Glossary
Alfred Adler
A Neo-Freudian who emphasized the conscious role of the ego and proposed that motivation stems from a desire to overcome feelings of inferiority.
Example:
Alfred Adler focused on how individuals strive for superiority and overcome feelings of inadequacy.
Anal Expulsive
A personality trait resulting from fixation at the anal stage, characterized by being disorganized, careless, rebellious, and messy.
Example:
Someone who leaves their belongings scattered everywhere and resists any form of structure might be described as anal expulsive.
Anal Retentive
A personality trait resulting from fixation at the anal stage, characterized by being excessively neat, organized, stubborn, and controlling.
Example:
Monica from 'Friends' is often cited as an example of an anal retentive personality due to her extreme tidiness and need for order.
Anal Stage
The second psychosexual stage (18-36 months) where pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder elimination, often associated with potty training.
Example:
The struggles and successes of toilet training are central to the Anal Stage of psychosexual development.
Archetypes
Universal, archaic patterns and images that derive from the collective unconscious and are present in all cultures.
Example:
The 'wise old man' or 'great mother' figures that appear in myths and fairy tales are examples of archetypes.
Carl Jung
A Neo-Freudian who proposed the concepts of the personal unconscious, collective unconscious, and archetypes.
Example:
Carl Jung believed that universal symbols found in myths and dreams across cultures were evidence of a shared collective unconscious.
Collective Unconscious
Jung's concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of universal concepts and archetypes common to all humans, passed down through generations.
Example:
The widespread presence of a 'hero's journey' narrative in stories from diverse cultures suggests the influence of the collective unconscious.
Conscious
The level of awareness that includes all the thoughts, feelings, and memories we are currently aware of at any given moment.
Example:
As you read this sentence, the words and their meaning are part of your conscious awareness.
Defense mechanisms
Unconscious strategies employed by the ego to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.
Example:
When faced with a stressful situation, people often unconsciously use defense mechanisms to protect their self-esteem.
Denial
A defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or acknowledge a painful truth.
Example:
Despite clear evidence, a person with a gambling addiction might be in denial about the severity of their problem.
Displacement
A defense mechanism where aggressive or sexual impulses are redirected toward a less threatening target.
Example:
After a frustrating day at work, a person might come home and yell at their family, an example of displacement.
Ego
The rational part of the personality that operates on the reality principle, mediating between the id's desires, the superego's demands, and external reality.
Example:
Despite wanting to eat the entire cake, your ego reminds you of your diet and suggests having just one slice.
Electra Complex
A concept from the phallic stage, analogous to the Oedipus complex, where a girl develops sexual feelings for her father and jealousy towards her mother.
Example:
A little girl's strong preference for her father's attention over her mother's might be interpreted as an Electra Complex.
Free Association
A psychoanalytic technique where patients relax and say whatever comes to mind, without censorship, to uncover repressed thoughts and desires.
Example:
During a therapy session, the psychologist asked Mark to engage in free association, prompting him to speak about anything that popped into his head, leading to a surprising memory.
Genital Stage
The final psychosexual stage (puberty on) where mature sexual interests develop, and individuals seek to form healthy adult relationships.
Example:
Forming a stable, loving romantic partnership is a key developmental task of the Genital Stage.
Id
The impulsive, irrational part of the personality that operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of desires.
Example:
When a toddler screams for candy in the grocery store, their id is demanding immediate satisfaction without regard for consequences.
Identification
The process by which children adopt the characteristics of the same-sex parent to resolve psychosexual conflicts and develop their own gender identity.
Example:
A young girl starting to mimic her mother's mannerisms and interests is an example of identification.
Inferiority Complex
Adler's concept that motivation stems from a fear of failure and a desire to achieve or overcome perceived weaknesses.
Example:
Someone who constantly seeks validation and overcompensates in their achievements might be driven by an inferiority complex.
Intellectualization
A defense mechanism that involves dealing with emotional distress by focusing on the intellectual, abstract aspects of a situation, rather than the emotional ones.
Example:
After receiving a serious medical diagnosis, a patient might cope by extensively researching the disease and its treatments, rather than expressing their fear, an example of intellectualization.
Latency Stage
The fourth psychosexual stage (6 years to puberty) where sexual feelings are dormant, and children focus on social and intellectual development.
Example:
During the Latency Stage, children often prefer playing with same-sex peers and show little interest in romantic relationships.
Neo-Freudians
Psychologists who were influenced by Freud's work but expanded upon his theories, often emphasizing social and cultural factors more than sexual drives.
Example:
Carl Jung and Alfred Adler are considered Neo-Freudians because they built upon Freud's foundation but introduced their own distinct concepts.
Oedipus Complex
A concept from the phallic stage where a boy develops sexual feelings for his mother and jealousy/rivalry towards his father.
Example:
A young boy insisting on marrying his mother when he grows up is a classic, albeit innocent, manifestation of the Oedipus Complex.
Oral Fixation
A lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at the oral stage, potentially leading to adult habits like smoking, overeating, or nail-biting.
Example:
Someone who constantly chews on pens might be exhibiting an oral fixation from their early development.
Oral Stage
The first psychosexual stage (0-18 months) where pleasure centers on the mouth through activities like sucking, biting, and chewing.
Example:
A baby's constant need to put objects in their mouth is characteristic of the Oral Stage of development.
Personal Unconscious
Jung's concept for a reservoir of repressed memories and thoughts unique to an individual, similar to Freud's unconscious.
Example:
A forgotten childhood memory that suddenly resurfaces during therapy would be part of an individual's personal unconscious.
Phallic Stage
The third psychosexual stage (3-6 years) where pleasure centers on the genitals, and children begin to notice gender differences.
Example:
During the Phallic Stage, a young boy might become very attached to his mother and view his father as a rival.
Pleasure principle
The guiding force of the id, which seeks immediate gratification of all desires and needs, regardless of reality or consequences.
Example:
A person who impulsively buys an expensive item they can't afford is acting purely on the pleasure principle.
Preconscious
The level of awareness containing thoughts and memories that are not currently in conscious awareness but can easily be retrieved.
Example:
You might not be thinking about what you had for breakfast right now, but that memory is in your preconscious and can be easily recalled.
Projection
A defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to others.
Example:
Someone who is secretly jealous of a friend's success might accuse the friend of being jealous of them, demonstrating projection.
Psychoanalytic theories
A set of psychological theories that emphasize the profound influence of the unconscious mind on personality, often stemming from early childhood experiences.
Example:
When analyzing a patient's recurring dreams, a therapist might use psychoanalytic theories to interpret hidden meanings and unresolved conflicts.
Psychosexual stages
Freud's theory that personality develops through a series of stages, each focused on a different erogenous zone, and fixation at any stage can impact adult personality.
Example:
According to Freud, an adult's excessive need for control might be traced back to a psychosexual stage related to toilet training.
Rationalization
A defense mechanism that involves creating self-justifying explanations for unacceptable behavior or feelings.
Example:
After failing a test, a student might use rationalization by saying the test was unfair or the teacher didn't teach the material well.
Reaction Formation
A defense mechanism where an individual expresses the opposite of their true, unacceptable feelings or impulses.
Example:
A person who secretly dislikes their coworker but is overly friendly and complimentary towards them is using reaction formation.
Reality principle
The guiding force of the ego, which seeks to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways, often by delaying gratification.
Example:
Instead of yelling at your boss, your reality principle helps you calmly express your concerns in a professional manner.
Regression
A defense mechanism where an individual reverts to immature behaviors from an earlier stage of development when faced with stress.
Example:
An adult throwing a temper tantrum when they don't get their way is an example of regression.
Repression
A defense mechanism that involves blocking anxiety-provoking thoughts, feelings, and memories from conscious awareness.
Example:
Someone who experienced a traumatic event in childhood but has no memory of it might be using repression.
Sigmund Freud
An Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who proposed theories about the unconscious mind, psychosexual development, and defense mechanisms.
Example:
Sigmund Freud's work laid the foundation for understanding how early childhood experiences might shape adult personality.
Sublimation
A defense mechanism that involves channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable and often productive activities.
Example:
An individual with strong aggressive urges might channel them into a career as a competitive athlete or a surgeon, using sublimation.
Superego
The moral part of the personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and future aspirations.
Example:
Your superego is the part of you that feels guilty after telling a lie, even if no one else finds out.
Superiority Complex
Adler's concept where individuals mask their fears of being inferior by acting overly confident, arrogant, or dominant.
Example:
A person who constantly boasts about their accomplishments and belittles others might be exhibiting a superiority complex to hide their own insecurities.
Unconscious
A reservoir of unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and memories that are often repressed and outside of conscious awareness, yet still influence behavior.
Example:
Even though Sarah couldn't remember the traumatic event, her therapist suggested her recurring nightmares were a manifestation of her unconscious mind trying to process it.