Psychodynamic Theories: Neo-Freudians

Sam Olver, Nate Puccini, Brandon Garcia, Kent Fremon, Colleen

Hoffman, and Genevieve Beck-Roe

Psychodynamic Theory

• Psychodynamics is defined as the interplay of motivational forces that gives rise to the expression of mental processes, as in attitudes, behavior, or symptoms.– This theory is based on the premise that human behavior and

relationships are shaped by conscious and unconscious influences.

– There are two different mental forces involved: the interaction of emotional forces that affect behavior and mental states on a subconscious level, and the inner forces affecting emotional and motivational that affect behavior and states of mind.

– Shaped by such notable psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, Ernst von Brucke, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and others.

– By the mid 1940’s to the early 1950’s the general application of ‘dynamic psychology’ had been established.

Psychodynamic and neo-freudian theories.

Karen Horney

• Developed Horney’s Theory of Neurosis– Focused on environmental impacts on

neurosis instead of biological– Viewed neurosis as a method to make daily

life “bearable”– Describes neurotic needs that need to be met,

such as the needs to socialize, achieve, hold power and receive affection

• If these needs are not met, the person enters a state of anxiety

Boeree, C.G.

Karen Horney Cont’d

• In order to cope with some of these unmet needs, Horney describes 3 methods to deal with them:- Compliance (for affection/approval)

- Aggression (for power)

- Withdrawal (for independence/achievement)

Boeree, C.G.

Basic Anxiety

• Children need parents for food, shelter, etc

• As such, children will remain with parents

• Mistreatment by parents leads to hostility

• Paradox of dependency and hostility leads to deep insecurity

AbsoluteAstronomy.com.

Alfred Adler

• Student of Sigmund Freud

• Constructed the school of individual psychology– Compared everyday human behavior in to individual

life goals

• Developed the theory of the inferiority complex

Fisher, Molly.

Inferiority Complex

• The theory states that people have a tendency to feel inadequate and inferior to others, and as a result strive towards achievements for self-fulfillment

• Start out as a weak and helpless child and work to overcome those deficiencies

Psychodynamic and neo-freudian theories.

Social Interest

• An interest in furthering the welfare of others

• Necessary as a social species

• Both inborn and learned

• Must be nurtured

• For Adler, lack of social concern is the definition of mental ill-health

Alfred Adler lecture.

Creative Self

• Desire to consciously shape our personalities and destinies

• Heredity abilities, environment gives impressions

• Construct our individual attitudes toward life and our relations to the outside world

• The individual is responsible for himself

My Webspace files

Carl Jung

• Known as a rival of Freud

– Developed theories about dreams, some of which disagreed with Freud

– Believed that dreams related to our lives and functioned as a tool to help us develop

• Founded a school of analytical psychology after diverging away from Freud’s theories

• Analytical psychology focuses on the collective unconscious as well as balancing opposing aspects in one’s personality

Barrows, Andrew.

Collective Unconsciousness

• “There exists a second psychic system of a collective, universal, and impersonal nature which is identical in all individuals”

• “This collective unconscious does not develop individually but is inherited”

• Why people in different cultures share certain myths and images

Myers

Archetypes

• Archetypes, according to Carl Jung, are innate universal psychic dispositions that form the basics of human life.

• Archetypes form a dynamic set of standards that can be applied to all of humanity, on which the individual develops his own life experiences and builds a unique array of psychological characteristics.

• While archetypes are nothing more but nebulous forms, they inspire art, literature, and other forms of expression and other patterns of behavior; even though these emerging images can be consciously created, it is the archetypes that inspire elementary parts of these creations.– To put it more simply, archetypes are inherited potentials which

are actualized upon entering consciousness, or manifested in behavior with the outside world.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Persona

• Developed by Carl Jung– One of the Jungian archetypes– Public image that people adapt and change

depending on surroundings

Encyclopedia Britannica

Anima, animus

• Animus– Masculine side of female

• Anima– Feminine side of male

• Drive us to find the perfect mate based on our own inner opposite gender

• Projected unto others when searching for mates

Psychodynamic and neo-freudian theories.

Introversion vs. Extroversion• A central dimension in human personality

• Terms popularized by Jung

• Extroverts (extraverts)

– Social, assertive, outgoing, gregarious

• Introverts

– More reserved, less sociable, less outgoing

– Not social discomfort but social preference

• Typically viewed as a continuum

– Jung disagrees, says everyone has each side with one being more dominant

Encyclopedia Britannica

Projective Tests• A projective test is a personality test designed to reveal

hidden emotions and internal conflicts based on reactions to ambiguous stimuli. This differs from an objective test, in which responses are analyzed via a universal standard.

– The responses to these tests are analyzed for meaning rather than presuppositions of meaning [which would be in the category of objective tests].

– Due to their reliance on clinical judgment, they lack validity and reliability due to the lack of any means to compare the results to.

• These tests have their roots in psychoanalytic psychology, which argues that human beings are motivated by conscious and unconscious desires and forces.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Projective Tests: TAT• Thematic Apperception Test, developed in the 1930’s by American psychologists

Henry A. Murray and Christina D. Morgan of Harvard in an attempt to map out human personalities.

• The TAT is popularly known as the picture interpretation technique, which uses a standard series of provocative yet ambiguous pictures to inspire subjects to create the most dramatic story that they can.

– This includes:• What has led up to the event shown• What is currently happening• What the characters emotional/mental reactions are• What the outcome of the story was

• Like the Rorschach test, the TAT is used to analyze projected emotional results from a subject onto ambiguous images.

• The two most commonly utilized methods of analysis are:– Defense Mechanism Manual (DMM), which assesses the defense mechanisms

of denial, projection, and identification.– Social Cognition and Object Relations (SCOR), which measures four different

dimensions of object relations: complexity of representations of people, affect-tone of relationship paradigms, capacity for emotional investment in relationships and moral standards, and the understanding of social causality.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Projective Tests: Rorschach• Subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are analyzed through interpretation.• Created by Hermann Rorschach in 1922, who was able to form the

basis of the test and the scoring procedure before his death shortly after.

• The test is not evaluated on the tester’s responses alone. Rather, the time taken to formulate a response is studied, any comments alongside the response, and notes on the determinants (the aspects that triggered the response, i.e. color) and location (the details that trigger specific responses) are all considered to be equally important as the direct response.– Content is classified in terms of ‘human’, ‘nature’, ‘animal’,

‘abstract’, etc.– The Exner Scoring System, or Rorschach Comprehensive System,

is the standard model for evaluating Rorschach test results.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Criticisms of Psychoanalytic Theories

• Poor testability– psychoanalytic concepts are difficult to test

• Inadequate evidence– not enough evidence to support theories

• Sexism– there was a very masculine view in society,

which caused bias in theories.

Abele, C. , Cronmiller, L., DeZurik, A., Hudson, J., Marinos, D., Ogborn, M., and Pellicier, M.; Huffman, K.

Works Cited• Abele, C. , Cronmiller, L., DeZurik, A., Hudson, J., Marinos, D., Ogborn, M., and Pellicier, M. (1993). Contemporary Critical

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<http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Basic_Anxiety>.• Boeree, C.G. (1997). Karen Horney: 1885-1952. Personality theories. 15 March 2010.

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/horney.html.• Fisher, Molly. (2001). Alfred Adler. 15 March 2010.

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_apa_format_examples.shtml.• Huffman, K.(2007). Psychology in Action. Evaluating Psychoanalytic Theories.• introvert and extravert. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica

Online:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/292139/introvert• Psychodynamic and neo-freudian theories. (2004, March 23). Retrieved (2010, March 13) from• Jung, C. G.. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. New York: Pantheon Books, 1959. Print.• http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/adler.html• Mitchell, Gregory. "Alfred Adler & Adlerian Individual Psychology." Trans4mind - Personal Development - Tools for

Transformation. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2010. <http://www.trans4mind.com/mind-development/adler.html>.• Myers, David G.. Psychology, 8th Edition, David Myers. 8th ed. New York: Worth, 2007. Print.• Persona. (2010). Encyclopedia britannica. Retrieved (2010, March 15)

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<http://www.ptypes.com/basic_anxiety.html>.• Rorschach Test. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica

Online:http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509580/Rorschach-Test