Psychoanalytic Theory
| Definition: |
Conceptual system developed by Freud and his followers in which unconscious motivations are considered to shape normal and abnormal personality development and behavior. |
| Notes: |
IM; no qualif; /hist = PSYCHOANALYSIS /hist; differentiate from PSYCHOANALYTIC INTERPRETATION in that the theory is on a more universal, less subjective level |
| Also Called: |
Oral Character |
Psychoanalytic Theory Categories.
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Freudian Theory - Philosophic formulations which are basic to psychoanalysis. Some of the conceptual theories developed were of the libido, repression, regression, transference, id, ego, superego, Oedipus Complex, etc. |
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Jungian Theory - A theoretical psychoanalytical system centered around symbols of the unconscious with the unconscious material derived from two sources - the personal unconscious (repressed or forgotten experiences, thoughts and feelings) and the collective or objective unconscious (the universal inherited qualities which dispose individuals to behave in ways similar to their anscestors). |
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Libido - The psychic drive or energy associated with sexual instinct in the broad sense (pleasure and love-object seeking). It may also connote the psychic energy associated with instincts in general that motivate behavior. |
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Narcissism - A psychoanalytic term meaning self-love. |
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Object Attachment - Emotional attachment to someone or something in the environment. |
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Oedipus Complex - Attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex. |
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Pleasure-Pain Principle - The psychoanalytic concept that man instinctively seeks to avoid pain and discomfort and strives for gratification and pleasure. |
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Self Psychology - Psychoanalytic theory focusing on interpretation of behavior in reference to self. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Terms, 1994) This elaboration of the psychoanalytic concepts of narcissism and the self, was developed by Heinz Kohut, and stresses the importance of the self-awareness of excessive needs for approval and self-gratification. |
Psychoanalytic Theory Definitions and Terms
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