Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Context
1. Psychodynamic Perspective
2. Freud's hypothesis
  1. During phallic stage, boy develops intense sexual desires towards his mother, and therefore sees father as a rival. Because father is much larger than boy, boy develops castration-threat anxiety in belief father will castrate him. Boy develops a mechanism for coping with anxiety, known as 'identification with aggressor', where the boy adopts father's attitudes and mannerisms, hoping that in becoming similar to father, father's hotility towards boy will dissapear.
Aims
1. To prove his theory of the development infantile sexuality, in particular during phallic stage (inc. Oedipus Complex) by analysing Little Hans's dreams and phobia of horses
2. To test the explanation of the genesis of phobias, as Little Hans had a fear of horses.
Method
1. Longitudinal Design
2. Case Study
3. Participant: Little Hans, aged 3-5yrs
Procedure
1. Hans's father (who was a fan of Freud's work) recorded events and conversations that he had with Hans and sent these regulaly to Freud to have analysed. Freud would give instructions to Hans's father and send back his analysis - he only met Hans and his father once, at the end of the study.
Findings and explanations
1. Hans had a fear of white horses and horses falling over
  1. Explanation: Horse was a symbol for his father - Hans's fear of father was displaced in a phobia of white horses with blinkers and black bits around the mouth. This represented his father, who wore glasses and had a moustache
    1. "Daddy, don't trot away from me!"
    2. Hans witnessed a horse (that was pulling a carriage) falling over, and the loud noise made by the horse upon hitting the ground scared Hans
2. Giraffe dream
  1. There was a big giraffe and a crumpled giraffe in the room - the big one called out when Hans took the crumpled one away. He then sat on the crumpled one.
    1. Explanation: a reworking of the morning exchanges in the parental bed. Hans enjoyed getting into bed with his parents in the morning, but his father objected to this (big giraffe calling out)
3. Plumber dream
  1. A plumber came and removed his bottom and 'widdler' and replaced them with larger ones.
4. Example of question asked
  1. Hans' father: "Did you often get into bed with mummy at Gmunden?" Hans: "Yes"
5. Hans had a fantasy of being married to his mother and playing with his children, with his father assuming the role of the grandfather
6. At age of 3, Hans developed an active interest in his 'widdler' (penis) and also those of others e.g. he asked his mother "Mummy, have you got a widdler too?"
  1. Hans was entering Oedipus Complex
  2. Was jealous of Hanna when she was born
    1. He was jealous of the attention Hanna received from his mother
    2. Wished mother would drop her in the bath (so she would drown) - then feared the same would happen to him
      1. Baths were 'womb-like'
7. Developed an interest in toilet functions - 'lumf' (faeces)
8. Sources of anxiety
  1. Mother
    1. Felt sexually attracted towards her, which led to anxieties
      1. e.g. mother threatened to castrate him if he kept playing with his 'widdler' = castration anxiety
    2. Would drop him in the bath
  2. Father
    1. Wanted him dead, but also loved him - this created conflict and feelings of anxiety
      1. e.g. would hit father and then kiss the spot
Evaluation
1. Strengths
  1. Case studies provide a lot of detail - some forms of psychotherapy involve studying a client for a long period of time in order to find a cause for the problem
  2. Special relationship between Hans and father allowed in-depth and intimate responses to be obtained from Hans
2. Weaknesses
  1. Cannot generalise, sample too small - Little Hans may not represent a 'typical' child
  2. Hans' father may have been biased in the way he interpreted his son's answers, as he was a follower of Freud. Results are also very objective
Improvements
1. Get an independent observer to record Little Hans' behaviour, instead of his father. Could have two observers at once to increase inter-rater reliability
  1. Less biased, results more valid and reliable
  2. More expensive, reserachers may still be influenced by Freud
2. Increase sample size e.g. 5 boys who are all believed to be "normal". Hans did have a predisposition to neurosis
  1. Results will be more representative and valid

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	Created by Rosalind123 about 12 years ago