Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalysis is an approach to psychology that was made well known as a way to bring for the unconscious to the conscious. It is theorized that the memories that we store in our unconscious affects us, and can cause neurotic behaviors. The approaches also include Analytical, Individual. Three people that worked on these theories are Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. Each of these men approached psychoanalysis in both similar and individual ways, and have their own theories that will be further discusses within this essay.

Sigmund Freud’s primary version of psychoanalytical theory presented in the late 19th century is one that has withstood the tests of time; with just a few exceptions. Freud’s psychoanalytical theory which is comprised of many of Freud’s very unique and great theories like the tripartite mind, psychosexual developmental stages, and defense mechanisms gave insight into the inner-workings of the mind that until then had not yet been discovered nor explored. After all, psychoanalysis centers on exposing the human unconscious by viewing human behavior through a deterministic lens, meaning that the mind is governed by the unconscious, instinctual drives, and other forces.

Freud introduced us to unconscious motivations and how they determine our behavior. The study of the unconscious mind became a base and paved the way for other therapists. Also, the psychosexual stages were introduced which explain the biological and instinctual drive of children. The structure of personality is the foundation of our impulses, behaviors, and our interactions in our mental life. These include the id, ego, and superego. The superego prevents actions the id wants to accomplish; which is important because we all have irrational impulses and the superego saves us from those. It is important to look at the weaknesses of psychoanalysis and Freud’s ideas. The psychosexual stages stop at the age of six when development happens throughout someone’s lifetime. These psychosexual stages are his main focus and there is not much of a focus on how important social factors are on our mental health and development. Psychoanalytical therapists can sometimes be seen as subjective. The therapist analyzes the dreams and that is subjective. There is no empirical research to support his psychodynamic model, although the theory does explain reasons for irregularities in development. A common criticism is he blamed for inadequate parenting on mothers while the father was not in the equation. The time

The psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud has always been argued to be one of the most controversial theories in the school of psychology. Critics have questioned how relevant the perspective of Freud is due to the fact that it holds no scientific basis. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. This theory, known as Freud's structural theory of personality, places great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological

Sigmund Freud created strong theories in science and medicine that are still studied today. Freud was a neurologist who proposed many distinctive theories in psychiatry, all based upon the method of psychoanalysis. Some of his key concepts include the ego/superego/id, free association, trauma/fantasy, dream interpretation, and jokes and the unconscious. “Freud remained a determinist throughout his life, believing that all vital phenomena, including psychological phenomena like thoughts, feelings and phantasies, are rigidly determined by the principle of cause and effect” (Storr, 1989, p. 2). Through the discussion of those central concepts, Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis becomes clear as to how he construed human character.

Freud psychodynamic approach to behaviors suggests that in order to understand why an individual exhibits certain behaviors you must get inside of the unconscious mind. Humans have always needed to be sensitive to their surroundings to survive, which means that we have an inmate awareness of our environment and seek out environments with certain qualities. First of all, we have a strong need for safety and security and we look for those things in our environment. For instance, when we are relocating to a new neighborhood we look for one that appears quiet and serene but still offers what we consider to be the right stimulus. The biobehavorial effect on human behavior suggest that it's causes come from organic defect. In other words, something

Determined to find out the origins of our sexuality and how they develop over the course of human life, Sigmund Freud came up with his psychoanalytic theory in an attempt to explain how a person’s character or personality is formed. He believed that the first five years of a person’s life were essential in shaping one’s personality, and the way that the parent chooses to raise their child in this crucial stage is what determines normal or abnormal development of the personality. The way that a child goes through these stages is essential in shaping their personality as an adult.

From a modern perspective, we can see that the results were produced by the hypnotic suggestion of a fluid draining from the body, a wonderful healing metaphor that wouldn’t be out of place in a 21st century hypnotherapy practice. Even Mesmer realized that the magnet had nothing to do with the cure. His system rested on the belief that illness was caused by depleted levels of animal magnetism, and that these could be replenished by the healer transmitting some of his own abundant magnetic force across the ether to the patient. The magnet was simply a device that allowed this to happen, along with the complex and lengthy sequence of hand gestures and touch known as the “mesmeric pass” (Kirsch et.al., 1995).

More specifically, Freud traces the roots of all adult behaviors back to childhood impulses and showed how conflicts related to the development of sexuality in childhood subsequently results in psychopathology or neuroses. (Good & Beitman)

Psychoanalysis is one of the founding approaches to psychotherapy and this specific approach was founder by Austrian born psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. This approach to psychotherapy has evolved ever since the 1800s when it was first developed and this will be very clear in the following essay in that different theories and components of the approach will be discussed and they will also be used to analyse Wendy and come to decisions about how she is presenting in therapy based on these components of psychoanalysis approach. Psychoanalysis as an approach founded by Freud focuses on what is called the unconscious material and how this material affects the individual (Yakeley, 2014). This essay will specifically look at Freud’s drive theory and the Object Relations Theory as these are the theories of the psychoanalytic approach that are best suited to Wendy’s, thus evidence supporting this statement will be presented in the essay. The second part of the essay will be a discussion regarding the cultural aspects of Wendy’s case and how this impacts on the psychoanalysis approach. However, before that can be done, one will need to provide the reader with insight on what psychoanalysis is.

The field of psychology has been influenced by many individuals throughout its short history, yet there stands one prominent figure who can be considered one of the most influential and also one of the most controversial person in the history of psychology. This individual is Sigmund Freud, an Austrian man born in 1856, who advanced the field of psychology through his research and observations about the human mind and behavior along with developing a branch of psychology, called psychoanalysis. As a result, Freud is commonly referred to as the “Father of Psychoanalysis”, in which psychoanalysis describes Freud’s theories and techniques to treat his patients.

In psychology, a person’s personality is how the person feels, thinks, and behaves. Psychoanalysis was a theory Sigmund Freud discovered. It was his theory for treating psychological disorders and he did this by using a person’s unconscious mind. He suggested that there was three different stages of awareness in a person’s conscious mind. Level one is consciousness is anytime we’re alert. When we are conscious we are aware of our emotions, sensations, thoughts, and perception. Level two is preconscious contains all the memories, feelings, experiences and perceptions that we are not thinking about at that moment but can easily be brought to consciousness. Level three which is the most important level is the unconscious. Freud believed that

Sigmund Freud 's psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. This theory, known as Freud 's structural theory of personality, places great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological conflicts in shaping behavior and personality. Dynamic interactions among these fundamental parts of the mind are thought to progress through five distinct psychosexual stages of development. Over the last century, however, Freud 's ideas have since been met with criticism, in part because of his singular focus on sexuality as the main driver of human personality development.

Sigmund Freud is considered to be the most important figures in the field of psychiatry and psychology. His ideas about psychoanalysis were developed in the 1800’s but are still being used today in the mental health field (www.studymode.com). Sigmund Freud was one of the pioneers/innovator of modern-day psychology. “As the originator of psychoanalysis, Freud distinguished himself as an intellectual giant.” (www.muskingum.edu) He was among the first to explore new ideas for understanding human behavior, and his determination resulted in the most complete theory of personality and psychotherapy ever developed (www.muskingum.edu).

At some point in life, everyone has heard the name Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was born in 1856, and went on to become one of the most talked about theorists. He is known as the father of psychoanalysis and has left behind an everlasting legacy. There were two influential and sometimes controversial theories that Freud left behind.