HAHP 2000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Preconscious, John Bowlby

• School: Dalhousie University
• Department: Health and Human Performance
• Course: HAHP 2000
• Professor: Matthew Numer

Document Summary

Psychoanalytic theories: behavior is superficial and can be analyzed to understand the inner workings of the mind, primarily unconscious (beyond awareness, heavily colored by emotions, a surface characteristic with symbolic meaning, development is primarily unconscious & influenced largely by emotion & biologic processes, early experiences with caregivers shape development extensively. What do we think of freud"s theories today: unconscious thought remains a central theme, conscious thought plays a larger role, freud had too much focus on the unconscious, not enough on conscious, less emphasis on sexual instincts, greater emphasis on cultural experiences, assumes that everyone grew up in a western culture, 2 parents household, where both parents played equal parts in raising the child, assumes that nurture trumps nature. Personality must be examined developmentally: early experiences are the most important, considers the unconscious, development continues through entire lifespan, not scientifically testable (lack scientific support, over emphasis on sexual development, unconscious given too much credit, culture & gender biased.