Psychodynamic Theorists and Theories

Oedipal Complex Drive Theory Dual Instincts The Topographical Model The Structural Model Hypnosis--Free Association

Freud visited Charcot's laboratory and observed individuals being hypnotized. He tried this procedure and found that he could access a hidden part of the mind in individuals who were experiencing "hysteria". These people were able to talk about past experiences in a less closed and guarded way. He later discovered that the use of free association seemed more preferable. Anna O. called free association "the talking cure."

The mind was comprised of different levels of consciousness; the Unconscious, which was very difficult to access, the Preconscious, which was relatively easy to access, and the Conscious.

Primary processes were generated by the inconscious raw desires of the id. Secondary processes were generated by the conscious processing of primary processes by the ego, which followed the reality principle.

At about age 4-6, in the phallic stage, the child develops a desire to become connected to his mother and to posess her in the same way that his father does. He is fearful that his father, who is more powerful, will destroy him, so he eventually identifies with his father in order to vicariously posess his mother. The meaning of the oedipal conflict for Freud was that we experience guilt and shame for having incestuous and patricidal desires, which we must resolve through identification. The child learns to channel sexual and aggressive energy into socially acceptable forms.

Freud believed that we have two main instincts--the Life Instinct (or Eros), and the Death Instinct (Thanatos). Eros: Life sustaining instinct oriented to self-preservation, constructiveness, productiveness, reproductiveness, differentiaion. Thanatos: Destructive death instinct oriente dto self-destruction, negating, fragmenting, dissociation, regression, chaos.

Motivations generated from Love (Eros) and Aggression (Thanatos). As an organism, human beings attempt to establish homeostasis.

The Structural Model describes three different functional parts of the mind, the id, ego , and superego. Id: Unconscious and uncoordinated instincts following the pleasure principle. Ego: The organized and realistic part of teh mind following the reality principle. Superego: Internalized critical and moralizing, ego ideals, conscience.

Ego Psychology Defined and Categorized the Defense Mechanisms Interested in Child Analysis Battled Klein

Shifted emphasis from the Id to the Ego. Ego now seen as more powerful, not passively being led by the Id. The ego is actively and dynamically coping with, adapting to, and shaping the environment. Ego Psychology is interested in the use of ego defenses to keep some things from consciousness. What defenses are being used, and why? The observing/experiencing ego(s) negotiate between the internal and external world. There is more emphasis on the here-and-now, and the patient is seen more as a collaborator in the process. Problems in children were relative to their developmental status.

Anna further explained and organized the defense mechanisms envisioned by her father. Defense mechanisms were often developed during childhood as a result of bad parenting. Anna believed that the superego developed as a resolution to the oedipal conflict.She identified repression as the primary ego defense.

Anna believed that preoedipal children could not be analyzed becasue they had weak egos. Klein thought that preoedipal children could be analyzed through play therapy--much like the analysis done through free association. She was interested in working with preverbal children.

Created a bridge to Object Relations Percepts Paranoid-Schizoid and Depressive Positions Envy Splitting Projective Identification Early Life as Terrifying

Sexuality & self-punishment could be observed in preoedipal children. Infancy was terrifying. We are hard-wired to seek pleasure (the breast)--we have innate potential and need the right environment in which to develop. We have a dualistic perspective--good/bad (paranoid-schizoid position).

Paranoid--we fear destruction from outside of ourselves. Schizoid--we split bad from good and project the bad outward. In this developmental position, Klein explained that we split what is bad (generated by the aggressive drive) from the good (generated by the libido).