PSY 2012 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Penis Envy, Electra Complex, Incest Taboo
Document Summary
Personality- reasonably stable patterns of behaviors, including thoughts and feelings, that characterize person"s adaptation to life. Freud found himself interested in dealing with patients" emotional problems. He delved into hypnotherapy, and ultimately went on to develop psychoanalysis. He had jaw cancer from smoking cigars on a regular basis. Freud"s most important contribution to psychology was his discovery of the unconscious mind. He believed our unconscious mind has an enormous influence on our behavior and conscious thoughts and feelings. He likened the mind to an iceberg in which about 1/3 is above the water line (consciousness) and the remaining 2/3 is below the water line (unconsciousness). Nonetheless it represents our basic impulses and urges because it operates on the pleasure principle. It engages in reality testing as it is more or less the referee between the id and the superego. Superego our conscience and for most of is it develops and matures slowly over the years.
