of personality also known as ‘psyche’ is divided into three parts; the Id, Superego and Ego.
“Evaluate the extent to which Freud’s theory of psychosexual development can help us to understand a client’s presenting issue?” Sigmund Freud’s most vital contribution to the study of psychology and human behaviour was his notion of the “dynamic unconscious”. This view was that the unconscious mind played a precisely important role in determining how an individual behaved. Freud put forward the principle of multiple determinations, which suggests that every psychic event is determined by the simultaneous action of several others. He saw the unconscious mind as the actual source of mental energy, which determined behaviour. He based his belief on the results of trials with hypnosis.
This approach views personality as being primarily unconscious and as developing in stages. Psychodynamic theorists believe that behavior is merely a surface characteristic and that to truly understand someone’s personality we have to explore the symbolic meanings of behavior and the deep inner workings of the mind. These ideas were presented by the architect of psychoanalytic theory-Sigmund Freud. Most psychodynamic perspectives emphasize that early experiences with parents play an important role in sculpting the individual’s personality. Freud believed the personality had three structures - the id, the ego, and the super-ego.