Chapter 2

It has been argued that the content of any theory of personality is strongly influenced by the theorist's own personality (e.g., Mindess, 1988 ). Why might a personality theorist want to believe that aspects of his or her personality are shared by everyone?

How might Freud's personality and life experiences have influenced: (a) his conclusions regarding the Oedipus complex? (b) his belief that nearly all of personality is unconscious?

Freud suffered from some of the same neurotic symptoms that he treated in his patients. Would a person who is psychologically healthy have Freud's intense desire to probe deeply within his or her own psyche?

(a) Did Freud regard at least some of his ideas and constructs as truths that deserved to remain unchallenged for a long time? (b) What is the difference between a construct and a fact? (c) Given this difference, is it likely that Freud's constructs would be as enduring as he hoped?

Give an example of a parapraxis from your own life, and suggest how Freud might interpret it. How would you interpret it?

Give an example from your own life, or from the life of someone you know well, which shows that anxiety can be just as painful as (or even more painful than) a physical injury.

(a) Give an example from your own life of the use of one or more defense mechanisms. (b) What purpose did the defense mechanism(s) serve? (c) Were there any harmful effects? (d) since many of these mechanisms are used unconsciously, how can you (or anyone) know that they actually exist?

Give an example from your own life of an undesirable id impulse overcoming the ego's restrictions and defenses.

Give an example from your own life of the superego being overly demanding and cruel to the ego.

Why might a theorist use a construct such as libido, even though it cannot be observed or measured?

By today's standards, Freud's views of women were clearly biased. To what extent (if any) should criticism of Freud take into account the era in which he lived?

A young woman dreams that she rushes to catch a train but gets to the station too late, the train leaves without her, and there are no more trains to her destination for several weeks. On the surface, it appears that the dreamer has been disappointed. How might this dream be interpreted to support Freud's belief that virtually every dream fulfills some wish of the dreamer?

Consider the following quotes from Chapter \(1:(a)\) "Psychoanalysis is a method of research, an impartial instrument, like the infinitesimal calculus." Do you agree? Why or why not? (b) "[Mental patients] have turned away from external reality, but for that very reason they know more about internal, psychical reality and can reveal a number of things to us that would otherwise be inaccessible to us." Do you agree that studies of mental patients can provide important information about personality in general? Why or why not?

Explain how the concept of resistance can be viewed both as a major contribution to our knowledge and as a way for Freud to protect his theory against attack.

A terrorist blows up a building in a hated foreign country. How might Freud use the concepts of id, ego, and superego to explain this behavior?

The chief executive officer of a major corporation lies to his coworkers and the public, thereby defrauding them of a great deal of money while making millions for himself. A religious leader conceals evidence of child abuse by his subordinates, thereby allowing such abuse to continue. When found out, both individuals steadfastly maintain that they did nothing wrong, (a) Is this an excuse or a rationalization? (b) How might Freud explain this behavior?

The author of a popular textbook on introductory psychology (which I use when I teach that course) concludes that the following evidence disproves Freud's construct of repression: "Shouldn't we expect children who have witnessed a parent's murder to repress the experience? A study of sixteen 5 - to 10 -year-old children who had this horrific experience found that not one repressed the memory. Shouldn't survivors of Nazi death camps have banished the atrocities from consciousness? With rare exceptions, they remember all too well." (D. G. Myers, 2006 pp. \(604-605\) ). Why is the author's conclusion incorrect?

How might you (or even Freud himself) use psychoanalytic constructs to make better decisions and live a more fulfilling life?