1- Individual Differences

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  • Created by: livvvx
  • Created on: 12-05-19 17:13

Individual Differences

-Key Theme 1= understanding disorders

-Key Theme 2= measuring differences

Assumptions:

  • To understand the human mind and behaviour we must focus on the diffs between people rather than what we have in common. 
  • These individuals diffs can be measures e.g. through psychometric tests
  • Ech persons behaviour is due to; genetics, social experiences and personal qualities.

+= Practical applications as findings are used by psychiatry in modern day, Often contain case studies that are rich in detail and allow researchers in the future to further develop/invetigate the topic

-= Methodology may not be objective and be open to bias e.g. Freud, Unfalsifiable as concepts are usually difficult to test and measure

Freud (1909)

-Background:

  • ID, Ego and Superego
  • Psychosexual development- phallic stage = 3-6 years
  • During phallic stage odeipuscomplex occurs= desire for mother, fear of father 

-Aim:

  • To give an account of a boy who was suffering from a phobia of horses and use the case to illustrate the existence of the oedipus comples

-Design:

  • Case study
  • Hans' father sent details to Freud via letters

-Sample:

  • Jewish boy from Vienna- Little Hans
  • 5 y/o at start of study
  • Suffered from a phobia of horses

-Case study:

  • First reports from age 3;
  • sister is born-hostility- death wish, bath incident, bath phobia
  • focus on widdler- suprised baby doesn't have one, mother ''I'll cut it off''= castration anxiety
  • Age 4;
  • Hans slept in parents bed while father was away, very jealous of fathers return causes conflict
  • Age 5;
  • Hans saw a horse collapse in the street, feared horses would bite him. Hans' father wrote to Freud assuming it was connected to him being brightened by a large penis. Hans phobia developed, Hans was afraid to leave the house and developed a more specific phobia of white horses with black around their mouth.

-Hans' fantasies:

  • Giraffe fantasy- big giraffe and crumpled giraffe. The big giraffe cried out for the crumpled one because H took it away, H sat on top of the crumpled giraffe. Freud interpeted this as the long giraffe being a large adult penis and the crumpled giraffe being Hans' mother
  • The Children Fantasy- H fantasised he had several children with his mother and his father was the grandfather- Father still involved in role of grandfather
  • Plumber Fantasy- A plumber came and removed Hans' bottom and widdler then replaced these with larger ones= resolution of O.E identifying with his father and being like him.

-Conclusions:

  • Hans suffered a phobia of horses because he was suffering from castration anxiety and going through the oedipus complex. His dreams and fantasies helped express this conflict and eventually he resolved his O.E by fantasising himself taking on his father's role and placing his father in the role of the grandfather. 

-Internal v

  • Researcher bias - Father asked leading questions e.g. ''when the horse fell down did you think of your daddy?''
  • DC? Father was a supporter of Freud, would want to support his theory.
  • Behaviourst expl?- classical conditioning for phobia of horses (H heard a…

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