Psychology and Personalities - Essay Example

PSYCHOLOGY AND PERSONALITIES1. My understanding of a “complex” refers to the core patterns of emotions, memories, thoughts, wishes, perceptions, and beliefs that are formed in the personal unconscious of an individual; this complex is usually centered or focused on a particular life-changing event. The patterns so formed are therefore influenced by how that event is viewed by the individual, as a positive or a negative event which consequently influenced his or her life, for better or worse.

It can be helpful if it is viewed as something positive and generates healthy responses from that individual. An example would be saving a friend's life who was drowning and this act tends to predominate that saver's thoughts and actions as a positive reinforcement for future crises. But a complex can hinder a person's life through the adverse effects of a negative emotionally-charged event. This negativity will persist all throughout if not diagnosed or detected by the psychiatrist and since a complex determines to a high degree the attitudes and behaviors of an individual through the personal unconscious mind, it can result into so-called “hang-ups”; an example will be a female rape victim who ends up mistrustful or even hateful of all males regardless of their character.

A male friend, relative, or acquaintance immediately becomes suspect as a potential rapist. This complex constrains her from developing fully like having a healthy marriage. 2. Jung's theory linked ego with consciousness (ego-complex) from mental images by the person (Cope, 2006, p. 83). Adler extended this theory to persons who have distorted images of themselves, either positively exaggerated or negatively magnified resulting in a superiority complex (to compensate for a perceived inferiority like becoming a “control freak” as a defense mechanism) or in an inferiority complex (Sharf, 2011, p. 129) such as lacking self-confidence, feelings of not being important enough, or being at the bottom of the social structure; a religious minister I knew had such a superiority complex; he pretends he knew everything about religion.

ReferencesCope, T. A. (2006). Fear of Jung: The complex doctrine and emotional science. London, UK: Karnac Books.Sharf, R. (2011). Theories of psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases. Belmont, CA, USA: Cengage Learning.Due: May 25, 2014 @ 10:50 p.m.