Psychology and Darren
Caroline Small
PSY 150
Ch. 11 Content Activity
1. How might Darren’s problems be explained from a psychoanalytic perspective? I think from a psychoanalytic perspective, Freud’s theory of defense mechanisms comes into play in this situation. Defense mechanisms are the reality-distorting strategies if the ago to prevent awareness of anxiety-evoking or troubling ideas or impulses. Darren is experiencing regression where the book describes regression as “the return of behavior that is typical of earlier stages of development.” There are five stages of personality development that a psychoanalyst would explain to Darren if he or she agreed with Freud. The psychoanalyst would tell Darren his pessimistic outlook on life comes from when he was younger; during a stage they call ‘the oral stage’. This stage occurs from birth until the child is 12 to 18 months. The book suggests that too little gratification, perhaps from early weaning, can lead to a pessimistic outlook because the lack of care during infancy. Another psychodynamic approach can be concluded from Carl Jung as his beliefs of personal and collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is what Darren might be focusing on because maybe both parents attended college and finished on time, even though this situation doesn’t say anything about his parents’ education. He might be trying to pass on the legend by doing well in school, especially if doing well is school was passed down from generation to generation.
2. How might Darren’s problems be explained by a trait theorist? Trait theorists believe that personality consists of traits and traits influence your behavior. It seems that Darren has many surface traits. Surface traits are used to describe personality based on one’s behavior. After Darren received a poor grade on his recent exam he blamed his teacher and even stopped attending lectures just because of one bad grade. Giving up on class and blaming his teacher shows that
PSY 150
Ch. 11 Content Activity
1. How might Darren’s problems be explained from a psychoanalytic perspective? I think from a psychoanalytic perspective, Freud’s theory of defense mechanisms comes into play in this situation. Defense mechanisms are the reality-distorting strategies if the ago to prevent awareness of anxiety-evoking or troubling ideas or impulses. Darren is experiencing regression where the book describes regression as “the return of behavior that is typical of earlier stages of development.” There are five stages of personality development that a psychoanalyst would explain to Darren if he or she agreed with Freud. The psychoanalyst would tell Darren his pessimistic outlook on life comes from when he was younger; during a stage they call ‘the oral stage’. This stage occurs from birth until the child is 12 to 18 months. The book suggests that too little gratification, perhaps from early weaning, can lead to a pessimistic outlook because the lack of care during infancy. Another psychodynamic approach can be concluded from Carl Jung as his beliefs of personal and collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is what Darren might be focusing on because maybe both parents attended college and finished on time, even though this situation doesn’t say anything about his parents’ education. He might be trying to pass on the legend by doing well in school, especially if doing well is school was passed down from generation to generation.
2. How might Darren’s problems be explained by a trait theorist? Trait theorists believe that personality consists of traits and traits influence your behavior. It seems that Darren has many surface traits. Surface traits are used to describe personality based on one’s behavior. After Darren received a poor grade on his recent exam he blamed his teacher and even stopped attending lectures just because of one bad grade. Giving up on class and blaming his teacher shows that