Explain what psychoanalytic 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.
Psychoanalytic theory is a psychological approach that was founded by Sigmund Freud. The main concepts of psychoanalytic theory include the belief that all behavior is determined by innate sexual and aggressive impulses that are repressed into the unconscious. Freud used techniques such as free association and dream analysis to explore the unconscious mind and uncover repressed memories and impulses.
According to psychoanalytic theory, early childhood experiences play a crucial role in shaping our personality and behavior. Freud believed that unresolved conflicts from childhood can lead to psychological problems in adulthood. He also believed that defense mechanisms, such as repression, denial, and projection, are used to protect the conscious mind from the anxiety caused by unconscious impulses.
In terms of its view of psychology, psychoanalytic theory focuses on the unconscious mind and the influence of early childhood experiences on personality development. It emphasizes the important role of unconscious motivations and conflicts in shaping human behavior.
Overall, psychoanalytic theory provides a unique perspective on psychology and human behavior, although it has faced criticism for its emphasis on childhood sexuality and the difficulty of empirical research. Nonetheless, Freud's work has inspired many followers and has led to the development of new theories and approaches by neo-Freudians such as Carl Jung and Anna Freud.