Freud – Easy Research and Respond to Discussion’s

1. Make a critical assessment of Freud’s theory. What do you think of the underlying concepts (the unconscious, id, ego, superego, defense mechanisms)? What positive (or negative) contributions did Freud make to the field? What, if anything, is lacking in his theory? How does long-term psychoanalysis fit in with today’s world?
2. Critique Freud’s drive theory. Do you agree that all instincts are either life instincts (basic survival, pleasure, reproduction, love) or death instincts (self-destructive, behaviors, masochism, aggression, violence)? Do you think his ideas are applicable today?

PEER 1 Molly:

1. With Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, I believe that the underlying concepts of the unconscious, the id, ego, superego, and defense mechanisms are relatively good bases of knowledge for the human personality, with some gaps in between where professionals have filled in today. Because Freud is considered to be the founder of psychoanalysis, I feel like it would not benefit the field if we dismissed all of his theories. I feel like his ideas behind the id, ego, and superego are especially interesting, because since the ego is developed later in life than the id and superego, he was basically saying that infants have no moderator. Freud’s stages of development focusing on sexual desires at such a young age seems to be the most controversial of his theories, and I tend to agree with the controversy. To me, I don’t necessarily feel like children begin to sexualize their opposite-gendered parent or resent their same-gendered parent because I think it is innate human nature to not sexualize their own parents. I also don’t agree with Freud’s belief that children have sexual fantasies, because most children at ages 3-5 don’t even know what sex is, and if they do it’s a very basic understanding without any details to be able to come up with these sexual fantasies. However, Freud’s idea of the unconscious human mind is especially helpful for helping professions today, because he understood that there was a part of the human mind that we don’t access on a regular basis because these repressed thoughts or memories may be more than the human mind can comprehend, which I feel like is a positive contribution to the field. I also feel like Freud’s interpretation of dreams is a positive contribution, because he understood that dreams mean something and, in some instances, reflect what is occurring in the unconscious mind as well. As far as what is lacking in Freud’s theories, I believe that he did not accurately research his theories on his patients and instead just decided that this was how things occurred. He also didn’t research on women or expand his theories into different cultures. I feel like if he had expanded his research to cover more individuals who differed from one another, he might have had different findings or been able to empirically state that some of his theories were accurate or not. Long-term psychoanalysis fits into today’s world if the individual receiving treatment is seeking a long-term relationship with a therapist and someone who is wanting to uncover unconscious thoughts or feelings. I believe that because psychoanalysis is so long-term, however, it is most likely not used very often because individuals who are seeking treatment want a quick method that will allow them to feel better sooner. It also is difficult with health insurance now, as health insurance generally doesn’t pay for sessions occurring as long as psychoanalysis would need to. I do think that psychoanalysis could be beneficial for individuals who are looking for someone to help them understand their feelings and desires or uncover things that may have happened in the past that are now in the unconscious mind.

2. Freud’s drive theory states that every instinct a human has either pushes them to continue living or to self-destruct. I personally do agree with this theory, because in some way, every choice or instinct a human has has the basis of either causing pain or pleasure. Even such instincts like getting a piercing or tattoo, or going to the gym every day, come back down to the basic instinct of pain or pleasure because of the feelings associated with those actions, and in some occurrences like getting a tattoo, the pain can be more of a life instinct than a death instinct because we find the pain to be pleasurable. I believe that his ideas for the drive theory can be applicable today because humans have either a will to live or they don’t and that, in turn, drives our instincts to feel pain or pleasure.

PEER 2 Debra

1. Sigmund Freud had a huge impact in the field of psychology. His work and writings contributed to our understanding of personality, clinical psychology, human development and abnormal psychology (Cherry, 2019). In addition, provided evidence of how cultural differences had on the individuals’ mental health and human behavior.

Freud’s unconscious works unknowingly by the individual which, serves as a supply of the individuals feelings, thoughts, desires and memories. In most times, many of these unconscious ideas lead to unhappy experiences which in turn influences the individuals behavior.

Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory suggested that the way a person’s behavior was a direct interaction of three parts of the mind: Id, ego and superego. The Id component was made up of impulsive and unconscious ideas that included natural impulses such as hunger, thirst, sex, and etc. It was also known as the pleasure principle, which suggested the immediate gratification of the individuals needs. Freud stated that Id was present at birth and it was the driving force of the individual’s unique personality. As we grow older, we are able to control the demand of the Id component. The ego component (reality principle) which strives to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways (Cherry, 2019). Superego or the moral principle, are how the values and morals of our surroundings influence our personalities. Freud stated that the moral principles are the values and morals we learn from our parents, but also the right and wrong ideas we acquire from society and the culture in which we live. Freud’s main defense mechanisms such as repression, denial, projection, displacement, regression and sublimation were strategies that individuals used to protect themselves from unpleasant feelings such as threats, guilt or shame. These natural and normal mechanisms are a normal part of the individual’s behavior and personality.

One of the largest criticisms of Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory is that it places far too much emphasis on childhood years, where many believe that personality development is lifelong (Myers, 2010). I do believe that we are lifelong learners. Our surroundings, culture and values play a huge part in us becoming adults. We mature and most of us tend to find happiness and satisfaction with our lives. Adult life experiences still affect how we view life and how we deal with issues that come along with them. In addition, Freud’s method lacked much research and evidence. Therefore, not being used in modern treatments today.

2. According to Freud, the drive concept is made up of Life (sexual) and Death (aggression) Instincts. I still do believe that the drive theory is still relevant in today’s world. Life instinct plays a large part in how we take care of ourselves. We are motivated by positive emotions which helps drive us to make a better life for ourselves. The death concept is associated with how we self destruct. This can lead to major destructions such as self-harm or even suicide.

Cherry, K. (2019, July 5). Id, Ego, and Superego Are Part of a Structural Model of Personality. Retrieved January 27, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-id-ego-and-superego-2795951

Meyers, D. (2010). Criticisms of Psychoanalytic Theory. Retrieved January 28, 2020, from http://gavsappsychpersonalityjbd.weebly.com/critic…