Question

Jeanne's therapist asks her to recount a violent dream she recently experienced in order to gain insight into the unconscious forces affecting her behavior. Jeanne's therapist is working from a ___________ perspective.

Short answer

Jeanne's therapist is working from a Psychoanalytic perspective.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Scenario

In this scenario, Jeanne's therapist is analyzing her behavior by asking her to recount a violent dream. It indicates that the therapist is trying to decode the meaning of Jeanne's dreams to understand her unconscious motives, feelings, and desires.

Identifying the Perspective

The approach of Jeanne's therapist is consistent with the Psychoanalytic perspective in psychology. Developed by Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. The analysis of dreams is a significant part of this perspective as Freud considered dreams as the 'royal road to the unconscious.'

Key concepts

Unconscious Mind

The unconscious mind is a key concept in the psychoanalytic perspective. Developed by the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, this theory suggests that a large part of our mind operates below our conscious awareness. This hidden part of the mind contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are not within immediate awareness but influence our behaviors and emotions.

Freud believed that the unconscious mind holds painful memories and unacceptable social desires that are repressed, which means they are kept out of conscious thought to protect ourselves from experiencing anxiety and conflict.

It's like an iceberg, where the visible tip above the water is our conscious mind, while the vast bulk hidden beneath the surface is our unconscious. This belief led Freud to consider methods to access the unconscious, as he believed that understanding these hidden parts of our psyche could lead to resolving internal conflicts and psychological issues.

• The unconscious mind functions through dreams, slips of the tongue, and free associations.
• It's the driving force behind many of our actions and reactions, often without us realizing it.
• Healing comes from bringing these unconscious influences into awareness.

Dream Analysis

Dream analysis is a central method used in the psychoanalytic perspective to explore the unconscious mind. Freud referred to dreams as the "royal road to the unconscious" because he believed they are a direct way to access repressed content from the unconscious mind.

When we dream, our minds conjure up symbolic representations of our deeper, uncontrolled thoughts and desires. Freud suggested that every dream has a manifest content, which is the literal storyline of the dream, and a latent content, which is the hidden psychological meaning.

Analyzing dreams involves examining the manifest content to reveal and understand the latent content. This process helps uncover unconscious thoughts and can lead to the resolution of psychological conflicts.

• Symbols in dreams are not universal and can differ greatly from person to person based on personal experiences and emotions.
• Therapists using dream analysis might ask a patient to describe their dreams in detail and discuss how these dreams make them feel.
• Dream analysis can help identify fears, desires, and unresolved conflicts influencing current behavior.

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who founded the field of psychoanalysis. His revolutionary ideas about the human psyche have profoundly influenced psychology, psychiatry, and even broader cultural discourses. Freud introduced several groundbreaking concepts including the unconscious mind, the significance of childhood experiences, and the development of personality.

One of Freud’s core beliefs was that much of human behavior is driven by unconscious motives, and his work emphasized the need to bring these influences into conscious awareness to address psychological distress.

Aside from developing dream analysis, Freud introduced techniques such as free association and the analysis of slips of the tongue to explore the workings of the unconscious.

• Freud's theories have led to the development of various psychological therapies.
• Freud's work emphasized the importance of early childhood experiences on shaping personality and future behaviors.
• While some of Freud’s theories have been criticized and re-evaluated over time, his impact on understanding human psychology remains significant.