Psychoanalysts seek a hidden meaning in our thoughts. They closer inspection finds things we might normally not, just as the details on this brain can be found when we look closer with a magnifying glass. Psychoanalysis Summary Psychoanalytical psychology believes that unconscious forces are more important and bigger than conscious forces in human psychology. Unconscious sex and aggression drives powerfully motivate people. These unconscious desires can be temporarily suppressed, but need an outlet in a healthy person, psychoanalysts purport. Psychoanalysts have developed many techniques to study subjects. One technique, free association, is where patients or subjects voice their naturally occurring thoughts, often about their dreams as encouraged by the psychologist. The psychologist then analyzes the thoughts and searches for a deeper, hidden meaning behind them. Another called projective tests is where a psychologist provides a subject or a patient with an ambiguous stimulus, such as a single word, a sentence fragment, an inkblot, or an ambiguous picture, and the subject responds. The theory is that people will project their unconscious desires and motivations on the ambiguous situation presented. Between psychoanalysts, the important unconscious drives are often debated. Sex is often argued to not be a driving force. Some psychologists see universal "memories" stored by all humans, called the collective unconscious, as a driving force. Others say that birth order and sibling rivalry spur people to act as they do. Still others say that a universal human need for love and security drive people.

Sigmund Freud Important People in Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (AD 1889 to 1940): Freud published 24 books on psychoanalysis and was actually the founder of that school. An Outline of Psychoanalysis summarized his theory of psychoanalysis. Freud himself developed the technique of free association, where the psychologist analyzes a subject or patients thoughts and looks for something deeper.

Philosophical Roots Physiological Roots Pseudoscientific Schools of Thought Structuralism Functionalism Psychoanalysis Gestalt Behaviorism Humanism Cognitive Psychology's Roots Home

by Steven N. Jacowski, September 20, 2004
Mr. Ward's AP Psychology - 6th
Craig High School