Psychology was always an interest of mine- not so much as a career choice but as a hobby. To be able to learn the thought process of a human being is very fascinating. Throughout this past summer quarter, I learned a great deal on psychoanalysis from lectures, videos and from the textbook. Of all the topics and interesting facts, I was most intrigued by the evolution of Psychoanalysis stemming from Sigmund Freud. Although, admittedly he is not my favorite psychologist, I do agree that he changed our perception of the human mind and personality.
Sigmund Freud is labeled the founder/father of psychoanalysis. He believed that the human mind is composed of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego. He also produced theories of psychosexual stages, the unconscious, and dream symbolism. These theories have become popular in today’s psychology field. Erik Erikson, another theorist associated with psychoanalysis, expanded on Freud’s theories thus stressing the importance of their growth. However, Freud’s critics believed his theories overemphasized the unconscious mind, sex, aggression and childhood experiences. They also believed that many of the concepts proposed by psychoanalytic theorists are difficult to measure and quantify. Also, most of Freud’s ideas were based on case studies and clinical observations rather than empirical, scientific research.
Despite the criticism, there are the psychoanalysis field has strengths. While most of the psychodynamic theories did not relay on experimental research, the methods and theories of psychoanalytic thinking contributed to experimental psychology. Also, many of the theories of personality developed by psychodynamic thinkers are still influential today, including Erikson’s theory of psychological stages and Freud’s psychosexual stage theory. Psychoanalysis opened u a new view on mental illness, suggesting that talking