Neutralization of negative information according to Freud. Fundamentals of Freud's theory. Resistance Recycling Process

Sigmund Freud's personality theory

Introduction

1. Personality as a trinity

2. On the verge of an internal explosion

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Sigmund Freud was born in 1856. He is a renowned Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. From simple psychiatry, he, studying the neuroses of patients, evolved to a complex psychoanalysis of society and culture. Freud went through a very complex and contradictory path in his worldview development.

In the second half of the 19th century, when psychology stood out as a separate science, its main goal was to reveal the basic elements of the human psyche by introspection in the laboratory. Wundt's first laboratory at that time worked in this direction. Therefore, the emergence of a radically different approach to the study of people caused a stunning effect. The theory of personality developed by the young Viennese doctor Z. Freud presented a person not as a rational being and aware of his behavior, but as a being in eternal conflict, the origins of which lie in another, wider area of ​​the mental - in the unconscious.

Freud was the first to characterize the psyche as a battlefield between irreconcilable instincts, reason and consciousness. His psychoanalytic theory exemplifies the psychodynamic approach. The concept of dynamics in his theory implies that human behavior is completely determined, and unconscious mental processes are of great importance in the regulation of human behavior.

As Freud's fame grew, so did the number of critical works directed against his views. In 1933, the Nazis burned his books in Berlin. After the capture of Austria by the Germans, Freud's position becomes dangerous, he is persecuted. Foreign psychoanalytic societies collect a significant amount of money and actually buy Freud from the Germans, who give him permission to leave for England. However, his illness progresses, no operations and medicines help, and in 1939 he dies, leaving behind the world he created, already completely open to interpretation and criticism.

Personality as a trinity

Freud believed that the psyche consists of three layers - the conscious (“Super-I”), the preconscious (“I”) and the unconscious (“It”), in which the main structures of the personality are located. At the same time, the content of the unconscious, according to Freud, is not accessible to awareness under almost any conditions. The contents of the preconscious layer can be realized by a person, although this requires considerable effort from him. In the unconscious layer there is one of the personality structures - “It”, which is actually the energy basis of the personality. “It” - the unconscious (deep instinctive, mostly sexual and aggressive urges), plays the main role that determines the behavior and state of a person. The “It” contains innate unconscious instincts that strive for their satisfaction, for relaxation and thus determine the activity of the subject. Freud believed that there are two basic innate unconscious instincts - the instinct of life and the instinct of death, which are in antagonistic relationship with each other creating the basis for a fundamental, biological internal conflict. The unconsciousness of this conflict is connected not only with the fact that the struggle between instincts usually occurs in the unconscious layer, but also with the fact that human behavior is usually caused by the simultaneous action of both of these forces.

From Freud's point of view, instincts are channels through which energy passes, shaping our activity. Libido, about which Freud himself and his students wrote so much, is that specific energy that is associated with the life instinct. For the energy associated with the instinct of death and aggression, Freud did not give his own name, but constantly talked about its existence. He also believed that the content of the unconscious is constantly expanding, since those aspirations and desires that a person could not realize in his activity for one reason or another are forced out by him into the unconscious, filling its content.

The second structure of personality - "I", according to Freud, is also innate and is located both in the conscious layer and in the preconscious. In this way we can always become aware of our Self, although this may not be an easy task for us. If the content of “It” expands, then the content of “I”, on the contrary, narrows, since, according to Freud, a child is born with an “oceanic feeling of I”, including the whole world around. Over time, he begins to realize the boundary between himself and the world around him, begins to localize his “I” to his body, thus narrowing the volume of the “I”.

The third personality structure - "Super-I" is not innate, it is formed in the process of a child's life. The mechanism of its formation is identification with a close adult of the same sex, whose traits and qualities become the content of the “Super-I”. In the process of identification, children also form the Oedipus complex (in boys) or the Electra complex (in girls), that is, a complex of ambivalent feelings that the child experiences towards the object of identification.

On the brink of an internal explosion

Freud emphasized that there is an unstable balance between these three personality structures, since not only their content, but also the directions of their development are opposite to each other. The instincts contained in “It” strive for their satisfaction, dictating to a person such desires that are practically not feasible in any society. The “Super-I”, which includes the conscience, self-observation and ideals of a person, warns him about the impossibility of fulfilling these desires and stands guard over the observance of the norms accepted in this society. Thus, the “I” becomes, as it were, an arena for the struggle of contradictory tendencies that are dictated by the “It” and the “Super-I”. Such a state of internal conflict, in which a person is constantly located, makes him a potential neurotic. Therefore, Freud constantly emphasized that there is no clear line between the norm and pathology, and the constant stress experienced by people makes them potential neurotics. The ability to maintain one's mental health depends on psychological defense mechanisms that help a person, if not to prevent (since this is actually not possible), then at least to mitigate the conflict between "It" and "Super-I".

Protective mechanisms - internal fuse. Freud identified several defense mechanisms, the main of which are repression or (compensation for the absence or weakness of any physical or mental qualities), regression (return to past stages of development), rationalization (justification of subconscious urges), identification of oneself with another person who has that a quality that the subject lacks, projection (attributing one's desires, fears, fears to others) and sublimation (switching energy). Repression is the most inefficient mechanism, since in this case the energy flowing through instinctive channels is not realized in activity, but remains in a person, causing an increase in tension. Desire is forced into the unconscious, a person completely forgets about it, but the remaining tension, penetrating through the unconscious, makes itself felt in the form of symbols that fill our dreams, in the form of errors, slips of the tongue, reservations. At the same time, the symbol, according to Freud, is not a direct reflection of the repressed desire, but its transformation. Therefore, he attached such importance to the “psychopathology of everyday life”, that is, the interpretation of such phenomena as mistakes and dreams of a person, his associations. Freud's attitude to symbolism was one of the reasons for his disagreement with Jung, who believed that there is a direct and intimate connection between the symbol and human aspiration and objected to the interpretations invented by Freud.

Regression and rationalization are more successful types of protection, since they allow at least a partial discharge of the energy contained in human desires. At the same time, regression is a more primitive way of realizing aspirations and getting out of a conflict situation. A person may start biting nails, ruining things, chewing gum or tobacco, believing in good or evil spirits, seeking risky situations, etc., and many of these regressions are so generally accepted that they are not even perceived as such. Rationalization is associated with the desire of the "Super-I" to somehow control the situation, giving it a respectable appearance. Therefore, a person, not realizing the real motives of his behavior, covers them up and explains them with invented, but morally acceptable motives.

During projection, a person attributes to others those desires and feelings that he himself experiences. In the event that the subject to whom a feeling was attributed confirms the projection made by his behavior, this defense mechanism operates quite successfully, since a person can recognize these feelings as real, valid, but external to him and not be afraid of them. .

However, the most effective mechanism is what Freud called sublimation. This mechanism helps to direct the energy that is associated with sexual or aggressive desires in a different direction, to realize it, in particular, in artistic activity. The mechanism of sublimation is treated as the main source of creativity. In principle, Freud considered culture to be a product of sublimation, and from this point of view he considered works of art, scientific discoveries. This activity is the most successful because in it there is a complete realization of the accumulated energy, catharsis or purification of a person from it.

Conclusion

In general, in the opinion of some laymen, Freud's theory needs many amendments (it is not indisputable), but still Sigmund Freud made a big step in assessing and understanding the development of human society. Having created a theory of personality, he also advanced in the knowledge of the human psyche and the disclosure of its depths. By now, this theory has been improved. She found many successors. Many modern psychoanalysts actively use Freud's work in their research. In my work, I tried to reveal the main elements of personality development, according to Freud's theory. I have not touched on many issues, and many are very controversial, so my subjective opinion is only a drop in the sea of ​​questions and works devoted to Freudianism.

The great minds of our planet have been studying the structure of the human personality for many decades. But there are many different questions that scientists are unable to answer. Why does a person have dreams and what information do they carry? Why can the events of past years cause a certain emotional state and provoke rash actions? Why does a person try to save a hopeless marriage and does not let his half go? In order to answer questions from the topic concerning psychic reality, the technique of psychoanalysis is used. Freud's psychoanalytic theory is the main topic of this article.

The founder of psychoanalysis is Sigmund Freud

Briefly about creating a method

The theory of psychoanalysis has made a real revolution in the field of psychology. This method was created and put into operation by the great scientist from Austria, doctor of psychiatry Sigmund Freud. Early in his career, Freud worked closely with many eminent scientists. Professor of physiology Ernst Brucke, founder of the cathartic method of psychotherapy Joseph Breuer, founder of the theory of the psychogenic nature of hysteria Jean-Mare Charcot - only a small part of the historical figures with whom Sigmund Freud worked together. According to Freud himself, the original basis of his method was born precisely at the moment of cooperation with the above people.

Being engaged in scientific activity, Freud came to the conclusion that some clinical manifestations of hysteria cannot be interpreted from the point of view of physiology. How to explain the fact that one part of the human body completely loses sensitivity, while neighboring areas still feel the influence of various stimuli? How to explain the behavior of people in a state of hypnosis? According to the scientist himself, the above questions are a kind of proof of the fact that only a part of mental processes is a manifestation of the reactions of the central nervous system.

Many of the people have heard that a person immersed in a hypnotic state can be given a psychological setting, which he will definitely fulfill. Quite interesting is the fact that if you ask such a person about the motives of his actions, he can easily find arguments explaining his behavior. Based on this fact, it can be said that the human consciousness independently selects arguments for committed actions, even in the case when there is no particular need for explanations.

During the life of Sigmund Freud, the fact that human behavior can depend on external factors and secret motives for consciousness was a real shock. It should be noted that it was Freud who introduced such concepts as "unconsciousness" and "subconsciousness". The observations of this outstanding scientist made it possible to create a theory about psychoanalysis. Briefly, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis can be described as an analysis of the human psyche in terms of the forces that move it. The term "power" should be understood as the motives, consequences and influence on the future fate, past life experience.

Freud was the first person who, using the method of psychoanalysis, was able to cure a patient with a semi-paralyzed body.

What is the basis of psychoanalysis

According to Freud, the mental nature of man is continuous and consistent.. The appearance of any thought, desires and actions performed have their own reasons, which are characterized by unconscious or conscious motives. Thus, all committed actions have a direct reflection in the future of the individual.

Even in those situations where emotional experiences seem unfounded, there is a hidden connection between various events in human life.

Based on the above facts, Freud came to the conclusion that the human psyche consists of three different areas:

• consciousness;
• the unconscious realm;
• preconscious section.

The unconscious realm includes the basic instincts, which are an integral part of human nature. Ideas and emotions that are repressed from consciousness can also be attributed to this area. The reason for their repression may be the perception of such thoughts as forbidden, dirty and unworthy of existence. The unconscious realm has no time frame. In order to explain this fact, it should be said that childhood experiences that have entered the consciousness of an adult are perceived as intensely as they were for the first time.

The preconscious area includes a part of the unconscious area, which in certain life situations becomes available to consciousness. The area of ​​consciousness contains everything that is realized by a person throughout his life. According to Freud's idea, the human psyche is driven by instincts and incentives that make the individual perform various actions. Among all instincts, 2 stimuli should be distinguished that have a dominant role:

1. Vital energy- libido.
2. Aggressive Energy- death instinct.

The classical psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud is directed mainly to the study of libido, the basis of which is the sexual nature. Libido is a vital energy that is closely related to the behavior, experiences and emotions of a person. In addition, the characteristics of this energy can be interpreted as the cause of the development of a mental disorder.

The human personality contains three components:

1. "Super-I"- Superego;
2. "I"– Ego;
3. "It"– Id.

“It” is inherent in every person from birth. This structure includes basic instincts and heredity. It cannot be described logically, because "It" is characterized as disorganized and chaotic. It is important to note that "It" has a limitless effect on the ego and superego.

The topical model of the mental apparatus consists of 2 components: conscious and unconscious

"I" is one of the structures of the human personality, which is in close contact with the surrounding people."I" comes from "It" and appears at the moment when the child begins to perceive himself as a person. "It" is a kind of nourishment for "I", and "I" acts as a protective shell of basic instincts. In order to better understand the relationship between

'It' and 'I' should consider the example of sexual needs. "It" is the basic instinct, that is, the need for sexual contact. "I" determines under what conditions and when this contact will be realized. This means that "I" has the ability to restrain and control "It", which is the key to internal psycho-emotional balance.

The "Super-I" originates in the "I" and is a kind of base where moral laws and rules are stored that limit the personality and prohibit certain actions. According to Freud, the task of the "Super-I" includes building ideals, self-observation and conscience.

All of the above structures have an important role in the development of the human personality. They maintain a delicate balance between the danger associated with displeasure and the desire that leads to satisfaction.

The energy originating in "It" is reflected in "It". The task of the "Super-I" is to determine the boundaries of the action of this energy. It should be noted that the requirements of external reality may differ from the requirements of the "Super-I" and "It". This contradiction is the cause of the development of internal conflicts. To resolve such conflicts, the following methods are used:

• compensation;
• sublimation;
• protective mechanisms.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that dreams are a recreation of human desires that cannot be realized in reality. Recurring dreams clearly indicate the presence of unrealized stimuli. Unrealized incentives interfere with self-expression and psychological growth.

Sublimation is a mechanism for redirecting sexual energy to those goals that are approved in society. These goals include intellectual, social and creative activities. Sublimation is one of the protective mechanisms of the human psyche, and the energy created by it is the basis of civilization.

Anxiety caused by unsatisfied desires can be neutralized by direct appeal to the internal conflict. Since internal energy is unable to find a way out, it is necessary to redirect it to overcome existing obstacles. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the impact that these barriers can provide and compensate for unsatisfied incentives. An example of such compensation is perfect hearing, in people with visual impairments.

According to Freud, the human psyche is limitless.

Freud suggested that we are all driven by the pleasure principle.

A person suffering from a lack of certain skills, and who wants to succeed, can achieve his goal through assertiveness and unsurpassed performance. But there are examples when the resulting voltage can be distorted due to the work of special protective mechanisms. These mechanisms include:

• insulation;
• suppression;
• hypercompensation;
• negation;
• projection;
• regression.

An example of how these defense mechanisms work should be seen in situations with unrequited love. The suppression of these feelings can be expressed by the phrase "I don't remember this feeling", the mechanism of rejection is expressed as "There is no love, and there was not", and isolation can be described as "I do not need love."

Summarizing

Freud's theory of psychoanalysis was briefly and clearly presented in this article. Summing up, we can say that this method is one of the attempts to understand those features of the human psyche that were previously incomprehensible. In the modern world, the term "psychoanalysis" is used in the following areas:

1. As the name of a scientific discipline.
2. The collective name of the complex of events devoted to the study of the work of the psyche.
3. As a method of treatment of neurotic disorders.

Many modern scientists often criticize the theory of Sigmund Freud. However, today, those concepts that were put into circulation by this scientist are a kind of base for the science of psychology.

He explored the human mind more thoroughly than all his predecessors. His contribution to scientific psychology is invaluable: Freud's theory was the greatest discovery of its time. In addition, we use many of the terms introduced by this scientist in our daily life today: libido, denial, suppression, "Freudian slip."

He is called the father of psychoanalysis. His works are read and quoted, he is praised, but at the same time severely criticized to this day. Truly, Sigmund Freud is one of the most controversial personalities in world science.

How it all began: the case of Anna O.

Freud's psychoanalytic theory was born at the end of the 19th century. Of no small importance for its formation was one particular case.

Dr. Freud was approached by a young woman, Bertha Pappenheim. The patient complained about the appearance of symptoms of an unknown disease, which appeared and then disappeared. From time to time, Berta experienced terrible migraines, her hands went numb and seemed to take away her hands, there were problems with her eyesight, and sometimes it seemed to her that the walls were about to collapse right on her head. There was no apparent physical reason for everything that was happening.

Freud's teacher, Dr. Breuer, took over the treatment of this patient. He helped the girl remember and seem to relive some of the traumatic events of her life. In the course of such therapy, certain successes were noted, and Dr. Breuer referred Bertha to his colleague and student, Sigmund Freud. This case history was subsequently included in the book "A Study in Hysteria", which was published in 1895. For ethical reasons, the patient's real name was changed to a pseudonym - Anna O.

This is how the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud was born.

What is hysteria

Bertha Pappenheim was diagnosed with hysteria. All the symptoms that tormented her were the result not of a disease of the body, but of an alarming state of mind. The young woman experienced very hard changes in her relationship with her father, and then his death, and Freud concluded that all painful thoughts were reflected in her bodily condition.

However, a scientist would not be a scientist if everything ended on the description of one story “popular” in those days of illness. Freud went further and, based on several clinical cases, concluded that the human psyche exists on several levels. This is how Freud's theory of personality arose.

Iceberg of psychic reality

Freud called his first model of personality "topographic". He presented the human psyche in the form of an iceberg, only a small part of the area of ​​which is on the surface, while the base is securely hidden from prying eyes. The tip of this iceberg is consciousness, that is, what a person can subjectively perceive as the reality of the external world. The subconscious mind is a large part of the psyche, containing primitive desires and impulses.

Freud believed that some events or desires are too frightening, painful for people. And then, against their will, a person forgets about them. Thoughts about them are forced out of consciousness and sink deep, closer to the base of the "iceberg". This is how Freud's "Theory of the Unconscious" is formulated in general terms.

The scientist suggested that the repressed has a greater impact on a person's life than he can imagine. As in the case of Bertha Pappenheim, it is possible for certain physical symptoms to appear without a cause. And then a person can be helped in only one way - to make the unconscious conscious.

"Three whales of the human psyche"

Freud's personality theory has been modernized over time. In 1923, he proposed a structural model of the psyche based on the ideas of the "Id", "Ego" and "Super-Ego". These are not any specific areas of the brain or psyche, but rather hypothetical formations corresponding to important mental functions.

Thus, the "Id" is completely unconscious. It is formed by two opposite drives, Eros and Thanatos. The first of these instincts is the instinct of love. It helps a person to survive by supporting the basic functions of life, such as food, breathing, sex. The energy created by Eros is called libido.

Thanatos is the death instinct. Freud's psychological theory considers it as a set of destructive forces inherent in all human beings. When this energy is directed outward to other people, it takes the form of aggression and violence. Sigmund Freud believed that Eros is still stronger than Thanatos, and only thanks to this can a person survive, and not destroy himself.

The ego develops from the id during infancy. This structure of the psyche can be attributed to the conscious, it personifies the personality of a person. "Id" is sometimes compared to a capricious child with many conflicting desires. And this child is used to demanding their fulfillment. The purpose of the "Ego" is to satisfy all the needs of the "Id" in a safe and socially acceptable way.

The superego also develops in childhood. It occurs when the child begins to identify with the parent of the same gender. The "super-ego" is sometimes called conscience, as it is responsible for a person's observance of moral principles. It motivates us to socially approved behavior. And if it doesn't, the Super Ego makes us feel guilty.

Thus, Freud's theory of personality states that the human psyche is controlled by the trinity described above: "Id", "Ego" and "Super-Ego".

Defense mechanisms

Sometimes the "Ego" for some reason cannot satisfy the age-old dispute between the "Id" and the "Super-Ego". A state of deep anxiety arises, which can be overcome only with the help of the so-called psychological defense mechanisms.

Freud's theory of psychoanalysis says that a person seeks to defend himself from those feelings and thoughts that become unbearable for his consciousness. All psychological defense mechanisms can be divided into pathological, neurotic, immature and mature. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

Pathological mechanisms sometimes manifest themselves in dreams and altered states of consciousness. But they are also present in real life, while others perceive the person who manifests them as crazy. Examples of such defenses are delusional projections and distortions, when someone perceives reality not as it is. In addition, denial is also a pathological mechanism: when a person does not want to admit that certain events in his life did happen.

Immature psychological defenses are characteristic of adolescents. They manifest themselves in the departure from the difficult objective reality into their own fictional world. For example, a person can idealize another, realizing deep down that in reality he is not so good. The immature defense mechanism is projection. This is an attribution to another person of one's feelings, thoughts, experiences. Freud's theory, by the way, became the first psychological doctrine in which the projection mechanism was revealed.

Neurotic defense mechanisms are recognized by psychologists as effective, but only for a short time. In the future, they seem to become a habit and bring only trouble to a person. Examples are the mechanisms of regression, displacement, intellectualization. What it is? Regression brings a person to an earlier level of development, and he reacts to any problems in the way he behaved in childhood. Displacement occurs when aggression moves from one object to another, more accessible one. For example, a woman may be angry with her husband, but yell at a child. With the help of intellectualization, a person tries to replace his own unwanted thoughts or emotions with others, those that he considers more acceptable.

Mature psychological defenses are called so because they are used by adults, mature personalities. These mechanisms help a person integrate conflicting emotions and thoughts while remaining virtuous in the eyes of others. Mature psychological defenses include humor, altruism, identification, sublimation, and some others.

Altruism is selfless service to others, from which the person himself receives moral satisfaction. Humor allows you to express your true thoughts, but at the same time veil them, translate them into a joke. Identification is an imitation of another person, accepting him as a true standard. Sublimation deserves special attention.

Sublimation according to Freud

The father of psychoanalysis believed that this psychological defense mechanism contributed to the emergence of many works of art. As mentioned above, sublimation belongs to the category of mature psychological defenses.

What is the concept of sublimation? Freud's psychoanalytic theory interprets it as follows. Sometimes a person consciously transforms impulses that are not approved by society into something that humanity considers beautiful. That is, some energy of the libido, which cannot find a way out in the state in which it exists, is directed by the person himself in a different direction. For example, a man who passionately desires someone else's wife, but does not allow himself any encroachments in her direction, can begin to write beautiful poems from this love longing.

Freud believed that our society can be considered developed and mature only because it has sublimation as a psychological defense mechanism. The scientist himself paid great attention to the concept of the influence of culture on society, as well as the development of the latter. But he did not disregard the development of personality.

Freud's theory of development

Freud lived in a society that encouraged its members to suppress their own sexual instincts. In many cases, neuroses have resulted from this. Dr. Freud examined the medical histories of his neurotic patients, and studied aspects of their personal lives. As a result, he came to the conclusion that mental illness is not a consequence of sexual experience as such, but of the feelings that he brought with him: hatred, shame, guilt, fear.

This understanding led to the fact that Freud's theory was enriched by the most controversial concept perceived in our time - the stages of psychosexual development.

What is psychosexuality?

Freud believed that the baby is endowed with sexuality from birth. For the first half of the 20th century, such a statement was unheard of audacity, and it was one of the reasons why Freud's psychoanalytic theory was criticized by the great minds of the time.

But let us return to the doctrine of psychosexuality. Freud argued that the mental development of a person is associated with the passage of certain stages, at each of which the child receives satisfaction from a new object or phenomenon. Scientists have identified 5 such phases: oral, anal, phallic, latent and genital.

From birth, the baby's libido is directed to the mother's breast, he gets pleasure from sucking milk. Freud called this stage of psychosexual development oral. Then the child begins to walk, he is taught to the potty. When everything starts to work out for him, his mother praises him, and the baby is happy. This is the anal stage of development. When a child begins to communicate more with other children of both sexes, to compare himself with them, the phallic phase of development begins. At this time, the baby also tries to explore his body as best as possible. Then interest in sexuality fades a little, a latent phase of development begins. And with puberty comes the genital phase.

Freud's theory of the stages of psychosexual development was cutting edge for its time. However, now it has been adopted not only by psychologists, but also by sexologists, and even andrologists and sexopathologists.

Freud's theory of motivation

Interestingly, the concept of motivation in psychology is based precisely on the idea of ​​Sigmund Freud about this phenomenon. It was this scientist who was one of the first to reject the Christian vision of morality, kindness and mercy as the driving forces of human behavior. He named three main motives that are significant for any representative of the human race: sensuality, anxiety and aggression. It is they who "live" inside the "Id".

As we already know, according to the ideas of psychoanalysts, the inner reality of a person is in a state of constant conflict between the "Id" and the "Super-Ego", and the "Ego" acts as an arbiter of this fight. That is why the motives of a person's behavior are often very contradictory. Sometimes the “Super-Ego” prevails - and a person commits highly moral acts, and from time to time the “Ego” is unable to restrain the “Id”, and then secret dark desires break out that were previously hidden deep in the unconscious.

The Significance of Dr. Freud's Theories for Psychological Science

So bold and interesting were the main theories of Freud, proposed by him at the beginning of the last century. However, they do not lose their relevance to this day.

It was thanks to Dr. Freud that researchers of the human soul finally began to pay due attention to the experiences that a person experienced in childhood. It is thanks to Freud that today we know about the existence of the unconscious and understand how significant it is for our psychology. And it was thanks to this scientist that we discovered the mechanisms of psychological defenses that help us cope with the difficulties of everyday life.

However, even now psychoanalysis is constantly criticized by psychologists themselves and by people who have nothing to do with this science. Both the doctrine itself and the personality of its founder are affected. However, no matter how ambiguous Freud's theory may seem, psychology without it would hardly be psychology.

Based on two key premises. The first premise - genetic - is that the experiences that a child experiences in childhood have a huge impact on adulthood. The essence of the second premise is that a person initially has a certain amount of sexual energy - libido. It is the libido that during the development of a person goes through several stages, representing a close relationship between instincts, psychology and sexual activity.

The hypothesis of four is called "Freud's Theory of Personality" and is of great scientific and practical interest to psychologists and doctors. According to Freud, development takes place over 4 stages, each of which is discussed below.

Stage 1. Oral phase.

An infant is in the oral phase between the ages of birth and one year. During this period, the child is completely dependent on the mother, and feeding is the main source of pleasure. Freud emphasizes that in this phase the child has only one desire - the absorption of food, and therefore the main erogenous zone is the mouth, because it is a means of nutrition and initial examination of surrounding objects.

Stage 2. Anal phase.

The next stage of personality development is anal, which in duration includes the age of the child from 12-18 months to the third year of life. Freud's theory of personality states that during this period the child begins to learn to control the physiological functions of his body. At this time, the libido is concentrated around the anus, which is now the object of the child's attention.

Children's sexuality now finds its satisfaction in having control over the functions of its body (primarily, over defecation and excretion). It is important to note that, according to Freud, it is during this period that the child encounters the first prohibitions. The outside world is now a high barrier for him. Development at this stage acquires the character of a conflict.

Stage 3. Phallic phase.

The new one manifests itself in a child aged three to six years. Now the libido is concentrated in the genital area. At this stage, children begin to understand and realize sexual differences. The child notices either the presence of a penis, or the absence of one.

According to Freud, at this stage the child already feels pleasure from the stimulation of the genitals, but such arousal is associated with the close presence of the parents.

Stage 4. Latent period.

This period is characterized by the concession of sexual manifestations to curiosity, which is associated with the diversity of the world around the child. The period of the latent period coincides with the age of 5-12 years. Sexual activity during this period is reduced, libido is unstable, the child tries to identify his own "I".

Freud's theory of personality indicates that sexual impulses during this period are repressed by ideals of aesthetics, as well as morality, shame and disgust. At this age, personality development occurs in a combination of biological processes, as well as under the influence of culture and education.

Stage 5. Genital phase.

The transition to the last phase of personality development is accompanied by a transition of the concentration of excitement and satisfaction to the genital area. Genital masturbation in this period is of key importance in satisfying sexual needs.

In conclusion, we note that Freud's theory of personality served as the basis for formulating the foundations of the genesis of the psyche of children: child development corresponds in stages to the movement of libido zones.

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"A brief overview of the theory of Sigmund Freud"

Introduction

Psychological knowledge is as ancient as man himself. He could not exist without being guided by the motives of behavior and the properties of the character of his neighbors.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in questions of human behavior and the search for the meaning of human existence. Managers are learning how to work with subordinates, parents are taking parenting classes, spouses are learning how to communicate with each other and “fight smartly”, teachers are learning how to help their students and students of other educational institutions cope with emotional excitement and confusion.

Along with an interest in material wealth and business, many people seek to help themselves and understand what it means to be human. They strive to understand their behavior, develop faith in themselves, their strengths. To realize the unconscious sides of the personality, to focus, first of all, on what is happening to them at the present time.

When psychologists turn to the study of personality, perhaps the first thing they encounter is the variety of properties and their manifestations in its behavior. Interests and motives, inclinations and abilities, character and temperament, ideals, value orientations, volitional, emotional and intellectual characteristics, the ratio of the conscious and the unconscious (subconscious) and much more - this is a far from complete list of characteristics that we have to deal with if we try to draw a psychological portrait of a person.

Possessing a variety of properties, the personality at the same time represents a single whole. Two interrelated tasks follow from this: firstly, to understand the whole set of personality properties as a system, highlighting in it what is commonly called a system-forming factor (or property), and, secondly, to reveal the objective foundations of this system.

The psychoanalytic theory of personality developed by Z. Freud, which is very popular in Western countries, can be attributed to the type of psychodynamic, non-experimental, covering the whole life of a person and using to describe him as a person, the internal psychological properties of the individual, primarily his needs and motives. He believed that only an insignificant part of what actually happens in a person’s soul and characterizes him as a person is actually realized by him.

Psychoanalytic personality theory according to Freud

1. Psychoanalytic theory of Z. Freud

freud mental genesis personality

One of the leading theories of psychoanalysis, or as it is also called, depth psychology, is the theory of Sigmund Freud. Freud is born May 6, 1856 After receiving a medical education, he later opened his own clinic and founded a community of psychoanalysts.

No direction has gained such prominence outside of psychology as Freudianism. This is due to the influence of his ideas in Western countries on art, literature, medicine, anthropology and other areas of science related to man.

Freud opposed traditional psychology with its introspective analysis of consciousness. The main problem of psychoanalysis was the problem of motivation. Just as the image and action are realities that perform vital functions in the system of relations between the individual and the world, and not within a reflective consciousness closed in itself, one of the main psychological realities is the motive.

Analyzing conversations with his colleagues and his own medical experience, Freud came up with the following formula: mental patients suffer from And knowledge . Freud pointed out an important feature of memories that can cause disturbances - they were all affective, i.e. associated with intense emotional experiences. Freud told the sick that they should say aloud the memory that would come to their mind when he put his hand on their head. After conducting several experiments, Freud found that unpleasant memories are still stored in a person’s memory, but there is some kind of force that prevents them from being reproduced. That power - resistance sick.

On the idea of ​​resistance, Freud built his understanding of mental disorders. He believed that the most important condition for therapy is the destruction of this resistance. Those forces that at one time moved memories from consciousness to the unconscious Freud called repression. Thus, Freud believed that an unconscious desire continues to live in the unconscious, which is reflected in consciousness as a symptom of some mental disorder.

Thus, Freud moved on to a purely psychological theory of mental disorders.

He wrote what if there are two such special and different about states, then there must be two special aspects of the personality that give rise to this state . Thus, Freud came to the discovery of the two most important aspects of the personality, which influenced his entire theory - the conscious and the unconscious. At the same time, he unquestioningly carried out the commands given to the patient in a state of hypnosis in consciousness, from which it follows that the unconscious plays a dominant role and subjugates consciousness. The underestimation of consciousness is still the main reason for criticism of Freud's theory.

According to Freud, the beginning and basis of human mental life are instincts, drives and desires, originally inherent in the human body. He singled out 2 basic instincts that drive a person throughout his life. The first is thanatos, or passion for death and destruction, the second is libido - sexual desire and attraction.

The unity and struggle of Libido and Thanatos not only determine the finiteness of the individual's existence, but also very significantly determine the activities of various social groups, peoples and states.

Freud offers a structural model of the psyche, in which he defines its components. According to him, the psyche consists of three layers.

The first one iseid is the central part of the personality. Freud believed that the id contains everything unique that is at birth. In addition, the basis of the Id are the instincts mentioned above, which find psychic expression in it. According to Freud, only the Id is the source of the individual's vital energy and at the same time the Id is entirely unconscious.

The id retains its meaning for the individual throughout life, while being unchanged. It is primitive and knows no limits. Thus, the id is the most ancient part of the psyche, and expresses the primary principle of biological life - produced by biologically determined aggressive and sexual urges.

Everyone strives for immediate discharge, which Freud called principle of nirvana .

When the instincts and desires of the id do not find direct and immediate satisfaction, they remain in the unconscious, but retain their strength and are expressed in consciousness in the form of erroneous actions and mental disorders.

The next structural part of the psyche is the EGO. Ego means "I" in Latin. That is, the Ego is that part of the psyche that we call consciousness. The ego decides and controls activities. Desires and instincts that originate in the Id enter the Ego and are realized taking into account the restrictions imposed by the external world.

The main function of the Ego is the accumulation of life experience, the sorting out of positive and negative stimuli coming from the external and internal environment and the restructuring of the surrounding reality for the needs of the individual. The ego ensures the security and self-preservation of the individual.

the foundation of the ego is reality principle . The goal of the Ego is to preserve the mental and physical health of the individual by delaying the satisfaction of instincts until the moment when conditions are favorable and consistent with the morality of society to achieve relaxation.

The reality principle restrains instinctive urges and does not allow them to be realized immediately. Gradually, the Ego nevertheless gives an outlet for rough energy, but within the framework of social norms and restrictions, as well as the conscience of the individual. An example is sublimation, that is, the transfer of sexual energy into a creative channel. The mechanism of sublimation is more often realized in adolescence, but it also finds its application in adults. Another option for acceptable discharge is dreams, to which Freud also gave a large role. In dreams, the restriction of censorship is partially removed, and a person can see some kind of realization of his unconscious desires. Exploring the dreams of his patients, Freud drew attention to the fact that a significant part of them reported to him with indignation and indignation about dreams, the main motive of which was sexual intercourse with the mother (incest). Seeing a certain tendency in this, Freud comes to the conclusion that the first social impulse of a person is directed to the mother, while the first violent desire and hatred are directed to the father.

And finally, the third component in the structure of the psyche issuper ego. In Latin, Super is above, that is, it is above the self, which realizes itself as a social part of the personality, allowing a person to function effectively in society. The super-ego is made up of ethical norms, value systems and restrictions imposed on the individual by his environment in the natural process of socialization.

In the structure of the psyche, the Super-Ego appears last. For the most part, the superego exists unconsciously and is the result of a mental reflection of social norms and standards of behavior. The super-ego is most dependent on the experience of a person, on his interaction with people who form his personality.

The super-ego begins to influence the individual's behavior when the child begins to understand the concepts of "good", "bad", "right" and "wrong" when that side of the personality that we call morality is formed. On average, this happens by 3-4 years.

If in childhood the main source of the Super-Ego is the control of parents, then by adulthood in a full-fledged personality it is replaced by self-control.

A special place in the theory is occupied by the method of free associations. Their analysis of patients' free associations led 3. Freud to the conclusion that the diseases of the adult personality are reduced to childhood experiences. Children's experiences, according to 3. Freud, are of a sexual nature. This is a feeling of love and hatred for a father or mother, jealousy for a brother or sister, etc. In his theory, Freud called this the Oedipus complex in boys, and the Electra complex in girls. He believed that this experience has an unconscious influence on the subsequent behavior of an adult, and also plays a decisive role in the development of personality.

Stages of development.

Freud distinguishes several stages - the stages of mental genesis during a person's life.

oral stage. It begins with the birth of a child and lasts up to about 1.5 years. During this period, the survival of the infant depends entirely on who cares for him. The only way for a child to survive is addiction. And one of the natural needs of the child is food, so the oral stage is characterized by the fact that the main source of pleasure, and, consequently, potential frustration, is focused on the zone of activity associated with feeding. The oral stage is characterized by two consecutive actions of sucking and biting. The leading erogenous area at this stage is the mouth, the instrument of nutrition, sucking and primary examination of objects. It is the mouth, its mucous membrane, lips, tongue, and later gums and teeth, that are the center of the individual's activity. Children enjoy not only because they satisfy the need for food, but also because the food instinct at this age is closely connected with the sexual instinct. They are a continuation of each other and cannot exist separately.

During the oral period, the basic attitudes of the personality are formed regarding dependence, independence, trust - distrust, support in relations with people. At the oral stage of fixing the libido in a person, some personality traits are formed: insatiability, greed, exactingness, dissatisfaction with everything offered. Already at the oral stage, according to his ideas, people are divided into optimists and pessimists.

The oral stage of development stops along with the cessation of breastfeeding (or its substitute). This is a critical moment associated with the disappearance of the source of sexual satisfaction. The stronger the difficulties associated with weaning, the stronger the fixation at the oral stage of development.

anal stage. This stage of development corresponds to the period when the child learns to control the process of defecation and urination, i.e. are toilet trained. Thus, having no other way of obtaining pleasure, the child finds another place on the body through which he can receive sexual pleasure completely independently of others. This stage takes place in the period 1-3 years of life. Here the child meets with many prohibitions, so the outside world appears to him as a barrier that he must overcome. In relation to the behavior of the child at this stage, we can say that the instance of the "I" is fully formed, and now it is able to control the impulses of the "It". Thus, the "Super-I" of the child begins to form as part of his "I", where the authorities, the influence of parents and adults, who play a very important role as educators in the life of the child, are mainly laid down. If adults are too demanding, children may refuse to comply with the requirements of the parents and he will become constipated. This style of behavior can spread to other aspects of later life and the child will develop anal-restrictive personality type. At this stage, such character traits are formed as: accuracy, neatness, punctuality; stubbornness, secrecy, aggressiveness; hoarding, frugality, a tendency to collect.

phallic stage. Between the ages of three and six, the child's interests shift into a new erogenous zone, the genital area. This stage characterizes the highest level of child sexuality. Children are becoming aware of their gender. Children's sexuality is now becoming objective, that is, children begin to experience sexual attachment to adults. The first people who attract the attention of a child are the parents. During this period, the child considers one of the parents (of the opposite sex) as a sexual object. Freud believed that the unresolved complexes of the phallic stage are nuclear complex of any neurosis. In adulthood, many men suffer from obsessive fears, attacks of paralysis or amnesia due to a repressed fear of castration. At the same time, many women during psychotherapy sessions talk about how they were raped by their father or a “stranger” as a child. In most cases, these are fantasies caused by the fact that the resolution of the Electra complex did not occur.

Adult men with fixation on the phallic stage behave boldly, defiantly, they strive in every possible way to achieve success, they constantly demonstrate their masculinity and sexual power. In women, phallic fixation leads to a desire to flirt, seduce, dominate men, although outwardly such women may demonstrate their naivety and ignorance in matters of sex. According to Freud, the unresolved complexes of Oedipus and Electra are the main cause of impotence and frigidity.

At the phallic stage, the emergence of such personality traits as introspection, prudence, rational thinking, and further exaggeration of male behavior with increased aggressiveness.

Latent stage(5-12 years) is characterized by a decrease in sexual interest. There comes a phase of sexual calm, when the libido is directed to other activities not related to sexuality - intellectual pursuits, sports, relationships with peers. The ego completely controls the needs of the id, being divorced from the sexual goal, the energy of the libido is transferred to the development of universal human experience, enshrined in science and culture, as well as to establishing friendly relations with peers and adults outside the family environment.

genital stage. The second time it falls on the period 12-18 years - characterized by the return of children's sexual aspirations, now all the former erogenous zones are united, and the teenager, from the point of view of Z. Freud, strives for one goal - normal sexual intercourse. However, normal sexual intercourse can be difficult, and then phenomena of fixation or regression to one or another of the previous stages of development with all their features can be observed during the genital stage.

Literature

Ansar P. Modern sociology // Sociological research. - 1995 - No. 12, 1996 - No. 1-2, 7-10.

Berger P., Luckmann T. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise on the Sociology of Knowledge. - M.: Medium, 1995.

Gromov I.A., Matskevich A.Yu., Semenov V.A. Western theoretical sociology. - St. Petersburg, 1996.

Jerry D. et al. Big explanatory sociological dictionary. Volume 1., M. - Veche-Ast, 1999.

Johnston B.V. Pitrim Sorokin and sociocultural trends of our time // Sociological research. - 1999, - No. 6.

Dudchenko O.N., Mytil A.V. Social identification and adaptation of the individual// Sociological research, 1998, No. 6.

Durkheim E.O. On the division of social labor: Method of sociology. - M. 1991.

Danilevsky N.Ya. Russia and Europe. - M., 1991.

Zeigarnik B.V. Personality Theory in Foreign Psychology.-M.: Vyssh.shk., 1982.

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