The Theory of Psychoanalysis: Comparison Between Cubism and Psychoanalysis - Research Paper Example

Freud’s Theory of Personality – A Critical evaluation The theory of psychoanalysis is the main basis of Freud’s theory of personality. The psychoanalysis is the major technique by which Freud has productively infiltrated the deepest level of an individual’s psychology. With the passage of time Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis has received diverse responses from psychologists but no one can even refute its importance as well as involvement in exploring the layers of human psyche. Robert F. Bornstein in his article “Psychodynamic Models of Personality” has come up with a unique comparison between Freud’s psychoanalysis and Picasso’s cubism. He comments, “Freud’s psychoanalysis is like Picasso’s cubism….Picasso’s work enchanted some and alienated others, but every twentieth-century painter has responded to it in some way. So it is with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory: Some psychologists love it, others hate it, but almost every psychologist has reacted to it- ….” (Weiner, Millon, and Lerner, 2003, p.117) Freud’s personality theory and consequent stages of development have brought about several debates and criticisms on grounds of which his propositions might be evaluated. Freud, theory of personality centers on the way one’s identity, which is inherited by every individual, can be changed into certain psychological frameworks which control the person’s relationships with his surroundings. Through the primary and then the secondary processes ego and superego arises out of identity. Once the defense process initiatives the characteristics of an individual become defined. Such frameworks and processes give shape to personality. The sexual maturity of an individual is revealed through a set of complicated mechanisms where “the infant’s original polymorphous sexual disposition is modified by having some of its libidinal aims changed and its autocratic tendencies replaced by heterosexual object-love” (Macmillan, 1997, p.521). Hence the development of one’s personality is closely related to the biological development of the “agent of change” (Macmillan, 1997, p.522). While the superego and the ego develop from id, if an individual experiences a trauma or a certain shock in early ages when the ego is weak and the superego has not yet developed, then at a later point of time, the individual might fall recollect the trauma and feel threatened by the anxiety which the ego undergoes. This leads to the formation of repression, which takes shape at the will of the superego. With reference to his personality theory Freud defines five stages in the life of an individual especially in his childhood. In every stage, impulses or desires move in such a manner that a child would want stimulation and gratification from different parts of the human body referred as erogenous zones. The first stage ranging from zero to one year of age considers stimulation of the mouth as the origin of pleasure. The anal stage comprising one to three years age finds the focus of stimulation in the anal area where pleasure is obtained from movements of the bowel. The phallic stage ranging between three to six years finds a shift of focus towards the genitals. The Oedipal complex and Electra complex developed in the young boys and girls respectively would lead to a sexual desire towards the mother and the father respectively. Latency stage, which ranges from six years till puberty defines the period when children repress their sexual desires and direct them towards other activities which demand less sexual inclination. During the final stage ranging from puberty to adulthood sexual desires are directed towards one’s friends and mates. While id is present form birth, superego develops during childhood and defines one’s sense of morality. Ego on the other hand serves to even out the conflict between the two (superego and id) and helps in making decisions such that neither the demands of the superego is violated and also the requirements of the id are fulfilled (Harris, 2005, pp.87-88). Personality variations are the result of the differences in the course of development. When a theory is evaluated the main criticism is based on the theory being deductive in nature. Now, whether the theory is based on scientific explanation or assumptions the “if..then” framework is often used. Psychoanalysts have been trying since long to invalidate Freud’s assumptions underlying his theories. Two kinds of arguments have emerged. First, the theory is based on scientific ground. Ideas related to the function of instincts and “structures on the mental apparatus” are evaluated negatively for being out of tune with the current knowledge associated with psychology. Critics have suggested modern theories like information-processing ideas, systems theory etc as alternatives to psychoanalysis. Although this criticism acknowledges the scientific objective of Freud, different concepts of theory are suggested to be used. According to a second approach, the psychoanalysis theory of Freud is not accepted as a science at all and if it is supposed as a science, it cannot fall under natural sciences. Critics have also argued on the standards adopted for criticisms and call for rejection of the old ones. Alder, a contemporary of Freud used the term “confluence of drives” and suggested that “sexual drive” and “drive of aggression” are present in every individual (Smith, 2003, p. 263). Freud has been strongly influenced by Alder’s work and especially these drives. He was also influenced by the ideas of Immanuel Kant. Freud borrowed from the concept of Kant’s “Transcendental Analytic” which suggests that natural science can be based upon causality. Freud’s psychoanalysis, which forms the backdrop of his personality theory, finds its clinical use on the only ground that other practitioners have found “an easy frame of reference in which to operate”. Lerman (1986) argues that psychoanalysis is not quite relevant to women although it is used widely amongst them. The theory neglects certain aspects of women’s lives and the “uniqueness of female experience is not considered at all” (Lerman, 1986, p. 11). Issues such as “menstruation, childbirth…female orgasm” are not studied exclusively. The ideas applied to women are related to the experience of male. The viewpoint built by him towards women was therefore “neither female nor sympathetic to female views of the world” (Lerman, 1986, p. 12). His theories and ideas are complex in nature, which are quite dissociated with particular experience. Even the process of mothering a child, which is a central role of women, does not gain attention in Freud’s personality theory. Freud has also claimed that his theories will be applicable to people from all classes and hence are all-encompassing in nature. Despite all, his theory attempts to be “universally explanatory” (Lerman, 1986, p. 11). In general psychoanalysis faced several hindrances during the attempts towards empirical validation. Freudian theory also proposes that mothers are the only caregivers and adult behavior is based merely upon development during childhood. Lerman (1986) points out that there are not any more contemporary experts who have carried his works forward or improved upon his areas. While trait theorists suggest that the various characteristics or traits are independent of one another, type theorist speak in favor of “an over-all unity of personality” derived from Gesalt based character where different components bear a definite relation with one another. The classification suggested by Freud centers on the influence of different degrees of “anal fixations”. The Freudian type-theory might be tested on the basis of Krout’s Personal Preference Scale (KPPS). Ten different stages of development are defined as follows: “infantile passive, oral sucking, oral sadistic, anal retentive, anal repulsive, narcissistic, feminine, masculine, intro-familial sublimation and social sublimation” (Stagner & Moffitt, 2006, p.73). 100 male individuals were taken such that they represent one type (3 men were selected to stand for each type) and the tests evaluated such that people under one type or category should associate to a high degree among themselves compared to the people chosen to represent the other categories. The authors were to evaluate that “correlations within “a type” were higher than those between types” an ANOVA was carried out to detect the difference. The results rejected the hypothesis indicating that a “typological organization of personality is the best way of representing the functional relationships of these particular responses”(Stagner & Moffitt, 2006, p.73). However one might oppose this saying that although the analysis does not favor the type theory, they cannot really reject the assumptions of psychosexual categories. Therefore the traits defining the stages might be related but generalization cannot be adopted nor can these lead to the formation of a cardinal principle of personality organization. This rather validates the idea of independent traits pertaining to the defined types. Freud has incorporated the theory of the unconscious to define the personality of a man. However, his definition and the image of man presented by the modern sciences are quite different especially because the human sciences of the topical times do not incorporate aggressive behavior and inclinations. Modern social sciences do not consider Freud’s work seriously because of two reasons mainly. First, his theory about the unconscious pertains totally to the psychological stream and second he has based his theorization on the assumption that psychoanalysis can help in understanding the society. Freud’s explorations have led to the identification of man as a being who is socially repressed and also self-repressing in nature – “an animal who represses his innermost desires to the unconscious regions of his mind, because he cannot tolerate the pain which would result from their non-gratification, and…seeks consolation from the miseries of life in socially sponsored illusions” (Gabriel, 1983, pp.3-4). Thus Freud encounters two associated areas of human dilemma – “discontents and illusions”. He stresses upon a gap between the unconscious mindset along with the conscious aspects on one hand and on the other hand, the focus lies on the difference between “unconscious desires and the limited possibilities of gratification” (Gabriel, 1983, p.4). Therefore his theory extends beyond social reality towards a “vision of a social reality based on fulfillment and self-understanding” (Gabriel, 1983, p.4). Hence he diverges from the “constraints of positivism” or there is a lack of scientific base in his theory. Based on the above discussions therefore we may come across several criticisms of Freud personality theory and his psychosexual stages of development but despite all, one cannot deny the fact the Freud’s theories are still studied with profound interest and he has provided all the experts in his fields a ground to work on. References 1. Gabriel, Y. (1983), Freud and Society, London: Routledge. 2. Harris, L.A. (2005), CliffsAP Psychology, New York: John Wiley & Sons 3. Lerman, H. (1986), From Freud to Feminist Personality Theory, Journal of Women Quarterly, 10, 1-18. 4. Macmillan, M. (1997), Freud evaluated: the completed arc, Massachusetts: MIT Press. 5. Smith, L.S. (2003), Freud and Alder on Agency and Determinism in the Shaping of the Personality, Journal of Individual Psychology. 59(3), 264-280 6. Stagner, R. & Moffitt, J.W. (2006), A STATISTICAL STUDY OF FREUDS THEORY OF PERSONALITY TYPES, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 12(1), 72-74 7. Weiner, F., Millon, S., & M. Lerner (2003), Personality and social psychology, New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More