2014-02-0338
Personality Theories
Uzma Mazhar
1) What personality (or character) type does Hank display according to Freudian theory? Provide evidence for your answer. At what stage is Hank fixated, according to the Freudian perspective? Find evidence of fixation in the case study. What might have caused this fixation?
According to Freud Hank’s displays the Oral Aggressive personality type. This personality type is characterized by envy, manipulation of others, and suspiciousness. ‘Oral aggressive’ people are often perceived as envious, pessimistic, cynical, sarcastic, scornful and contemptuous. Hank perceives others as shallow and is sarcastic about others.
Hank is fixated at the oral stage. Orally-fixated people often seek gratification through smoking, thumb-sucking, nail-biting and chewing objects like pens and pencils. Hanks resort to smoking and eating when he is stressed.
This fixation occurs as a result of his mother’s overprotectiveness. His mother used to fulfill his needs instantly. This resulted in his habit of instant gratification which could not be fulfilled later in life.
His mother use to shut him up with cookies. This is me was a clean sign that he had dependency issue towards his mother. The mother did not discipline her son which can lead him to have unbalance state of mind. After reading the case study, I believe the mother is part to blame for Hank’s fixation because he was spoiled into a self-centered person, without him even noticing.
2) Would Freudian theory describe Hank's eating and argumentative behaviors as being internally or externally motivated? Explain the motivation.
Freudian Theory will describe Hank’s eating and argumentative behaviors as being internally motivated. His habit of eating is a sign of fixation at the Oral Stage as a result of which he resorts to excessive eating and smoking when he is in stress. His argumentative nature expresses his discontent towards others because these people