Component 2: Freud (Individual Differences)

Question 1

What is the Id, ego and superego?

Answer 1

Id - part of the unconcious mind which innte instinctive impulses and primary processes are maifested.
Ego - the portion of the human personality that is experienced as the ‘self’ or ‘I’.
Superego - the part of the unconcious mind that acts as a conscience.

Question 2

What is the oedipus complex?

Answer 2

All boys between the ages of 3-5 develop and unconcious sexual desire for their mothers. They see their father as a rival and develop a death wish for him. They fear he will castrate them so gives up love for mother and identifies with father.

Question 3

What is the unconcious mind?

Answer 3

The part of our mind that we are unaware of - Freud believes this contains unresolved childhood conflict that led to abnormal behaviour.

Question 4

What is infantile sexuality/ the five stages of psychosexual development?

Answer 4

Oral (0-1 yrs old) - pleasure gained from the oral cavity.
Anal (1-3 yrs old) - pleasure gained from holding onto urine and feces.
Phallic (3-5 yrs old) - pleasure gained from own genitals.
Latency (6-13yrs old) - nothing happens
Genital (puberty onwards) - interest in genitals of the opposite sex - sexual maturity.

Question 5

What was Frued’s hypothesis/aim in his study with Little Hans?

Answer 5

To document the case of a young boy with a phobia of white horses and to find evidence for psychosexual stages of development.

Question 6

What research method did Freud use?

Answer 6

Longitudinal case study and self report via letter correspondance between Hans’ father and Freud. His father would observe and interview Little Hans.

Question 7

Describe the sample.

Answer 7

One five year old boy (Little Hans) who was suffering from phobias. He was from a middle class family in Austria.

Question 8

Describe the procedure.

Answer 8

Hans’ father was a personal friend and supporter of Freud’s work.
He would write letters to Freud about Han’s fantasies, dreams and phobias.
Frued would interpret them and write back.

Question 9

Describe Little Hans and his widdler.

Answer 9

1. At age 3 he became obsessed with his own widdler, his fathers and those of animals.
2. He got pleasure from playing with his widdler and also from excretion.
   3.His mum often threatened to take Hans to the doctor and have his widdler cut off.

Question 10

Describe Little Hans’ fear of horses.

Answer 10

1. Hans developed a fear of white horses.
2. Freud believed the horse symbolised his father who might punish Hans by castrating him. (symbolised as the horse biting him) The black on the horses mouth represented his fathers mustache and the horses blinkers, his father’s spectacles.
3. Hans was once told not to put his hand near the horses mouth in case he got bitten when he was on holiday.

Question 11

Describe Little Hans’ fantasy of the two giraffes.

Answer 11

1. “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. Then it stopped calling out: and then I sat down on the crumpled one.”
2. Freud suggested this fantasy was a representation of him trying to take his father (big giraffe) away from his mother (crumpled girraffe) so he could have her to himself.

Question 12

Describe Little Hans’ plumber fantasy.

Answer 12

1. Hans said “I was in the bath and then the plumber came and unscrewed it. Then he took a big borer and stuck it in my stomache.”
2. Freud suggested this was Hans identifying with his father and beginning to resolve the Oedipus complex.

Question 13

Describe Little Hans’ family fantasy.

Answer 13

1. Hans is a married man (to his mother) with children of his own and his father is depicted as the children’s grandfather (so no longer a rival.) He also fantasises about taking his children to the toilet to help them widdle and wipe their bottoms (implying he took pleasure while he helped them.)

Question 14

What are the conclusions of Freud’s study with Little Hans?

Answer 14

Freud concluded that his study of Hans provided support for:
1. his theory on psychosexual development/infantile sexuality.
2. suggestion that boys in the phallic stage of psychosexual development experience the Oedipus complex.

Question 15

How does Freud’s study fall into the individual differences area?

Answer 15

Little Hans was a 5 year old boy who specifically had a fear of white horses and this disorder is unique to him.