Reading.

Cooper (1998) Chs. 3 & 4 (Freud only)
Pervin & John (1997), Chs. 3 & 4. (Detailed)
Pervin (1996), Chs. 1, 4, & 6. (Limited)
 

Plan

• Principles of Psychodynamic theories
• Freud
• Outline of theory
• Personality types (fixation)
• Jung
• Other psychodynamic approaches.

• Outward manifestations of behaviour due to internal events (drives, motivations).
• Psychodynamic theories of personality consider personality to be shaped by these inner forces.

• Oldest & most influential psychodynamic theory.
• Tripartite view of mind: Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious.
• Mind is closed energy system.
• Flow of psychic energy governed by personality.

• Drives (AKA instincts) - state of tension due to arousal of bodily structures.
• All behaviour directed towards drive reduction. (managed by personality structures - Id, Ego & Superego).
• Eros: life drive - sex, reproduction, self preservation. Libido is associated energy.
• Thanatos: death instinct - desire to return to inactive state (resolves all tension).

• Id - transforms biological needs into tension - pleasure principle - uses reflex actions & primary processes - ultimately inadequate.
• Ego - evolves from id, controls its urges - reality principle - threatened by Id and Superego, leads to anxiety - copes using defence mechanisms.
• Superego - "Ego Ideal" & "Conscience" - tries to impose will on Id and Ego.

• Ego uses DMs to modify urges of Id and thus protect self from anxiety.
• Include Repression, Denial, Projection, Displacement, Sublimation, Rationalisation, Regression, Identification, Reaction formation (see notes on defence mechanisms).
• Important in structure and formation of personality, reflected in overt behavior (e.g. over-reliance; fixation).

• Oral - sucking, biting [birth - 18 mos]
•  source of pleasure: mouth
• Anal - expulsive, retentive [6mos - 4 yrs]
• source of pleasure: anus
• Phallic - Oedipus/ Electra complex [4-8 yrs]
• source of pleasure: genitals
• Then Latent [5yrs - puberty] and Genital [puberty onwards] stages.

• Strength of different structures / balance.
• Characteristic reliance on particular defences.
• Fixation at particular psychosexual stages.

• Too much / too little gratification at a particular stage.
• Fixated on that mode of tension reduction.
• Influences adult personality (esp. under stress) - behaviours related to those occuring at time of fixation.
• Typically modified through defence mechs.
• Lead to different personality types.

• Oral personality - eating, drinking, smoking, sarcasm, greed, pessimism
• Anal retentive or expulsive personality -

• Phallic (M) or Hysterical (F) personality.

• Scientific status of theory
• Methodology
• Biases
• Dubious theoretical assumptions
• Empirical support?
• IMMENSE IMPACT on 20th century psychology and general life.

• Harmony, not conflict, in personality structures.
• Conscious mind (Ego), Personal (contains complexes) and Collective Unconscious.
• Archetypes - shared recurring symbols.
• Hero, Shadow, Anima/Animus, Wise Old Man.
• Persona (external personality).
• Self (unification of other aspects, focus) [

• 2 basic attitudes to reality
• Introversion (internal focus, inward flow of libido);
• Extraversion (external focus, outward flow). 1 will be stronger.
• 4 basic Functions - ways of interacting with world
• thinking, feeling, sensing, intuiting.
• 1 Dominant, 1 Inferior.
• Pairs - T/F, S/I.
• Personality is product of attitudes and functions - Types - IT, ET, IF etc…
• MBTI - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

• Alfred Adler - Individual Psychology
• inferiority complex; striving for superiority; fictional finalisms, style of life, social interest, birth order.
• Karen Horney - feminist slant, Womb Envy
• basic anxiety, defences, real and ideal selves…
• Anna Freud, Erik Erickson, Erich Fromm, Object Relations theorists….

• Historical and philosophical significance
• Not major part of mainstream personality research, BUT still very popular in some areas / applications of psychology.
• Jungian typology - MBTI
• Clinical work and assessment
• attachment theory
• Freud dead, but not buried yet.

• Reviewed classical Freudian theory - structure of psyche, personality structure, psychosexual development.
• Examined implications for Ind. Diffs., esp. with respect to fixation.
• Jung - basic concepts - personality types.
• Main concepts of other theorists.