Psychoanalysis
Name
Institution
Abstract
The theory of psychoanalysis is one of the most widely taught theories in psychology. It is therefore important for psychologists to understand the major foundations of the theory and its components, the contributions of the theory to the field of psychology, and some of the criticisms against the theory. This essay discusses these issues and at the end concludes that despite the criticisms against psychoanalysis, the theory remains highly relevant and useful in the current context because its tenets are used by different professionals.
Psychoanalysis Human development is a natural process but individuals’ development is often shaped by the experiences that they …show more content…
People reject facts that are uncomfortable even when there is evidence showing that they are true. Another defense mechanism used by individuals is projection. This mechanism allows people to attribute their desires to other people even they are the ones who have those desires. Besides the stated defense mechanisms, individuals may also practice displacement as a defense mechanism. Displacement involves the replacement of wishes, ideas of emotions that are unacceptable with those that are acceptable. For instance, an individual may have strong sexual impulses, but they may decide to engage in other activities to escape from those desires. The next defense mechanism is sublimation, and this mechanism enables people to turn behaviors, desires, and wishes that are socially unacceptable to those that are socially acceptable. The last defense mechanism is rationalization. Individuals use this mechanism to justify irrational of controversial feelings or behaviors by explaining them in ways that seem rational (Coon & Mitterer, …show more content…
This stage lasts from the time when children are three years old to when they are five to six years old. The erogenous area of focus at this stage is the genital area and children discover differences between the sexes of their parents, and they feel that the parents of the same sex are their rival. Boys view their fathers as rivals for motherly affection, while girls view their mothers as rivals for fatherly affection. At this stage, girls develop penis envy while boys develop castration anxiety because they fear that they will be punished by their fathers because of their feelings. If children are punished excessively and they develop a sense of guilt, they may be aggressive in adulthood. They may also be uncomfortable with their sexuality when they grow up. Moreover, if boys are overly threatened, they may develop low self-worth and look for ways to avoid dealing with their sexuality. Boys may for instance concentrate excessively on their academic work.
The fourth stage in Freud’s psychosocial stages of development is the latency stage (Bornstein, Vandell & Rook, 2010). This stage lasts between the age of six and puberty and children do not have any sexual feelings. The suppression of sexual feelings allows children to focus on developing peer relationships and other things that interest them. Moreover, children at this stage focus on their academic work
Name
Institution
Abstract
The theory of psychoanalysis is one of the most widely taught theories in psychology. It is therefore important for psychologists to understand the major foundations of the theory and its components, the contributions of the theory to the field of psychology, and some of the criticisms against the theory. This essay discusses these issues and at the end concludes that despite the criticisms against psychoanalysis, the theory remains highly relevant and useful in the current context because its tenets are used by different professionals.
Psychoanalysis Human development is a natural process but individuals’ development is often shaped by the experiences that they …show more content…
People reject facts that are uncomfortable even when there is evidence showing that they are true. Another defense mechanism used by individuals is projection. This mechanism allows people to attribute their desires to other people even they are the ones who have those desires. Besides the stated defense mechanisms, individuals may also practice displacement as a defense mechanism. Displacement involves the replacement of wishes, ideas of emotions that are unacceptable with those that are acceptable. For instance, an individual may have strong sexual impulses, but they may decide to engage in other activities to escape from those desires. The next defense mechanism is sublimation, and this mechanism enables people to turn behaviors, desires, and wishes that are socially unacceptable to those that are socially acceptable. The last defense mechanism is rationalization. Individuals use this mechanism to justify irrational of controversial feelings or behaviors by explaining them in ways that seem rational (Coon & Mitterer, …show more content…
This stage lasts from the time when children are three years old to when they are five to six years old. The erogenous area of focus at this stage is the genital area and children discover differences between the sexes of their parents, and they feel that the parents of the same sex are their rival. Boys view their fathers as rivals for motherly affection, while girls view their mothers as rivals for fatherly affection. At this stage, girls develop penis envy while boys develop castration anxiety because they fear that they will be punished by their fathers because of their feelings. If children are punished excessively and they develop a sense of guilt, they may be aggressive in adulthood. They may also be uncomfortable with their sexuality when they grow up. Moreover, if boys are overly threatened, they may develop low self-worth and look for ways to avoid dealing with their sexuality. Boys may for instance concentrate excessively on their academic work.
The fourth stage in Freud’s psychosocial stages of development is the latency stage (Bornstein, Vandell & Rook, 2010). This stage lasts between the age of six and puberty and children do not have any sexual feelings. The suppression of sexual feelings allows children to focus on developing peer relationships and other things that interest them. Moreover, children at this stage focus on their academic work