FREUD AND THE FREUDIANS

SIGMUND FREUD
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 PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY
SEX:
Something That Brings Bodily Pleasure
(Not only genital)

LIBIDO:
Sexual Energy

EROGENOUS ZONE:
An Area Of The Body On Which Sexual Energy
Is Concentrated (An area of the body that
brings pleasure)
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 FREUDIAN CONCEPTS
PERSONALITY CONSTRUCTS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

GENITAL
•

• SUPEREGO •
LATENCY

PHALLIC (OEDIPAL)
• EGO •

ANAL
•

• ID •
ORAL

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FREUD AND EDUCATION
• Piaget said that education should be
about thinking, not about learning
facts. People who can think will learn.

• Freud implies that education should

be about concern for students’
emotional health and welfare, not
about learning facts. People whose
emotional needs are met will learn.

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STAGE CHARACTERISTICS
• Each stage is named for the area of
the body on which sexual energy
(libido) is centered during that stage.

• The stages are sequential, but they

are NOT hierarchical.

• Regression to and fixation at a stage

can occur.
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 ID
• is innate

• is motivated by pleasure

• is the source of libidinal energy

• contains basic drives: hunger, thirst

aggression, anger, destruction
• contains no logic or rational
thoughts, just DESIRES 6
 EGO
• Develops as the Id comes into
contact with reality

•Governed by the reality principle

• uses reasoning in order to come

to conclusions

• serves as a check on the Id--

delays actions until they are
“reasonable.” 7
 SUPEREGO
• Develops as a result of
internalizing parental standards
and values

• Has two aspects:

Conscience Ego Ideal

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 CONSCIENCE
(SUPEREGO)

Tells us what NOT to do and

punishes us if we do something
wrong by making us have
feelings of...
GUILT
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 EGO IDEAL
(SUPEREGO)

Tells us what to do. It is the POSITIVE

aspect of the superego.

• Provides goals for life

• Is the source of ideals

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 ORAL STAGE (infancy)
Energy from the libido is centered on
the mouth.
Two periods:
Early period (first few months of life)
characterized by narcissism
Later period characterized by urge
to bite and by separation anxiety

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ORAL STAGE FIXATION
Preoccupation with oral activities
• eating
• biting
• biting on pencils
• smoking
• loquaciousness
Regressions are characterized by a
temporary fixation with oral
activities due to stress or frustration.
The stronger a fixation, the more
likely a regression to that stage. 12
ANAL STAGE (11/2--3 yrs. old)
Energy from the libido is centered
on the anal zone and its “products.”
Child is asked to renounce instinctive
pleasure by becoming toilet trained.

This usually results in anger and

testing of parents.

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 ANAL STAGE FIXATION
Anal Compulsive “Neat Freak”
(Anal retentive)

Anal Expulsive Sloppy, messy,

disorganized

Obsessive compulsive behaviors

can be traced to fixation at this
stage
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PHALLIC (OEDIPAL) STAGE (3-6)
(boys)
For boys libido is centered on the
penis.
• Competition with father for affection
of mother- fear of castration (anxiety)
• Repression of sexual feelings for
mother (superego)
• Identification with father and father’s
ideals and projection of sexual feelings
onto other women. 15
 OEDIPAL STAGE FIXATION
(boys)

• Guilt over competitive urges

• Apprehension in competition with
other men
• Problems with intimacy since they
evoke Oedipal feelings
• Less guilt with women who are
seen only as outlets for Id urges
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PHALLIC (ELECTRA) STAGE (3-6)
(girls)

• Penis envy

• Identification with the father

• Lack of castration anxieties

leads to a weaker superego.

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 LATENCY STAGE (6-12!!)
Libido (sexual and aggressive
fantasies) is latent, although probably
not completely gone.
Child demonstrates more self-control
This is a time devoted more to
intellect than to emotion--a time for
LEARNING both cognitive and social
skills.
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 GENITAL STAGE (puberty!!)
• Libido “attacks” the ego. There is
much stress, anxiety, turmoil, and loss
of confidence (“sturm und drang”).
• Adult sexual feelings cause much
sexual and social conflict and a
looking for one’s place and role in life.
• Freeing oneself from one’s parents is
the primary task of the adolescent.
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 DEFENSE MECHANISMS
(used by adolescents to cope with stress)
• Taking flight--literally or by isolating
oneself

• Contempt for parents

• Asceticism--strict diets, rigorous
exercise regimens, refusal to
participate in any “fun” activities

• Intellectualization--construction of
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elaborate philosophies; identification