Freudian Psychology
Freudian psychology is based on the work of Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). He is considered the father of psychoanalysis and is largely credited with establishing the field of talk therapy.
Today, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches to therapy are the
modalities that draw most heavily on Freudian principles. Freud also
developed influential theories about subjects such as the unconscious mind, the sources of psychopathology, the significance of dreams.
What Is Freud Known For?
Freud is known for his wide-ranging theories on matters such as the unconscious, dreams, infantile sexuality, libido, repression, and transference—all
of which continue to influence the field of psychology to varying
degrees. Trained as a neurologist, Freud conceived of the mind as the
desire-centered id, the morally driven superego, and the ego (or "the
I") in between, contributed to a new understanding of human
psychological development and the treatment of psychological
disturbance.
Other concepts that are popularly associated with Freud today include
that of revealing "Freudian slips” in speech and Freud’s theory of the
Oedipus complex, in which a child harbors an unconscious sexual attraction to an opposite-sex parent.How did Freud describe the unconscious?
The unconscious part of the mind
was described as a well of powerful thoughts and feelings that people
are not directly aware of but which have an important impact on everyday
life. He believed that this concealed mental material contributed to
the development of mental illness.
What are the id, ego, and superego?
Freud created a model of the mind featuring three parts:
the id, ego, and superego. The id was the seat of primitive drives,
including sexual and aggressive impulses. The ego included conscious
processes as well as unconscious “defense mechanisms”
erected to handle conflicts between the id and the demands of reality.
The superego was considered the mental embodiment of society’s moral
codes, which could result in self-blame and guilt.
What are defense mechanisms?
Defense mechanisms were described by Freud
as ways in which the mind adapts to internal conflicts. Examples
include repression, or barring uncomfortable thoughts from
consciousness; displacement, or shifting emotional responses (such as aggression) from an initial target to a safer one; and reaction formation, or behaving in a way that runs counter to one’s true feelings.
What is Freudian dream theory?
Freud argued that dreams were an important window into
the unconscious mind and could be understood as the mind’s way of
satisfying desires that could not be satisfied in waking life. Elements
of reality could be represented by a variety of dream symbols. He proposed ways of deciphering their meaning in his 1899 book The Interpretation of Dreams.
What is a “Freudian slip”?
A "Freudian slip" is an instance of misspeaking—"we've
had a few sexbacks," or "nice to beat you"—that supposedly reveals
hidden thoughts or motives. Freud described such slips in his 1901 book, The Psychopathology of Everyday Life.
Is the Oedipus complex real?
Freud proposed that boys have sexual feelings for their
mother and desire to eliminate their father. (Oedipus is a mythical
figure who kills his father and marries his mother, not knowing they are
his parents.) There is no consensus among psychologists that there is a
universal Oedipus complex that takes the form Freud described.
Is penis envy real?
Penis envy,
involving a supposed sense of inadequacy in girls due to their lack of
male genitalia, was, like the Oedipus complex, one of Freud’s more
controversial ideas. It is doubtful that penis envy is a typical
developmental phenomenon.
What are Freud's 5 stages of psychosexual development?
Freud theorized that during development, people passed through five psychosexual stages:
oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. They were largely named for
erogenous zones that he thought to be central at each stage—during
breastfeeding (oral), during toilet training (anal), and so on, with the
Oedipus complex thought to take place during the phallic stage, around
the fourth to sixth years.
How did Freud describe the libido?
Freud described the libido as the mental energy of the
human instincts to live and procreate. It was thought to express itself
through physical means (including sexual gratification), but also
through psychological means, as in the form of wish fulfillment in
dreams.
Freud and Psychotherapy
The form of therapy that Freud pioneered, called psychoanalysis, has played a foundational role in the practice of therapy in general. As a theorist and a clinician, he illustrated the potential power of talking and making observations about one’s inner life in improving symptoms of mental illness. While later branches of psychotherapy—including contemporary psychoanalysis—differ from him on the details of theory and practice, they have nevertheless been influenced by Freud's work.
What is Freudian psychoanalysis?
Freudian psychoanalysis
is both a method of treatment and a way of understanding the mind,
based on Freud’s ideas. In his version of treatment, mental illness is
thought to be largely rooted in the unconscious, and the psychoanalyst
plays a part in bringing pathological mental processes into
consciousness.
What are some of the techniques Freud used in therapy?
One of Freud’s major tools was free association,
in which a patient talks freely about any thoughts that come to mind,
thought to be a way to bring internal conflicts into awareness and
address them. The relationship between therapist and patient was also
considered key, and transference—projecting
one's feelings about another person (such as a parent) onto the
therapist—presented an opportunity to deal with those feelings.
Why did Freud's patience lie on a couch?
In psychoanalysis, having the patient lie on a couch during sessions—not
looking directly at the therapist—is thought to make it easier for the
patient to open up about inner thoughts during the process of free
association. It might also facilitate the therapist’s thinking during
sessions.
What are neuroses?
Neurosis is a term used to describe conditions involving marked anxiety
or distress (in the form of irrational fears, obsessions, or other
symptoms). Freud proposed that neuroses, as well as other forms of
mental illness, stemmed from unconscious internal conflicts, as when an
urge is suppressed.
How did Freud train other analysts?
Having conducted his own self-analysis, Freud trained new
psychoanalysts in part by analyzing them. Subsequently,
psychoanalysts-in-training were analyzed by someone who had themselves
been analyzed, in a chain leading back to Freud. This has been called a
“training analysis.”
Are there still Freudian psychoanalysts today?
There are still practicing psychoanalysts, though psychoanalysis has evolved beyond Freud’s original ideas. A related and broader category of therapy is psychodynamic therapy.
Freud’s Ideas Today
Nevertheless, psychologists continue to find wisdom and meaning in Freudian concepts, such as projection and other "defense mechanisms," and modern psychoanalytic therapists owe much to Freud’s methods, as do therapists who employ psychodynamic approaches.
Why are Freud’s theories important?
Freud’s concepts persist
in the popular imagination and his work forms an important part of the
history of psychology. Though many of his ideas have been reevaluated or
rejected, others provided a basis for further psychological theory and
modes of treatment.
What are some weaknesses of Freud’s theories?
While Freud drew on his own self-analysis, clinical
cases, and other sources to develop his theories, they generally were
not subject to empirical testing in the way that contemporary
psychological theories are expected to be. Modern scientific evidence
indicates the Freud overemphasized the role of early childhood experiences in the development of mental illness.
Are Freud’s ideas still used by psychologists today?
Yes, many of them are. Psychologists acknowledge the
significance of mental processes of which individuals are unaware (or
only partly aware). Defense mechanisms—or similar thought patterns—are still targeted
by some forms of contemporary therapy. And the therapist-patient bond,
while it may not take the same shape as in traditional psychoanalysis,
is known to be a keystone of effective psychotherapy.
