Philosophy Theorists

Freud, Adler, Maslow, Erikson

What is Personality?

the quality or state of being a person.: the complex of characteristics that

distinguishes an individual.the totality of an individual's behavioral

and emotional characteristics.

Nature vs. Nurture

Sigmund Freud

Known as Father of Psychology

Oldest of 8 children Father - Discipline Mother - Nurturer Born Czechoslovakia Father blue collar

worker Moved to Vienna when

father lost job

Freud Cont…

Studied a patients thoughts (Feelings, not illness)

Studied Neurology Strong

psychological interest

Volumes of writings Psychoanalytic

approach

Freud Famous Work

Iceberg theory1st 6 years of childhood are the most

importantNature - 100% instinctsOedipus complexID, EGO, Superego

Iceberg Theory

Iceberg Cont..

According to Freud there are three levels of consciousness to the mind

Conscious (small) 10% - part of the mind that holds what you are aware of.

Preconscious (small-medium) 10-15% - Regarded as ordinary memory. Not in conscious but can be readily brought to conscious

Unconscious (enormous) 75-80% - Not directly accessible to awareness. “Dump box” for urges, feelings and ideas tied to anxiety.

Iceberg Cont…

Much of Freud’s work on the ID, Ego, Superego comes from this theory.

Believes Information passes easily between conscious and preconscious.

To access truly unconscious information from the mind you need a psychoanalyst.

ID, EGO, SuperEgo

ID, EGO, SuperEgo

ID - ID - Pleasure seeking 100%. You are here to serve me. Ex: An infant or young child mentality.

EGO - EGO - Reality somewhere between the Id and Superego. May be one sided more than others.

SuperEgo - SuperEgo - The giving altruistic person. The giving altruistic person. Always moral, law abiding.Always moral, law abiding.

Altruistic - Altruistic - unselfish regard for or devotion to unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.the welfare of others.

Oedipus Complex

Believes we all end up married to someone exactly like mother or father.

At some point in an infant/toddlers life they will desire to possess parent of opposite sex and dispose of parent of same sex.

Between ages 3-5 Becomes a repressed

feeling in the unconscious.

Freud’s Stages of Development

Believes we are all pleasure seeking individuals. Focus’ on that for each stage

Oral stage - (0-2yrs) centered around the sensitive area of mouth. Communication develops

Anal stage - (2-3yrs) potty training Phallic stage - (3-5yrs) start to realize gender

differences ex: oedious complex Latency - (6-12yrs) play with same sex ignore

opposite. Genital - (12yrs - ) puberty

Defense Mechanisms

Freud believes they come about when the EGO can not deal with the demands put on it. Three types of anxiety

Neurotic AnxietyReality AnxietyMoral Anxiety

Types of Defense Mechanisms - Denial, Repression, Regression, Suppression, Sublimation, Displacement.

Dream Interpretation

Freud begins to analyze dreams in order to understand aspects of personality as they relate to pathology.

He believes that nothing you do occurs by chance

every action and thought is motivated by your unconscious