Sigmund Freud is one of the most controversial psychologists in history to this day, yet his theories and ideas are widely known. Freud made a crucial contribution to the study of understanding hidden human motivation (Lippman, 1996). “Hardly any discipline of thought has remained unaffected by the Freudian revolution but the impact has also been uncertain” (Pollack, 1984). Freud was also known as too important to ignore, but too impossible to digest (Pollack, 1984). Freud’s theories are criticized because his theories are very far fetched and his ideas potentially make many people feel uncomfortable, but that could be exactly the point that Sigmund was trying to convey (Liff, 1998). It was said “He was a disturber of the status quo and …show more content…
Psychoanalysis was viewed as a form of social therapy (Pollack, 1984). Because of the lack of empirical evidence towards psychoanalysis, many believed Freud was driven by the idea of becoming famous (Moore, 1994). Critics stated he “interpreted evidence retrospectively to suit his theories and dismissed criticism with rhetorical flourishes” (Moore, 1994). He was known to get his patients to sacrifice themselves for his new ideas about psychoanalysis and cared little about their life afterwards or if the treatment was in fact effective (Moore, 1994). One man who was a patient of Freud’s stated “I am in the same state as when I first came to Freud, and Freud is no more” (Moore, 1994).
To contrast the criticisms of psychoanalysis as a whole, therapy has been widely used for many years as a way to alleviate stress in people who have had a negative past. Freud stated that psychoanalysis didn’t work on everyone, and that it didn’t alleviate all the pain inside a person (Webster, 2010). Freud said “The aim is modest: it is to turn neurotic misery into common unhappiness” (Webster, 2010). Freud’s theories were based on careful and consistent observations of his clients and on himself (Liff, 1998). Psychoanalysis, although it has been altered to benefit patients more, is still used today. Therapy is a widely used technique to help people better their lives and release their fears
Sigmund Freud and Carl Rogers are two extremely renowned individuals who have greatly contributed to the history of psychology. Their contributions are the foundation for the tools, techniques, and methodologies used by psychologist today. Although, each psychologist is from different times and developed different methods, they shared a passion for the workings of the human mind. As a result, their drive and foundation has motivated and prompted new theories and research for the future. This paper will provide a summary of two articles highlighting the processes contemporary psychologists use to develop the theories of Freud and Rogers. It also explains their views of human nature and worldviews as
Following the publication of Freud’s ‘Papers on Technique’ between 1912 and 1917, there have been papers and symposia on the subject. Four symposia in 1937, 1948, 1958, and 1961 were devoted to the examination of therapeutic results of psychoanalysis, the mechanisms behind its curative factors, variations in technique and the ego-psychological approach to interpretations (Rosenfeld, 1972, 454). In 1934, James Strachey published his paper on “The Nature of the Therapeutic Action of Psychoanalysis,” which has since been considered one of the most seminal works on the subject. He holds that his paper is “not a practical discussion upon psychoanalytic technique,” and that “it’s immediate bearings are theoretical” (Strachey, 1934, 127). However, as Herbert Rosenfeld points out in his 1972 critical appreciation of Strachey’s paper, “this is clearly an understatement; the paper both challenges one’s clinical experience and has important clinical implications even though actual case material is not quoted” (Rosenfeld, 1972, 454). It would not be difficult to summarize Strachey’s main points regarding therapeutic action and mutative interpretation, and it would prove similarly sterile to simply compare his ideas with the views of other psychoanalysts, contemporaneous and contemporary. Instead, as Strachey concerns himself primarily with the structural nature of mutative change, this paper will aim to delineate a more in-depth exploration of the way different structures of the
In the 1950’s the beginning stages of a revolution began in the field of psychology. Developments in Behavior therapy (BT) by J. Wolpe and others began challenging the non-scientific approach of psychoanalysis (Craske, 2012; Westbrook, Kennerley & Kirk, 2011). Freudian psychoanalysis had dominated psychological treatment since the nineteenth century until the 1950’s when scientific psychology began to question the practice of psychoanalysis because its effectiveness could not be validated by empirical evidence (Craske, 2012; Rachman, 2014; Westbrook et al., 2011)
Freud was in his day an answer to many of society’s questions. As evolved and as the sciences evolved, we learned much more about Freud and his theories. Most of his work has been criticized most of the time. The criticisms of Freud and his theories have increased since
Psychoanalytic criticism originated in the work of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who pioneered the technique of psychoanalysis. Freud developed a language that described, a model that explained, and a theory that encompassed human psychology. His theories are directly and indirectly concerned with the nature of the unconscious mind. Through his multiple case studies, Freud managed to find convincing evidence that most of our actions are motivated by psychological forces over which we have very limited control (Guerin 127). One of Freud’s most important contributions to the study of the psyche is his theory of repression: the unconscious mind is a repository of repressed desires,
but his theories on dreams seemed to be the most popular, even to this day.Freud thinks that the agent that
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.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is responsible for developing the Psychoanalytic Theoretical Perspective; Freud argued that our early life experiences are essentially the base to our subconscious mind and in turn heavily influence our current behavior. Freud believed that people could be treated and healed by articulating their dreams and childhood memories allowing an individual to gain insight into these unconscious thoughts and ultimately motivate them to resolve the repressed conflicts within. This technique was developed into a therapy used today known as Psychoanalysis, similar to hypnosis, it was founded in 1896 (“Freud's Psychoanalytic Theories.”). Just like any other psychological theory, there are many interesting concepts to Freud's Psychoanalytic Theoretical Perspective. The theory says that your personality is determined by the manner in which your behaviors have been depicted to the unconscious mind, this theory tells us that our behavior is completely
Sigmund Freud's revolutionary ideas have set the standard for modern psychoanalysis in which students of psychology can learn from his ideas spread from the field of medicine to daily living. His studies in areas such as unconsciousness, dreams, sexuality, the Oedipus complex, and sexual maladjustments laid the foundation for future studies. In result, better understanding of the small things, which shape our lives.
Sigmund Freud explored many new concepts in the human mind during his lifetime. He was the scholar who discovered an immense new realm of the mind, the unconscious. He was the philosopher who identified childhood experience, not racial destiny or family fate, as the vessel of character, and he is the therapist who invented a specific form of treatment for mentally ill people, psychoanalysis. This advanced the revolutionary notion that actual diagnosable diseases can be cured by a technology that dates to the dawn of humanity: speaking. Sigmund Freud, writing more than 320 books, articles and essays on psychotherapy in his lifetime, forever changed how society viewed mental illness and the meaning of their dreams. However, controversy over
Sigmund Freud’s influence on modern day thinking permeates into our lives every day whether or not we realize it. Although much of his work has either been refuted or revised, his ideas have influenced an enormous spectrum of psychology and how we view life through our own thoughts. While his influence is irrefutable, the opinions concerning Freud and his writings vary greatly throughout the world. Individuals may distinguish the great genius in his groundbreaking theories of psychoanalysis, or they may reject his writings arguing that he had pushed the envelope too far. Either way, it is safe to say that his theories still evoke a considerable amount of debate to this day. Out of all of Freud’s theories, however, it can be argued that his
Psychoanalysis was the name given by Sigmund Freud to a system of interpretation and therapeutic treatment of psychological disorders. (McLeod, 2007) In particular, we present five key concepts on psychoanalytic therapy: structure of personality, psychosexual stages, defense mechanism, anxiety, and the unconscious mind.
Sigmund Freud is a timeless figure in psychology. To this day, his work of psychoanalysis is still mentioned and dream analysis and so much more are still used. Even though many people may have argued that Freud was crazy himself, he was one of the most influential psychologist known all around the world. However controversial, Freud sums up his works to be a sort of sexual complex such as the Oedipus and the Electra complex. The way he was raised and the relationships he had with his family plays a great impact on his work throughout his years. If it were not for his life experiences, Freud would not be as iconic as he is today.
Sigmund Freud was the discoverer and inventor of psychoanalysis and coined the term in 1896 after publishing studies on Hysteria with Joseph Breuer in 1895. Psychoanalysis still remains unsurpassed in its approach to understanding human motivation, character development, and psychopathology. Freud’s insights and analyses of psychic determinism, early childhood sexual development, and unconscious processes have left an indelible mark on psychology (Korchin, 1983).
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, is predominantly recognized as one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud gave a broad perspective on things involving dreams, religion, and cultural artifacts while still focusing on different states of the mind, such as unconsciousness. Freud also relied on a local sexual repression issue to create theories about human behavior. His theories and ideas of psychoanalysis still have a strong impact on psychology and early childhood education today. Freud’s most important claim is that with psychoanalysis he had invented a new science of the mind, however, remains the subject of copious critical debate and controversy.