Freud and the Psychology of the Unconscious Mind--Study Questions
At the end of this unit you should be able to answer all of the following questions
1. Freud is a biological determinist. According to Freud, the sex instinct was the basis for human development and behavior. Why did it make sense to Freud to focus on sex rather than some other biological drive?
2. Freud’s theory is very much rooted in Victorian attitudes about sex. From Freud’s perspective, what made sexuality difficult to cope with? What effects did this have on psychological well-being?3. Despite charges to the contrary, Freud’s aim was for psychology to be a science. Why was his theory ultimately considered to be unscientific?
4. What do we mean by hysteria? In Freud’s time, what was the commonly accepted explanation for this disorder? How was it treated? What was Freud’s explanation?
5. What were the two fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis according to Freud?
6. What is the seduction theory? Why did Freud later abandon this theory? What theoretical idea replaced the seduction theory? How did Freud come up with this alternative?
7. According to Freud, what function does dreaming serve?
8. According to Freud, why do we have little memory of our lives prior to age six or so?
9. Why did Popper consider psychoanalysis to be a pseudoscience?
10. What brought Freud to the United States in 1909? What impact did his visit have?
