1 Psychology 305A: Personality Psychology October 14 Lecture 11.

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Psychology 305A: Personality Psychology

October 14

Lecture 11

Exam 1, Question 2 (Versions 1 and 2).

An extra point (i.e., 2%) for EVERYONE!

The marks will be updated and posted online by the end of the week.

Percent of students who responded correctly: 33%

Announcement

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A little R&R ….(Review and Reflect)

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1. What are the 3 types of anxiety that Freud proposed?

2. According to psychoanalytic theory, what defense mechanisms do we use to cope with anxiety?

3. What therapeutic methods have emerged from psychoanalytic theory?

4. What are contemporary applications of Freud’s ideas and techniques?

The Psychoanalytic Perspective

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2. describe and generate examples of defense mechanisms.

3. discuss the associations between defense mechanisms and psychological adjustment.

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1. distinguish between reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety, and moral anxiety.

By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

4. identify the therapeutic goal of psychoanalysis.

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6. discuss the process of dream work.

5. review the techniques of psychoanalysis.

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7. identify contemporary applications of Freud’s ideas and techniques.

8. discuss contemporary research findings regarding the effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy.

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What are the 3 types of anxiety that Freud proposed?

• Freud described anxiety as an “objectless” fear—that is, as a fear that often does not have an apparent

cause.

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• He proposed 3 types of anxiety:

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1. Reality Anxiety

“Objective” anxiety.

A fear of tangible, “real” dangers.

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Reflects conflict between the ego and constraints of external reality.

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2. Neurotic Anxiety

A fear of being punished for the expression of id impulses.

Reflects conflict between the id and ego.

Stems from childhood experiences of punishment for the expression of id impulses.

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3. Moral Anxiety

A fear of one’s conscience (i.e., retaliation by the superego).

Reflects conflict between the ego and superego.

Subjectively experienced as guilt or shame.

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• Anxiety suggests that the ego is under threat.

• The ego may: (a) remove itself from the threatening situation, (b) inhibit the expression of id impulses, and/or (c) adhere to the moral codes of the conscience.

• Alternatively, if rational strategies are not feasible, the ego may use irrational strategies or defense mechanisms.

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According to psychoanalytic theory, what defense mechanisms do we use to cope with anxiety?

• Defense mechanisms:

1. Involve the distortion of reality.

2. Operate in the unconscious mind.

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Defense Mechanism

Description Example

Denial Refuse to acknowledge threatening information. Failure to acknowledge evidence linking smoking to mortality.

Repression Shift threatening information to the unconscious; “motivated forgetting.”

Lack of memory of childhood sexual abuse.

Projection Attribute a threatening characteristic in oneself to other people.

Paranoid personality disorder.

Rationalization Create a seemingly logical explanation for shameful behaviour.

Justification for tax evasion.

Intellectualization Think about threatening information in a cold, analytical manner; “isolation of affect.”

Development of military strategy.

Displacement Redirect a threatening impulse to a relatively safe target.

Child abuse.

Reaction Formation*

React in a manner that is the opposite of a threatening impulse; often exaggerated in form.

Homophobia.

Regression* Use of an immature pattern of gratification/coping. Overeating in response to stress.

Sublimation Express a threatening impulse through a “noble” action.

The work of a surgeon.

13* Not discussed in Carver and Scheier (2012).

Common Defense Mechanisms

Your Questionnaire: The Life Styles Index Conte & Apter, 1995; Offer et al., 2000;

Plutchik et al., 1979; Tori & Emavarchana, 1998

Score 1: Denial score

Score 2: Regression score

Score 3: Intellectualization score

Score 4:

Score 5:

Score 6:

Score 7:

Reaction formation score

Repression score

Projection score

Displacement score

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DEFENSE MECHANISM

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE

SCORE

MEAN FOR COLLEGE

STUDENTS

MEAN FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

p VALUE

Denial 11 3.04 4.55 <.01

Regression 14 6.93 8.24 ns

Intellectualization 15 9.56 14.10 <.001

Reaction Formation

12 2.26 6.41 <.001

Repression 10 4.24 8.17 <.001

Projection 12 5.26 6.76 <.01

Displacement 12 2.19 3.21 <.05

Mean Score for Each Defense Mechanism

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DEFENSE MECHANISM

CORRELATION WITH SELF-

ESTEEMa

CORRELATION WITH ANXIETYb

Denial .23 -.35

Regression -.52 .48

Intellectualization -.40 .42

Reaction Formation

.09 .35

Repression -.25 .23

Projection -.31 .57

Displacement -.22 .34

Correlations of Ego Defenses with Self-Esteem and Anxiety

aTennessee Self Concept Scale; bTaylor Manifest Anxiety Scale

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What therapeutic methods have emerged from psychoanalytic theory?

• Freud proposed a method to “restructure” personality: Psychoanalysis

• Goal: To bring unconscious conflicts to conscious awareness (i.e., insight).

• Two techniques:

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(a) Free association

The patient says, without hesitation, whatever comes to mind.

“Daydreaming out loud.”

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Freud (1913, 1958) instructed his patients as follows:

“You will notice that as you relate things various thoughts will occur to you which you would like to put aside on the grounds of certain criticisms and objections. You will be tempted to say to yourself that this or that is irrelevant here, or is quite unimportant, or nonsensical, so that there is no need to say it. You must never give in to these criticisms, but must say it in spite of them—indeed, you must say it precisely because you feel an aversion to doing so …. Finally, never forget that you have promised to be absolutely honest, and never leave anything out because, for some reason or other, it is unpleasant to tell it.”

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Resistance

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An analyst must interpret the material provided by the patient to identify unconscious conflicts.

Once identified, the analyst reveals the unconscious conflicts to the patient, allowing him/her to resolve it.

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(b) Dream analysis

The patient recounts her/his dreams through free association.

Manifest content: Narrative of the dream that is consciously remembered.

Latent content: Memories, fantasies, forgotten events, unconscious conflicts that give rise to manifest content.

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Latent content is transformed to manifest content through “dream work.”

Mechanisms involved in dream work:

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Condensation: The unconscious compresses several latent elements into a single manifest image.

Displacement: The unconscious shifts emphasis away from an important but threatening image to a relatively safe image.

E.g., Power and hostility are represented by an ax.

E.g., An abusive father is represented as an old and frail man.

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Symbolism: The unconscious uses a common and acceptable image to symbolize an unacceptable latent element.

Secondary revision: The unconscious synthesizes the disjointed images that have been created through condensation, displacement, and symbolism into a coherent story (e.g., by adding a setting or plot)

E.g., A vagina is represented as a hollow box.

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An analyst must interpret the manifest content to identify unconscious conflicts.

Once identified, the analyst reveals the unconscious conflicts to the patient, allowing her/him to resolve it.

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What are contemporary applications of Freud’s ideas and techniques?

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• Contemporary psychoanalysts (e.g., Shedler, 2006, 2010) continue to employ Freud’s ideas and

techniques:

Focus on emotional experience and expression.

Discussion of childhood and interpersonal relations.

Exploration of defense mechanisms (ways of “disavowing” experiences).

Free association (schemas; implicit associations).

Resistance and transference.

Exploration of wishes, fantasies, and dreams.

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• Contemporary research indicates that psychoanalytic therapy is as effective as or more effective than other forms of therapy (see Shelder, 2010):

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• Documentary: The Century of the Self (BBC)

“Describes the impact of Freud's ideas on the perception of the human mind, and the ways public relations agencies and politicians have used his ideas during the last 100 years.”

Four-part series.

Available at: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-century-of-the-self/.

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2. describe and generate examples of defense mechanisms.

3. discuss the associations between defense mechanisms and psychological adjustment.

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1. distinguish between reality anxiety, neurotic anxiety, and moral anxiety.

By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

4. identify the therapeutic goal of psychoanalysis.

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6. discuss the process of dream work.

5. review the techniques of psychoanalysis.

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7. identify contemporary applications of Freud’s ideas and techniques.

8. discuss contemporary research findings regarding the effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy.