Introduction Thinking Points: . Trait vs State: Is our behaviour a product of our traits or the environments we find ourselves in · Nature vs Nurture: Role of parents/upbringing in determining personality and intelligence compared to the influence of genes · Plasticity: Is personality fixed (like plaster) or can it change · Intelligence: Can IQ predict life chances, and can it be improved · Personality: Can it be harmful and what role does it play in mental health Major Psychologist: Freud (1856 - 1939) ----- Maslow (1908 - 1970) ----- Skinner (1904 - 1990) Freud: . Founded psychoanalytic approach · Basic Points: Behaviour driven by UCS/ Psychological energy take suppressing UCS urges/ Behaviour is shaped by early life and difficult to change later on Freud: Consciousness . Prior to Freud humans were viewed as rational, Freud did not discover the UCS but he felt importance was understated . Levels of consciousness is divided into the CS, PCS and UCS . No clear-cut distinction between the levels Freud: Interpreting Dreams . Dreams were believed to be route into the UCS · Manifest Content: recalled by the dreamer · Latent Content: interpreted by analysts, symbolism · The UCS has a strong sexualised nature Freud: Nature of Human Beings · Source of Motivation: Darwinian theory, concept of libido (sex drives), life preserving drives and death instinct (thantos) · Motivation is accounted for via these drives Freud: Structure of Personality · ID: raw, uninhibited, instinctual energy, pleasure principle · Ego: socialisation during development allows child to plan, reason and satisfy needs of id, reality principle · Superego: Internalisation of parental attitudes, expectations, morality principle Freud: Development of Personality
· Oral: birth to 1 year Primary focus is feeding and satisfying needs, Erogenous zones = baby's mouth, focused on immediate gratification. Oral personality is self-orientated, impatient, demanding and seek oral gratification (eg smoking) Anal: 18 months to 3 years Sensual pleasure from bowel movements the new erogenous zone, focused on power and control Anal personality is orderly, stingy, stubborn OR Anal-expulsive personality is untidy, disorganised, rebel · Phallic: 3 to 5 years Penis Envy/Castration Anxiety Oedipal/Electra Complex · Latency Stage: 5 to 12 years Resting stage for psychosexual development, socio-learning · Genital: 12 to 18 years Puberty, mature sexual attachments Freud: Intrapsychic Conflict · Conflict between the id, ego and superego (the psyche) · Often creates feelings of anxiety Freud: Defence Mechanisms · Denial · Repression - pushing away · Projection - blaming others · Rationalisation - Post hoc explanation Strengths of Freud Model: · Provoked theories into human behaviour, led to research · Good descriptions of human behaviour e.g. Defence mechanisms Criticisms of Freud Model: · Based on evidence from own patients (biases) . Often revised his ideas, hard to follow theoretical narrative · Often vague, hard to devise empirical tests of his ideas · Feasibility of explaining behaviour through sexual/aggressive drives · Modern evidence places little importance on early life effecting personality development · No clear evidence to prove UCS drives behaviour Pavlov: