SIGMUND FREUD AND PSYCHOANALYTICAL MOVEMENT:Anna Freud

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History and Systems of Psychology PSY502

Lesson 30

SIGMUND FREUD AND PSYCHOANALYTICAL MOVEMENT

Sigmund Freud formulated a theory of defense mechanisms. Some of them include denial, repression,

regression and projection. The id, the ego, and the superego formulate the model that Freud used to

describe the components of human personality. The ego, tempered by the superego, is that conscious part

that acts as mediator between the instinctual drives of the unconscious id and the social environment.

According to Freud, the ego has developed what he calls defense mechanisms, to cover for the wild

demands of the id, which would rarely be socially acceptable. All of the defenses can be described as a

combination of denial or repression with different ways of rationalization.

When we rationalize, we are distorting the facts to make the event or our own impulses less threatening;

that is, diluting the anxiety to a manageable level. We often come to believe our own distortions, or excuses,

or even lies.

Repression

The unconscious purpose of repression operates in a person who is not able to recall a threatening situation

or may completely forget that a disliked person ever was a part of his/her life. Phobias can be examples of

repression because the person has an unreasonable fear but may have no idea how it originated.

Denial

Denial is characterized by having a conscious awareness at some level, but simply denies the reality of the

experience by pretending it is not there. An example: a person who faints at a horrible real-life occurrence,

such as the death of a loved one. Or, that same person might intellectually know that a person has died but

refuses to "accept it" while she may still wait for the usual time the person came back from work.

On a lighter note, a student may refuse to pick up her final grade from a difficult class because she knows it

is not an acceptable grade. She simply denies the reality of the grade. As a defense mechanism, denial

becomes more difficult to maintain as one matures. Its use requires much energy and the mind looks at

other possibilities of defense.

Regression

Regression involves a movement back in developmental time to when a person felt safe and secure. Often,

that is childhood. For example, person who has suffered a difficult divorce or death of a spouse may want

to revisit the home of his/her childhood those tender years before pain overruled all other feelings.

Projection

Projection is attributing your own unacceptable impulses to someone else. The impulses are still judged

unacceptable but they belong to someone else, not you. At that point you are free to criticize that person

for having such terrible impulses. The final result is that you no longer feel threatened and you can maintain

your self-esteem by ignoring an objectionable aspect of yourself.

These were some examples of defenses that a person develops. Based upon his observations, Freud also

developed a theory of neurosis. According to his theory:

Neurosis=Predisposition + trauma

Which means that Neurosis is the result of a predisposition which is inclination or a tilt toward something,

and trauma which is a sudden shock resulting from, for example, an unexpected incident.

Based upon his experience he formulated his method of treatment of mental disorders which is called

psychoanalysis. The procedure of psychoanalysis includes:

Free association

History and Systems of Psychology PSY502

Interpretation of dreams

Interpretation of psychopathology of everyday life

Analysis of resistance

Analysis of transference

Freud also wrote extensively on ancient religions, social psychology and other topics.

Anna Freud

Anna Freud was born on December 3, 1895 and she died on October 9, 1982. She was the sixth and last

child of Sigmund and Martha Freud. Born in Vienna, she followed the path of her father and contributed to

the newly born field of psychoanalysis.

Her field of specialization was Child Psychology. As such, the formation of the fields of child

psychoanalysis and child developmental psychology can be attributed to Anna Freud. Her main

contribution in this field was the Identification with aggressor among the children who dominates the rest

of the children.

Anna Freud furthermore developed different techniques of assessment and treatment of children disorders,

thereby contributing to our understanding of anxiety and depression as significant problems among

children.

Heinz Hartmann

Heinz Hartmann was born in 1894 at Vienna, Austria and he died in 1970. He was a psychiatrist and

psychoanalyst. He is considered one of the founders and principal representatives of ego psychology.

Hartmann was born to a family known for producing writers and academics. His own father was a

professor of history, and his mother was a pianist and sculptor. Hartmann's interest was in Freudian

theories.

He chose to enter into analysis with Freud and was noted as a shining star amongst analysts of his

generation. His work marked the development of the theoretical movement known as Ego-psychology. He

elaborated the functions of ego. He stated that Ego integrates and coordinates tendencies in humans.

Ernst Kris

Being a follower of Freud, Ernst Kriss further elaborated the role of ego. According to him Ego controls

regression.

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