Freud’s Theory
Samantha Romano
College of The Canyons
Submitted in fulfillment as one of the requirements for Psych 101
November 2015
Freud’s Theories have been widely discredited in regards to a psychological standpoint, but many argue his findings remain relevant. Although he is still discussed in Universities, Freud 's theories are no longer taught in Psychology classes. While Freud 's theories have been antiquated and may be obsolete, he still poses many important psychological questions. Freud’s theory of Psychoanalysis is important to cover in Psychology classes because he makes some very valid points regarding the human mind. Even John Kihlstrom, a known Freud critic admits,”Freud 's influence on modern culture has
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According to George Dvorsky in “Why Freud Still Matters, When He Was Wrong About Almost Everything,” Freud was able to show that human action is not the result of our conscious mind, but by “irrational forces” outside the conscious awareness “forces that could be understood and controlled by an extensive therapeutic process he called psychoanalysis” (2013). The fact that psychoanalysis has been criticized does not affect the accuracy of the theory of the subconscious, or diminish its importance to the field of psychology. The subconscious mind has been proven to exist and affect human action significantly. In her article, ”Freud’s Not Dead; He’s Just Really Hard to Find” Susan Whitbourne points out that “Freud’s ideas about the unconscious became the basis for later theories that built on his basic principles”(Whitbourne 2012). In fact, Freud’s theory has “ gone to influence such thinkers as the cognitive scientist Marvin Minsky, who talks about the society of mind” as well as “philosopher of mind Daniel Dennett, who argues on behalf of the idea that there are multiple models of consciousness working in parallel” (Dvorsky 2013). Freud’s concept of subconscious has led to findings that have benefited the field of Psychology and therefore, should be mentioned in universities as the basis of such …show more content…
According to George Dvorsky,“Few people, including psychologists, would deny that we all too regularly employ such defenses as denial, repression, projection, intellectualization, and rationalization” (Dvorsky 2013). People feel the need to cope with the hassles that occur in their daily lives, as well as the more significant stressors that cause even greater amounts of distress (Ciccarelli 2015). It is evident that there is a presence of coping mechanisms in human action. While many people disagree with Freud’s theories, many of his findings and ideas have proven important to the field of Psychology. He should not be entirely written off because he has had such a substantial contribution to the study of the human mind and influenced so many after
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
Sigmund Freud is considered to be one of the most studied and respected historical figures in psychology. Freud has had a huge impact on the way we think today. He also is responsible for creation psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud is even known as the “father of psychoanalysis”. Through endless contentious theories such as, the Case of Anna O, the Unconscious Mind, the Psyche, and the most infamous of his theories, the Psychosexual stage, Freud has generated many fans and supporters. His works has earned him a place in the list of psychology legends today.
Sigmund Freud is known as the founding father of psychology. If it wasn’t for Freud and his work psychology probably wouldn’t be around today (Javel, 1999). Although Freud had many followers there were some who didn’t agree with his work and found his work to be very controversial. There were also many who criticized his work, one of his most controversial and criticized work was his psychosexual stages of development and his believes about the famous “Oedipus Complex.” Psychoanalysis is the first known modality used to treat individuals with psychological disorders. Freud’s work was a foundation for many whether they believed in his work or not. From his work other psychologist
Sigmund Freud is known for creating the concept of psychoanalysis, also known as psychoanalytic theory, which requires one to explore the unconscious mind. Over time, his theories have been revised as well as criticized in a variety of ways. Be that as it may, they have remained strong influences within the world of psychiatry, as well as in the worlds of film and literature. Many works generally exhibit Freudian influences, balancing the conscious life with the subconscious and dreamlike undertones. Key ideas of Freudian Psychoanalysis are the three psychic zones of id, ego and super-ego, the libido, and the Oedipus complex.
The first theory Psychodynamic theory presented by Sigmund Freud, is based on how a person’s self-awareness and understanding of the past on present behavior. Psychody...
that Freud concluded reflects in some of his work and even in his theory: Psychoanalytic
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, was the principle proponent of the psychoanalytic personality theory. Psychoanalytic personality theory is tells us that the majority of human behavior is motivated by the unconscious, a part of the personality that contains the memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings urges, drives, and instincts that the individual is unaware, and that only a small part of our psychological makeup is actually derived from the conscious experience. The problem is our unconscious mind disguises the meaning of the material it contains. As such, the psychoanalytic personality theory is ver...
The psychodynamic approach lends itself to being a controversial yet highly influential theory in the history of psychology. The theory has become one of the most significant psychological approaches and its originator, Sigmund Freud, has become a major influence in modern psychology. The psychodynamic approach largely focuses on motivation and past experiences which develop and individual’s personality. Freud used the iceberg metaphor to outline the three states of consciousness and argued that only twenty percent of the mind represents the conscious. In addition he theorised that there was a pre-conscious mind which represents general memory. Finally, the unconscious mind which is essentially the reservoir of repressed or hidden experiences and desire.
Sigmund Freud, the preeminent, 19th century, European neurologist and psychologist, designed a theory he labelled “psychoanalysis,” a theory which would transcend all borders and integrate itself deeply into many facets of society. In fact, an American named Kate Chopin, wrote a book entitled The Awakening, which was published at the turn of the 19th century, in which this theory played an integral role in expressing the complexity, relevance, and growth of the main character. The express importance of the main character displaying a Freudian psych is pertinent even in the modern time because it allows us to view the application of his theories around the time of their conception, trace their evolution and see the changes throughout the years. By possessing these comparisons, one could then gain insight as to how society and the individual has developed and progressed.
The aim of this essay is to clarify the basic principles of Freud’s theories and to raise the main issues.
There have been many theorist in psychology such as Erik Erickson, Gordon Allport, and Raymond Cattell, among others. They have all made significant contributions to psychology and understanding human behavior. However, two theorist have distinguished themselves over the rest of them. Sigmund Freud is known as the father of psychoanalysis. He developed numerous theories to facilitate the understanding of the different stages humans go through. As well as Freud, Karen Horney also created her own theories. Her theories were relatively similar to Freud’s, however, they also have their differences. It is essential to have general knowledge of their background and to understand both of their theories before we begin contrasting them.
This theory is a social construction, just as all theories are, of Freud’s own experience. It is important to understand this, and to take the good with the bad. Analysis of the Psychodynamic Theory The main issue with the psychodynamic theory is that it is based on very subjective and quantitative aspects. The internalization of the human mind is not something that can be easily or quantitatively studied.
The psychodynamic theory focuses on the unconscious mind. Freud’s credence is that different mental forces operate in the mind. The unconscious mind can be described as being like an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg represents the part of the mind that is conscious, everyday thoughts. The iceberg just below the water’s surface represents the pre conscious, thoughts and information that can be retrieved easily. And finally the base of the iceberg is the unconscious part of the mind where fears, traumas and bad experiences are contained, almost impossible to retrieve.
Sigmund Freud was a pioneer within the field of psychology who developed multiple theories that introduced the world to the inner meanings of the human unconscious. He created the theory of psychoanalysis, which allowed him to enter the world of the unconscious mind. He also proposed that humans go through a transition of various psychosexual stages, each level containing a different drive and desire. These urges were governed by the three components of the mind: the id, the ego, and the superego. He also believed that humans create defense mechanisms in order to drive away anxiety, guilt, and depression. However, he believed his greatest work resided within his interpretation of dreams through a method he called dream analysis. Each aspect of his studies and theories attempt to identify the reason behind human behavior.
Sigmund Freud was one of the original pioneers in the field of Psychology. The work that he accomplished throughout his lifetime laid a foundation for many theorists after him. The theorists that worked in Psychology, after Freud, were able to form their own thoughts, ideas, and hypotheses about the human mind after learning from his work. Sigmund Freud’s major contribution in the field of Psychology was his theory about the human psyche; which he called the Id, the Ego, and the Super-Ego. This theory was based on the human personality and its formation. Many of Freud’s analysis strategies became common practice in the field of Psychology and are still used today. Sigmund Freud will always be one of the most influential figures in the