Sigmund Freud
Father of psychoanalysis
Quick bio
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist born in present day Czech Republic who developed the background for psychoanalysis (Biography.com).
Career
Freud received a medical degree in 1881 and started treating psychological disorders. He became friends with a colleague by the name of Josef Breuer, and the two began working together. After they split due to disagreement, Freud continued with his work and published several writings on his theories. Freud became increasingly popular after giving several lectures in the U.S. (Biography.com).
Accomplishments/works
- Studies in Hysteria (1895) Both Freud and Breuer published this.
- The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)
- The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901)
- Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905)
- Five Essays on Psycho-Analysis (1916)
- Together with Breuer, he found that someone could rid themselves of their symptoms by bringing them to consciousness (Biography.com).
- Proposed that physical symptoms are manifestations of deeply repressed conflicts (McLeod).
Conscious vs. Unconscious mind
Freud compared the mind to an iceberg, where the tip of the iceberg is the conscious mind, and the much bigger bulk submerged in the water represents the unconscious mind. Freud believed that the unconscious mind contributed greatly to a person's behavior (McLeod).
The psyche
Freud divided the mind into three parts based on mental functions:
- Instincts (ID)- People have certain drives which help keep us alive. Operates at unconscious level (McLeod).
- Reality (Ego)- Satisfies demands of the ID in a socially acceptable way. Operates at both conscious and unconscious level (McLeod).
- Morality (Superego)- Ensures that moral standards are followed (McLeod).
Works Cited
Josef Breuer. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from Britannica.com website:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/79009/Josef-Breuer
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/79009/Josef-Breuer
Klein, C. (n.d.). 10 Things You May Not Know About Sigmund Freud. Retrieved
March 17, 2015, from History.com website: http://www.history.com/news/
10-things-you-may-not-know-about-sigmund-freud
Mcleod, S. (n.d.). Sigmund Freud. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
SimplyPsychology website: http://www.simplypsychology.org/
Sigmund-Freud.html
Sigmund freud. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from Biography.com website:
http://www.biography.com/people/sigmund-freud-9302400#video-gallery
Thornton, S. P. (n.d.). Sigmund Freud. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy website: http://www.iep.utm.edu/freud/