Class Notes 10/9/2012 Topic 8 Sigmund Freud Psychosexual Theory Freud is a genius the field of psychology. His influence in America started in 1909. 1901 Paul wanted to have meeting to commemorate the founding of Clark University.  He invited Freud, Adma, and Young (3 big guns of psychoanalytic theory)  The American psychologists who came to that meeting were pioneers of American psychology (James) There is 1/3 life-size state of Freud there. Freud looked at human life and human development as a journey from an infant with not much of a repertoire of behavior.  On the sensory size, newborn infants can see (not perfectly), hear good, skin sensors were largely undeveloped.  Motoric repertoire was very limited.  Newborn infants have a sucking reflex (TO FEED), and a grasp reflex.  Other than that there is not much that an infant can do.  But it can locate the direction of sound.  Freud’s problem is “How do we get from this helpless tiny human being to a fully-fledged adult capable of operating in a very complex world” In other words, How do we get from point A to point B?  It is interesting in a way that what he talked about was also talked about by Spearman (famous for inventing factor analysis)  Spearman 3 self evident principl1. Human beings tend to perceive the things (Carolet) that come thru their sensory.2. Given 2 carolets, humans tend to draw a relation between them.3. Given a carolet and a relationship, the organism tends to reduce a second carolet. How do we get from carolet A to carolet B. Freud was all about brain activity. He also made 2 assumptions. 1. Humans have instinct for self-preservation.2. They have instinct for preservation for other species Both are common for all species, and those that don’t follow become extinct.  Freud was evolutionist and psychologist. He was very interested in neural activity. He examined different parts of life experience.  Given what the baby could/couldn’t do, he noticed that babies processed stimulation thru their mouths (sucking reflex)- Infant sleeps, eats, poops. Totally dependent on adults- Stages1. Oral : He noticed tendency for infants to explore world by putting things in their mouth. a. Even in the womb, mother provided all nourishment thru umbilical cord. , Mother also helps with excrement. After it is born, mother takes care of baby. (Clothes, feeds, cleans). Helps baby transition from inside womb to outside womb. b. Erickson argued there is 2 sub stages within orali. Oral incorporative : When infant is not taking things into mouthii. Oral extrusive (oral sadistic): 1. Teething: Painful (Allows from oral extrusive- Kids need to learn the essence of life. Biting moms nipples for milk will only get you pushed away. 2. Weening: Shift from mothers milk to other foods. (I year old)- Fixation at oral level is neurosis. - Pathology reflects stunted development2. Anal : Potty Training. a. 2 Parts:i. Anal incorporative (intentive)ii. Anal Sadistic - Mothers become obsessed with reduction of feces with their children. - If bowel movements are not on time, mothers go bananas. - This teaches the infant to hold the poop so that he/she can still get a lot of attention from mother.  Freud: We are born reactive beings. We have little conscious awareness of things to start with. We are reflexive animals.  Subject to the built in needs of the body, which are not conscious, he called these functions: ID. (Anal incorporative) New functions are Ego: Functions are concerned only with getting what the infant wants. They are not subject to any moral principles. You see growth of ego functions during anal period. Emphasis on potty train totally misplaces because physiologically, the infant do not have cortical control of their sphincters. Mommy is the one being trained. At 15 months, infant usually gains cortical control, and mothers go insane, and itis then that potty training can commence properly. An infant can also get a lot of attention by pooping at wrong times and wrong places.  When potty training is complete, it is the end of anal stage.  Individuals who remain fixated at anal stage are anal retentive (Very compulsiveabout everything being in order, rules are to be followed exactly, and everythingshould be in its place). If fixation is sever, it is called neurosis. The anal retentive is called a neat freak.  The other character is the total slob (anal sadistic) clothes everywhere, dirty. Obnoxious.3. Phallic : Penis/clitoris (stunted penis)  Called it phallic because Freud argued that male infants develop a sexual fixation on their mothers. Touching in certain areas feel very good. They want mothers to provide that stimulus, but they usually do not. Little boys grow up wanting to marry mothers. ( Age 4 & 5). Obstacle is fathers, and this creates a conflict, because daddy is also nurturing and plays with the child. But the father has control over mother’s body and he is much too strong for infant to fight.  Girls fixate on daddy. Obstacle is mommy. The things that they learn are very valuable to the rest of their life because they see that fathers are very malleableto infants way of life.  Conflict between boy and father is called Oedipus complex. Oedipus was born a prince of royal house and he found out that he was fated to kill his father. Instead, the nurse gave Oedipus to a childless family. When he approached manhood in his adolescence, he found out this supposed fate. On his travel he got into a fight with someone (father) and killed him. Then he was to marry the queen on that city state which was his mother. Therefore he fulfilled the 2nd partof prophesy.  How is Oedipus complex resolved? Boy has to give up his mother, and identifies with daddy. He takes on daddy’s rules and principles. Freud’s morality and civilization is transmitted from generation to generation. Superego : Unconscious; Internal feelings that prevent us from doing things that are wrong or immoral.  Daughter goes thru same process called electra complex.  Girls incorporate mothers value system, and give up on the father If people get fixated at this level, boys are going to look for mates when they reach maturity who resemble in many ways as possible, their mothers.  And girls will go looking for males who resemble their fathers.  They show preference of older aged. = fixated = complex is not