PSYC 3620: Personality Ch.6 NotesThe Neo-Freudian TheoriesAnxiety & Coping Strategieso Freud identified three types:o Reality anxiety (objective anxiety) Response to a perceived threat in the real world You are aware of the source of your emotional reactiono Neurotic anxiety  Experienced when unacceptable id impulses are dangerously close to breaking into consciousness Type of anxiety that leads the ego to use defense mechanismso Moral anxiety Brought about by superego in response to id impulses that violate the superego’s strict moral code Generally experienced as guilto Distinction between…o Defense mechanisms- which are unconscious processeso Coping strategies- which are conscious effortsCoping with Anxietyo Psychologists refer to these efforts to cope with anxiety in the face of a perceived threat as coping strategieso Women report using more coping strategies than meno When psychologists refer to a person’s general approach to dealing with stress as his or her coping styleTypes of Coping Strategieso Repression-sensitizationo A- people who typically respond to threatening situations by avoiding them These repressors try not to think about the situations & thereby succeed in avoiding the anxiety as much or as long as possibleo Sensitizerso Z- people typically deal with a stressful situation by finding out as much as possible, as soon as possible, & thereby put themselves in a position to take the most effective actiono Three basic ways to deal with anxiety:o Problem-focused strategies Intended to take care of the problem & thereby overcoming the anxietyo Emotion-focused strategies Designed to reduce the emotional distress that accompanies the problemo Avoidance strategies Deals with emotions by pushing the anxiety-provoking situation out of awarenesso Women tend to use emotion-focused strategies more than men, whereas men are more likely than women to take steps to solve problems directlyHow Effective are Coping Strategies?o Active strategies are more effective in helping people cope with stressors than avoidance strategieso Avoidance strategies rarely are successful in reducing anxiety or helping people overcome tragedyo Long-term consequences from extensive reliance on avoidance strategies Vulnerability to stress-related health problemso When the situation can’t be changed, working on one’s emotional reaction to the experience is probably the more effective approachCoping Flexibilityo Researchers refer to the ability to effectively utilize different coping strategies as coping flexibilityo People who readily adjust their coping strategies to fit the realities of a given situation are likely to deal with life’s problems more effectively than those who do notPsychoanalytic Concepts & Aggressiono Freud proposed that aggression is the result of frustrated libidoo When our pleasure-seeking impulse is blocked, we experience a “primordial reaction” toattack the obstacleo Since our egos keep us from killing everyone, we often displace our aggressiono Freud later said that we all have an instinctual desire to destroy ourselves, but because a fully functioning ego does not allow self-destruction, the instinct is turned outward toward otherso Frustration-aggression hypothesiso States that aggression is always a consequence of frustration, that the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposed the existence of frustration &, contrariwise, that the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression One cause of aggression: frustration One response to frustration: aggressiono Proposed that aggression ceases when we experience catharsis Release of tension Until the frustration builds tension levels up again, we should expect no further outbreakso Proposed that frustration sometimes leads to indirect expressions of aggression Can be expressed by…- Displacing the aggression to a new target- Attacking the source of our frustration in an indirect manner- Sublimation- channeling our energy into something productiveFrustration & Aggressiono Frustration is more intense the closer people are to their goalo Belief that frustration is but one of many negative emotions that increase aggressiono Explains why frustration does not always lead to aggressiono Clarifies why certain thoughts increase or decrease the likelihood of acting aggressivelyDisplacing Aggressiono We don’t always attack the source of our frustration directly; we sometimes direct our frustration-induced anger toward someone who does not deserve ito Shock Experimento Frustrated participants given the opportunity to shock a stranger also delivered more shocks than the nonfrustrated participants These people displaced their aggressive tendencies onto the innocent bystandero When the reaction is often way out of proportion to the relatively small offense, psychologists refer to this as triggered displaced aggressionCatharsis & Aggressiono Essay & Punching Bag Experimento The least angry & least aggressive participants were those who calmly sat alone without punching anythingo Acting aggressively increases the tendency to aggress Acting aggressively may lead to disinhibition Presence of aggressive cues- Seeing something we associate with violence (ex: gun)- May tap into other memories & emotions related to aggression Because cathartic release of tension feels good, aggressive acts may be reinforced Catharsis may increase aggressionAttachment Style & Adult Relationshipso Neo-Freudians maintain that how we relate to significant others as adults is a reflection of the relationship we had with our parentsObjects Relations Theory & Attachment Theoryo Object Relations Theoristso Place great emphasis on early childhood experienceso Postulate that the child develops an unconscious representation of significant objects in his or her environmento The way the child internalizes the parent’s image serves as a basis for how the child thinks of others when he or she enters into future relationshipso Attachment Theoryo Examined emotional bonds between infants & their caregivers These were referred to as attachment relationships because they meet our human need to form attachments with a supportive & protective othero Particular interest in reactions of infants who are physically separated from their primarycaregivero Three types of parent-child relationshipso Secure infant-mother pairs mothers are attentive & responsive to their child