- "First laid out by Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century..."
Psychoanalytic theory proposes that behavior is driven by unconscious thoughts and desires. This topic covers the principles of the theory and its founder, Sigmund Freud.
The unconscious mind: According to psychoanalytic theory, much of human behavior originates from the unconscious mind, where repressed thoughts and emotions reside.
Defense mechanisms: These are psychological strategies that the ego (our conscious self) uses to protect itself from anxiety arising from unresolved conflicts between the id (our primitive nature) and the superego (our moral and societal values).
Psychosexual development: Freud's theory posits that people's personalities evolve through several stages of psychosexual development, starting with the oral phase and moving through the anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages.
Oedipus complex: Freud's concept that young boys develop a strong attachment to their mother and feel a sense of rivalry with their father during the phallic stage, which then leads to identification with the father and the internalization of societal values.
Electra complex: A theoretical concept that describes how girls develop an attachment to their father and a sense of rivalry with their mother, leading to identification with the mother and the internalization of societal values.
Transference: A mechnism where a patient projects feelings or aspects of their earlier life experiences onto their therapist or object of their affection, which is used to achieve a better understanding and resolution of a patient's unconscious conflict.
Free association: A technique used in psychoanalytic therapy where a patient speaks spontaneously about whatever comes to mind, without censorship or self-editing, with the intention of revealing unconscious thoughts and emotions.
Dreams: An important source of material for psychoanalytic theory as they act as means of processing unconscious thoughts and emotions, and also provide a way for the unconscious to communicate with the conscious mind.
Id, ego, and superego: Freud's three-part structural model of personality, involving the instinctual libido represented by the id, the rational and conscious mind represented by the ego, and the moral and societal values represented by the superego.
Narcissism: A concept explored by psychoanalytic theorists that suggests individuals have an inherent desire for self-importance with problems arising when this desire is overly indulged or ignored.
Object relations theory: An extension of psychoanalytic theory that posits that the infant's earliest relationships with caretakers influence their own self-identity and future attachments.
Psychopathology: Exploration of mental disorders and their manifestation from dynamic interplay between early life experiences, unconscious desires, and current psychological functioning.
Self-psychology: An evolutionary development in psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes the role of the self in relation to developmental stages and internal conflict.
Fluid sexuality: A contemporary psychoanalytic concept that posits individuals as possessing a fluid experience of sexuality, that remains open to change and cultural influence.
Existential-psychoanalytic therapy: An approach that integrates existentialism with psychoanalytic theory to hold the importance of unique meanings attributed to individual experiences and relationships.
Object confusion: Exposes conflicts in an individual's ability to discern self and other by internalizing past significant relationships.
Attachment theory: The study of the cognitive and emotional connections between individuals and how they are formed, according to past relationships and influences.
Interpersonal psychoanalytic therapy: An approach, emphasizing the interpersonal elements of relationships, based in the integration of the 'here and now' experiences with past experiences.
Cultural transmission of mental illness: Addresses culture, religion and society in relation to the development, understanding and treatment of mental illness.
Group psychotherapy: Psychoanalytic therapy delivered in a group setting, emphasizing the therapeutic and transformation power of group dynamics.
Freudian Psychoanalysis: This is the original theory developed by Sigmund Freud. It focuses on the unconscious mind and how it influences a person's behavior.
Jungian Psychoanalysis: Carl Jung developed this theory, which emphasizes the importance of the collective unconscious and the role of archetypes in shaping personality.
Object Relations Theory: This theory focuses on how an individual's early relationships and attachments to others shape their personality and behavior.
Classical Adlerian Psychology: Alfred Adler developed this theory, which emphasizes the importance of individual psychology and the drive for superiority as a motivating factor in personality.
Self-Psychology: This theory focuses on how individuals develop a sense of self and how that self is maintained through relationships with others.
Lacanian Psychoanalysis: This theory, developed by Jacques Lacan, emphasizes the importance of language and the symbolic realm in shaping personality.
Interpersonal Psychoanalysis: This theory focuses on the ways in which individuals interact with others and how those interactions shape personality.
Relational Psychoanalysis: This theory builds on interpersonal psychoanalysis and emphasizes the importance of understanding the therapeutic relationship in order to create change.
Ego Psychology: This theory focuses on the ways in which the ego mediates between the unconscious and the external world and how that mediation shapes personality.
Kleinian Psychoanalysis: This theory, developed by Melanie Klein, emphasizes the role of early childhood experiences in shaping personality and behavior.
- "...the theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality development relating to the practice of psychoanalysis..."
- "Psychoanalytic theory has undergone many refinements since his work."
- "The psychoanalytic theory came to full prominence in the last third of the twentieth century..."
- "...shifted his focus to the study of the psyche, and on treatment using free association and the phenomena of transference."
- "His study emphasized the recognition of childhood events that could influence the mental functioning of adults."
- "His examination of the genetic and then the developmental aspects gave the psychoanalytic theory its characteristics."
- "Starting with his publication of The Interpretation of Dreams in 1899, his theories began to gain prominence."
- "Psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology, relates to the practice of psychoanalytic theory."
- "...long after Freud's death in 1939."
- "Freud had ceased his analysis of the brain and his physiological studies..."
- "...treatment using free association and the phenomena of transference."
- "His study emphasized the recognition of childhood events that could influence the mental functioning of adults."
- "His examination of the genetic and then the developmental aspects gave the psychoanalytic theory its characteristics."
- "as part of the flow of critical discourse regarding psychological treatments after the 1960s..."
- "Starting with his publication of The Interpretation of Dreams in 1899, his theories began to gain prominence."
- "...long after Freud's death in 1939."
- "Psychoanalytic theory is the theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality development relating to the practice of psychoanalysis."
- "...shifted his focus to the study of the psyche, and on treatment using free association and the phenomena of transference."
- "Psychoanalytic theory has undergone many refinements since his work."