1 Psychology 305A: Personality Psychology October 17 Lecture 12.

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Psychology 305A: Personality Psychology

October 17

Lecture 12

A little R&R ….(Review and Reflect)

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1. According to psychoanalytic theory, what are the major:(c) stages of personality development? (continued)

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

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

The Psychoanalytic Perspective

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

3. discuss Freud’s views regarding sex differences in personality development.

1. describe the Stage Theory of Psychosexual Development.

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2. describe the personality types associated with fixation at distinct stages of psychosexual development.

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5. describe and generate examples of defense mechanisms.

6. discuss the association between defense mechanisms and psychological adjustment.

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

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3. Phallic Stage (continued)

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According to psychoanalytic theory, what are the major stages of personality development? (continued)

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(b) Electra Complex

• Girls, too, begin life with a strong attraction towards their mother.

• When they realize that they and their mother lack a penis, they blame their mother for the “deficiency.”

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• Through identification with their mother, girls resolve the conflict, internalize her values, and gain vicarious satisfaction of their sexual impulses towards their father.

• Girls shift their affection toward their father, developing a desire to achieve sexual union with their father.

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Fixation results in poor moral development in males and females.

Freud argued that females are more likely than males to become fixated at this stage.

Fixation occurs if the child is unable to identify with the same-sex parent.

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4. Latency Stage

6 years – puberty.

Erogenous zone: Genital region

Sexual impulses are less pronounced. Children direct energy towards learning and peer group activities.

There are no specific conflicts at this time. This stage is one of relative calm, with little psychological growth.

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5. Genital Stage

Puberty – adulthood.

Erogenous zone: Genital region

There are no specific conflicts. Freud described this stage as an ideal, as the stage of “psychosexual

maturity.”

Sexual impulses are largely expressed through mutually gratifying sexual interactions with other individuals.

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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.

18* 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: College Students Compared with Schizophrenics

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

3. discuss Freud’s views regarding sex differences in personality development.

1. describe the Stage Theory of Psychosexual Development.

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2. describe the personality types associated with fixation at distinct stages of psychosexual development.

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5. describe and generate examples of defense mechanisms.

6. discuss the association between defense mechanisms and psychological adjustment.

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