DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH - Freud

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FREUD:

AIM: The aim of this study was to provide an account of a case study of little Hans who was experiencing anxiety, phobias (horses) as a result of the Oedipus Complex

METHOD AND DESIGN: A longitudinal case study

PARTICIPANT: Hans, 5 years old who was going through the anal/phallic stage

PROCEDURE: The analysis was done by Hans father who was a fan of Freud's work. Freud only met Hans only twice, on one occasion was due to a therapeutic session, and another which was a social visit for Hans' birthday. Hans' father wrote written reports and letters to Freud describing his interpretations of Hans' behaviours. Hans had developed a fear of horses, which then later Freud has interpreted the white horse to resemble Hans' father. This was led to believe as Hans felt hostile towards his father, as he was also frightened of his father and jealous of all the attention his mother gave his father. (explained in the Oedipus Complex). The resemblance to the horse and Hans' father was because the horses had a blinker and the black on the horse's mouths which them resembled Hans' father moustache and glasses.

Hans also had a giraffe fantasy which explain the Oedipus Complex further as Hans had mentioned a day dream Hans had:

"In the night there was a big giraffe in the room and a crumpled one, and the big one called out because i took the crumpled one away from it, and then I sat down on top of the crumpled one."

Hans had re enacted what had happened to him when he climbed into bed with his parents. His father often objected to this, making the "big giraffe" resemble his father, and the "giraffe who was taken away" resembled his mother. Freud also questioned whether the long neck on the giraffe resembled a penis. This was then later denied by Hans.

Hans also had another fantasy but about a plumber. He mentioned "that a plumber took away his behind with a pair of pincers and then gave him another, this happened the same with his 'widdler'" Hans' father interpreted this as the plumber replaced Hans' body parts with bigger ones, like his fathers, Freud interpreted this as Hans wanted to be like his father.

CONCLUSION:

The study of Hans is believed to support Freud's theory of the Oedipus Complex as:

Hans was jealous of his fathers relationship with his mother and become frightened of him, ( castration anxiety) symbolised by a fear of fingers being bitten by horses.

The fantasies were about taking his mother away from his father (giraffe)

Hans tried to seduce his mother by asking why she didnt touch his widdler when she powered him after a bath.

Hans admitted he wanted to marry his mother, and played a game where he was the father to their children.

The resolution came when Hans wanted to be like his father. (plumber fantasy)