Explain what the following theoretical perspectives is, who was the founder, main concepts, view of psychology and humans according to the brief below
This is descended from one of the early schools of thought in psychology
which grew from the work of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). Freud was the
first-born child in his family. He trained as a medical doctor and became
interested in patients with physical symptoms (e.g. paralysis, blindness
and loss of sensation) with no known physical cause. He thought there
must be psychological causes and began using hypnosis to treat these
patients. Later he used free association, in which patients lay on the
couch in his office and described whatever came into their minds. Often
this related to painful experiences from childhood. On the basis of this,
Freud came to believe that all behaviour is determined by innate sexual
and aggressive impulses. As these impulses are forbidden and punished
in society, they are pushed down (repressed) into the unconscious. But
these impulses do not disappear from the unconscious; they continue to
influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. As a result, we develop
and use defence mechanisms to try to manage the anxiety that these
unconscious impulses cause us.
Freud’s theory has been heavily criticised for a number of reasons.
Many feel he emphasised childhood sexuality too much.
It is also difficult to do empirical research on the theory. However, the
theory recognised the importance of early childhood experiences in our
personality development. A number of followers of Freud (neo�Freudians) have developed his theories and taken them in new
directions, including Carl Jung and Freud’s daughter,
Anna Freud.
- Theoretical perspective: Psychoanalytic perspective
- Founder: Sigmund Freud
- Main concepts: Unconscious mind, innate sexual and aggressive impulses, defence mechanisms, childhood experiences, psychosexual development
- View of psychology: Focuses on the role of unconscious motivations and childhood experiences in shaping personality and behavior
- View of humans: Humans are driven by unconscious impulses and desires, which can lead to conflicts and psychological disorders. Childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping personality. Defense mechanisms are used to cope with anxiety caused by unconscious impulses.