defense mechanisms: the ego’s form of protection from the struggle between the id and the superego...

Defense mechanisms:

•The Ego’s form of protection from the struggle between the Id and the

Superego

•Methods to reduce anxiety by distorting reality

Repression:

• Banishes anxiety from consciousness

• Explains dreams and slips of the tongue - these thoughts are not fully repressed

Repression

• Example– Soldiers exposed to traumatic experiences in

concentration camps during wartime sometimes had amnesia and were unable to recall any part of their ordeal.

Regression:

• Retreating to an earlier infantile stage of development

Regression

• Example– A 6yr old, who stopped bed wetting at 3, moves

with his parents to a new neighborhood. During the stressful period of adjusting to his new home, he again wets the bed for several nights.

Reaction Formation:

• Makes unacceptable impulses look like the opposite

• Saying “I hate him” but thinking “I love him”

Reaction Formation

• The mother of an unwanted child may feel guilty about not welcoming her child. As a result, she may try to prove her love by becoming overindulgent and overprotective of the child

Projection:

• Disguises threatening impulses by attributing or blaming others

• “I failed because the teacher doesn’t like me”

Projection

• Mrs. Krabappel often accuses other women of talking too much and spreading rumors. It is rather obvious to those who know her that she is revealing her own inclinations in that area.

Rationalization:

• Generate self-justifying explanations to hide real reasons for actions

Rationalization

• The habitual drinker may insist that he really doesn’t care much for the taste of alcohol but feels that he is obliged to drink with friends “just to be sociable”

Displacement:

• Diverts one’s impulses toward another person or object that is more psychologically acceptable

Displacement

• Even a top baseball player will strike out on an easy pitch. When this happens, his next action may be to throw his bat or kick the water cooler with all his might.

Sublimation

• Finding socially acceptable ways of discharging energy from the unconscious

Sublimation

• Someone with intense aggressive impulses might sublimate them by engaging in contact sports.

Denial

• Distorted belief that a real event did not happen

Denial

• Student will deny that they did not cheat on a test, even though a cheat sheet was found on the student.

Draw a Pig

• On the blank sheet draw a pig

• You have 3 minutes to draw your pig

Pig Analysis

• 1. If the pig is drawn on the top portion of the page, you are an optimist and a very positive person

• 2. If the pig is drawn in the middle of the page, you are realistic and factual

• 3. If the pig is drawn toward the bottom of page, you are a pessimist or tend to have a negative outlook

Pig Analysis

• 4. If the pig is facing left, you are traditional, friendly, and remember birthdays and dates

• 5. If the pig is facing straight ahead, you are direct, like to play devil’s advocate and don’t avoid issues

• 6. If the pig is facing right, you are innovative, action-oriented, but not family or date-oriented

Pig Analysis

• 7. If the pig is very detailed you are analytical, cautious, and suspicious

• 8. If the pig has very little detail you are emotional , bored by details, naïve, and a risk-taker

• 9. If the pig has four feet, you are secure, stubborn, and have firm beliefs

Pig Analysis

• 10. If the pig has less than four feet, you are insecure or going through major changes in your life

• 11. The larger the pig’s ears, the better listener you are

• 12. And last, the longer the pig’s tail, the better your sex life!

How has Freud been tested in a scientific experiment?

• Male subjects were asked to complete innocent sounding sentences– Half performed in presence of male

experimenter– Half performed in presence of an attractive

female experimenter seductively dressed

• Result:– Males made more slips of the tongue with

sexual connotation in front of the female

Freudian Experiments

• Ex. 1. With the telescope, the details of the distant landscape were easy to……..

Ex. 2. The lid won’t stay on regardless of how much I……..

Say the following nonsense syllables:bine foddy lood gegs

Psychosexual Stages of Development

• Sigmund Freud identified five distinct stages of the individual from birth through adolescence.

• Different parts of the body serve as the constant quest for pleasure (erogenous zones)

• These stages determine personality

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development

• 1. Oral Stage (Birth -2yrs) Seek pleasure primarily through the mouth. – Ex. Feeding, thumb-sucking– How does it show up later?

• Too much or too little gratification may cause the individual to become fixated

• As an adult-oral fixation manifests itself as an alcoholic, smoker, over-eater, anorexic, sarcastic, over dependent.


• 2. Anal Stage (2-3yrs) Pleasure is primarily focused on the anal zone. Process of elimination is primary focus of pleasure– Ex. Toilet Training– How does it show up later?

• If children were exposed to stress during potty training they may exhibit behaviors of being excessively stingy or overly generous

• Anal retentive (rigid, responsible and neat)


• 3. Phallic Stage (3-7yrs) Genitals become primary source of pleasure. Realize differences between males and females– Ex. Playing Doctor; “Kindergarten Cop”– Oedipus/Electra Complex- We fantasize about

sexual relations with our opposite-sex parent– Girls experience penis envy---which leads

women to feel inferior • Failure to resolve conflict can result in a wide range

of psychological disorders: GAD (General Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Guilt, Phobias)


• 4. Latency Stage (7-11 yrs) Sexual urges are repressed– No new behaviors are shown-Everything is

hidden

• 5. Genital Stage (11- Adult) Lust if blended with affection. We are capable of adult love. Associated with pleasing another rather than yourself– Learn to deal maturely with the opposite sex– No new conflicts arise, but all of the old ones

resurface

Case of Little Hans• Freud’s analysis of phobias in a 5yr old boy

– His main phobia- a horse was going to bite him

• Hans suffered from anxiety, led to # of phobias• Showed particular interest in his “widdler”. He

tendency to play with it, led his mom to threaten to cut it off

• He had:– Anxiety of mother’s desertion

– Fear of bath

– Fear of being bitten by white horses

– Fantasy of plumber providing larger “widdler”

Conclusion: Hans showed Oedipus complex love for mother, fear of castration by father

Strengths & Weaknesses of Freud• Weaknesses• 1. Work could not be

measured scientifically

• 2. Offered no variability (women)

• 3. Biased opinions

• Strengths• 1. We do have inner

conflicts• 2. Our personality can

be affected by events that occurred early in life

• 3. Anxiety does play a role in psychological problems. We do create defense mechanisms

Psychoanalytic Theorists Carl Jung (pronounced Yung)

– Considered to be Freud’s heir apparent.– Freud was extremely upset when Jung broke

ties with him. (More upset over Jung’s other ideas about the Psychoanalytic theory)

• 1. Collective Unconscious:– Every human being has this as part of their

unconscious mind– It’s our biological heritage

Psychoanalytic Theorists

• 2. Archetypes: images that incline us to perceive the world in certain ways– Archetypes we share: mother, father, sun, wise

old man, moon, God, death, hero– Jung identified TWO important archetypes

• Animus-masculine side of females

• Anima-feminine side of males


• 3. Introvert: prefers to observe, tends to be quiet, less active in social situations, cautious, has no problem being alone

• 4. Extravert: open, confident, talkative, sociable, tends to give free reign to impulses


• Alfred Adler– ESTEEM

• 1. striving for superiority- basic motivation in human life is a drive for perfection

• 2. feelings of inferiority-normal feelings of inadequacy brought on by childhood dependence

Alfred Adler

• 3. inferiority complex- inability to overcome feelings of inferiority

• 4. compensation- process of engaging in activities intended to produce feelings of superiority over others, in order to overcome feelings of inferiority

• Ex. Very famous female movie icon

Marilyn Monroe• Abandoned by her

father• Mother was placed in

an institution when she was in elementary school (placed in foster homes)

• At 16, she married a much older man

• Married to a famous athlete and world-renowned author

• Committed suicide at 36

http://www.topnews.in/usa/files/marilyn-monroe.jpg


• Karen Horney (pronounced Horn-EYE)– Security-a child’s safety and freedom from fear– Insecurity-a child’s fear and unsafe

environment. Can lead to neurosis

• basic hostility- child’s underlying and repressed anger toward parents who deny security

• basic anxiety- child’s sense of loneliness and helplessness in a hostile world

Karen Horney

• 3. coping mechanisms- trial and error attempts to handle basic anxiety– Compliance-moving toward people– Aggression-moving against people– Detachment-moving away from people

• 4. neurotic tendencies- habitual use of only one of the coping mechanisms

Coping Mechanism Inventory

• 1. If a controversial subject came up in class, which would you prefer to do:

• A. Join a group of people with similar opinions

• B. Be one of the debaters in a formal debate

• C. Write a report on your opinions


• 2. Which are you more likely to do when you meet someone new?

A. Try hard to get them to like you

B. Try to one up them

C. Hang back and let them do the talking


• 3. If you meet someone of the same gender who you decide is more attractive than you, which are you more likely to feel?– A. Okay– B. Envious– C. Uncomfortable


• 4. In choosing a career, which would be most important to you– A. Dedicating yourself to helping people– B. Succeeding and being the best at your job– C. Working independently without a boss


• 5. When it comes to participating in group games or sports, what do you feel?– A. You like being part of a team– B. Winning is very important– C. You would rather not play


• 6. Which best describes you?– A. You are easy to get along with– B. You are competitive– C. You are independent


• 7. What do you daydream or fantasize about most?– A. Love– B. Success– C. Being on your own


• 8. When people do something to bother you, what is your first response?– A. Pretend that nothing is wrong (Passive-

Aggressive) – B. Make it clear that you are being bothered– C. Completely ignore it


• 9. Which more important to you?– A. Being liked by people– B. Being the best at what you do– C. Being your own person

Coping Mechanism Interpretation• A’s = tendency to “move toward people”

Compliance

• B’s = tendency to “move against people” Aggression

• C’s =tendency to “move away from people” Detachment

• A balance of A’s, B’s, and C’s might indicate an appropriate use of each coping mechanism

Handout 15-7Personal Attitudes and Traits

• Point if True is next to 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33

• Point if False is next to 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 28, 30, 32

• Ave: 14

• Measures how much you want to be liked by others. Level of Friendliness

Handout 15-8 Self-Monitoring Scale

• Point if True circled 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, 25

• Point if False circled 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23

• Ave: 11 High Score:18

• Measures how well you express your emotions. How well do you read other peoples behavior.

BFI-54• Extraversion-1st reverse numbers for 7, 19, 33 (1=5, 2=4,

3=3, 4=2, 5=1) then add all the numbers for 1, 7, 13, 19, 33, 39, 46, 49, 53 Scores range from 9-45

• Agreeableness-1st reverse numbers for 2, 15, 25, 40 then add all the numbers for 2, 8, 15, 25, 28, 34, 40, 45, 51 Scores range from 9-45

• Conscientiousness-1st reverse numbers for 10, 21, 29, 52 then add all the numbers for 3, 10, 16, 21, 24, 29, 36, 42, 52 Scores range from 9-45

• Emotional Stability-1st reverse numbers for 5, 17, 31, 37, 47 then add all the numbers for 5, 11, 17, 22, 26, 31, 37, 43, 47 Scores range from 9-45

• Openness-1st reverse numbers in front of 9, 14, 32, 54 then add all the numbers for 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 23, 27, 30, 32, 35, 38, 41, 44, 48, 50, 54 Scores range from 18-90

BFI-54• Extraversion-Higher scores (30-45) reflect

greater extraversion

• Agreeableness-Higher scores (30-45) reflect greater agreeableness

• Conscientiousness-Higher scores (30-45) reflect greater conscientiousness

• Emotional Stability-Higher scores (30-45) reflect greater emotional stability

• Openness- Higher scores (55-90) reflect greater openness

Handout 5-11

• Measure of Conscientiousness

• Reverse the numbers placed before 10 items with an asterisk and then add all 20 responses together.

• The average score for conscientiousness is 123.

Projective Testing Analysis• Box #1-Conformity

• Box # 2-Self Centeredness

• Box #3-Sociability

• Box #4-Interest in Sex

• Box #5-Mechanical Ability

• Box #6-Creativity

Which “Friends” Character has these traits?

• Anxious

• Smart

• Serious

• Responsible

• Sensitive

Which “Friends” character has these traits?

• Emotional

• Moody

• Materialistic

• Dramatic

• Glamorous


• Ditsy

• Quirky

• Silly

• Fun-loving

• Talkative


• Obsessive

• Dramatic

• Organized/Neat

• Neurotic

• Competitive


• Dumb

• Immature

• Truthful

• Funny

• Jokester


• Sarcastic

• Childish

• Melodramatic

• Stubborn

• Competitive

defense mechanisms: the ego’s form of protection from the struggle between the id and the superego...

Documents

unacceptable impulses

ones impulses

intense aggressive impulses

cheat sheet

real reasons

real event

acceptable displacementeven

unwanted child