Significant Person in Psychology - Sigmund Freud - Research Paper Example

?Significant Person in Psychology Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, northwestern Moravia. His parents were Jacob Freud and Amalia Nathansohn. Jacob, a wool merchant, was known as a clever and witty person. Being the second wife, Amalia has 2 step-sons. Sigmund’s mother was known as an energetic woman. She was just 21 and was 20 years younger than her husband when she got married. In 1859, they moved and maintained a permanent residence in Vienna (Gay xxxi). Despite their humble financial status, Sigmund’s parents made it a point to cultivate their son’s intellectual development. Sigmund was a brilliant child. He consistently topped his classes. After graduating from his Gymnasium with an impressive mark, he took medicine at Vienna University. During his time, this option was quite rare for Jews like him. He was into research and worked under the tutelage of Professor Ernst Brucke. He was very much interested in neurophysiology. Sigmund was able to get his degree in medicine in 1881. After 4 years, he was offered a scholarship in Paris. He studied with Jean-Martin Charcot at the “Salpetriere”. Under Charcot’s supervision, he observed and practiced hypnosis. It was utilized as a clinical technique. At this time, Sigmund originated his theories on the mind. He then opened his first neurologist office in 1886 in Vienna. For a short time, he went to Berlin as a resident in neurology. He was also a director of a children’s ward. After marrying Martha Barnays, Sigmund put up a practice in neuropsychiatry with the aid of Joseph Breuer. Sigmund’s books and lectures made him popular. His unique views on behavior gained him friends as well as detractors. Just before World War II, he immigrated to England. In 1939, he died of cancer of the mouth and jaw (Rana, “Sigmund Freud”). Freud had a lot of remarkable contributions in psychology. His authority in this field has also affected neighboring sciences such as sociology and anthropology. His theories on the different stages of psychosexual development are being studied in major education and nursing subjects. The following paragraphs are concerned about several of his notable involvements in enriching psychology as we know it. Even if he did not coin the word unconscious and conscious, Freud’s name is related to these words because of his thought-provoking theories. Freud pointed out that the unconscious is a powerful storehouse of motivations, drives, and instincts. He also compared the personality to an iceberg wherein the id (submerged part) is the biggest part with the ego on top and superego in the middle. The id covers people’s unconscious aspects and their naked desires. The superego serves as the conscience and represses desires whereas the ego functions as the moderator. In addition, Freud talked about life instincts and death instincts. Individuals’ life instincts power them to do something. He called this libido which means “I desire”. On the other hand, death instincts make people do something harmful towards their own selves. Furthermore, Freud delved into anxiety. He said that there are three kinds. The first is called realistic anxiety. This is fear caused by actual reasons. The second is moral anxiety which is feelings of shame and guilt and fear of punishment. Lastly, neurotic anxiety is nervous feelings caused by overwhelmed id impulses. Moreover, Freud is famous for his defense mechanisms. The ego uses these to cope with reality. These are denial, repression, asceticism, isolation, displacement, projection, reaction formation, undoing, identification, rationalization and sublimation. In denial, truth that is too hard to bear is not being acknowledged as a part of reality. A person in repression forgets a memory that is quite traumatic. Asceticism makes one renounce his desires and even his needs to get away from reality. Isolation or “intellectualization” makes a person rely on intellectual curiosity instead of involving the emotions wherein he acts like he is calm despite an emotional experience. Displacement is concerned with redirecting a negative impulse into a substitute. Projection makes a person attribute his unacceptable desires to others. Reaction formation involves doing or showing the exact opposite of what is truly felt. Undoing means engaging in an action that will make guilt feelings go away. Identification or “introjection” is taking into personality the characteristics of others. Rationalization is explaining situations in a more acceptable which involves facts being compromised. In sublimation, unacceptable behavior is expressed in more conventional forms to gain approval. Freud has been well-known for his psychosexual developmental stages. This made him quite controversial especially during his days since it concerns sexuality not only for adults but for infants as well. However, for him, sexuality is a general term for a pleasurable sensation. At birth to about 18 months, infants derive pleasure from sucking and biting. Thus, this is termed as the oral stage. At 18 to 3 or 4 years old, children enjoy holding in or letting go concerning their anus; thus, the anal stage. At 4 to 7 years old, it is called as the phallic stage because children gain pleasure from touching their genitalia. The latent stage is from 5 years old to puberty wherein focus is much more on studying and playing. Lastly, the genital stage is from puberty onwards wherein the sex drive of individuals is expressed through sexual intercourse. Concerning Freudian therapy, he has developed several major points such as relaxed atmosphere, free association, resistance, dream analysis, “parapraxes”, transference, catharsis, and insight. Generally, Freud opined that the main goal of therapy is to uncover the unconscious. In a relaxed atmosphere, the client must be physically and mentally feel comfortable to express himself. Free association means being able to talk about anything that comes to mind. Resistance is displayed by a client when he changes topics or does something to avoid facing reality. Dream analysis gives the therapist the opportunity to look into the unconscious by giving meanings to dreams. Parapraxes or Freudian slips are unintentional mistakes that give clues about the unconscious. Transference happens when the client projects feelings to the therapist. Catharsis occurs when the client ventilates his emotions. Lastly, insight brings an end to the therapy since this entails realizing the source of conflict and emotions. Freud’s theories and practices were based on his observations and experience. These were greatly affected by the culture of the society that he was in. His emphasis on sexuality stemmed from the strong evasion of people to talk about it. Much of Freud’s personality theories are also from his observations on the case of “Anna O”. She was the patient of his mentor and friend, Dr. Breuer. Sigmund and Breuer wrote a book on hysteria as a result of their reflections on Anna’s case (Boeree, “Sigmund Freud”). Due to the controversy of Freud’s theories, there have been a number of individuals who find it hard to totally accept his conclusions. Some people have difficulty in understanding his point that many of people’s actions are driven by sex. However, in examining the present society, there are indeed a lot of emphases on sexuality. These are being used in media, the way we dress and how we talk. It seems that most of the time, we want to present ourselves desirable to the opposite sex. As for his views on the unconscious, many agree that it is indeed responsible for some of our behavior. However, especially for humanists, the unconscious is not that significant in affecting an individual. For instance, Carl Jung proposed that free will is what powers human behavior. I chose to write about Sigmund Freud because I find his personality as well as his theories interesting. For example, who would have thought that there is a connection between toilet training and obsessive compulsive disorder? The terms that he utilized are also thought-provoking. His explanations of the human behavior are simply stimulating. Furthermore, his name must be in every psychology related book because of his noteworthy contributions. His basic theory that ailments may be caused by psychological traumas have made professionals look beyond anatomy and physiology. He has also driven the importance of a happy childhood and the role of family members in a person’s well-being. Freud’s defense mechanisms are also quite useful in making people aware of how they evade biting realities. These subconscious tactics have brought people face to face with their true selves. Indeed, we have done some manipulations of our respective realities to flatter our own needs. Recognizing these defenses help us in having a healthier mind. In addition, Freud’s essential forms of therapy have been quite beneficial for all counseling psychologists and psychiatrists. His stress on having a relaxed and free atmosphere is being followed by a lot of professionals. His psychoanalytic treatment has been studied and acquired by many. Moreover, Freud’s bold campaign in being honest sexual beings has helped people understand that sex drive is completely normal and healthy. Several cases of sexual dysfunctions have been known to be caused by excessive sexual repressions. Furthermore, he is the psychologist noted for talking about the mind with various layers. His elucidations on how the mind works highlight the mystery and power of what dictates human behavior. Sigmund Freud has become a part of everybody’s lifestyle. We can even observe Freudian terms in people’s everyday conversations. For example, we call someone “anal” or “anally fixated” if he is too methodical or neat. Mass media have also been featuring related concepts. The movie, --- depicted the power of subliminal messaging and how entering somebody’s unconscious can change decisions and lives. Simply put, life would have been mind-numbing without Freud. Works Cited Boeree, George. “Sigmund Freud.” Personality Theories. 2009. Web. 15 March 2012. Gay, Peter. The Freud Reader. New York: NY, 1989. Print. Rana, Himmat. “Sigmund Freud.” May 1997. Web. 16 March 2012. Read More