Sigmund Freud

Descriptive Essay # 100736

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Sigmund Freud

This paper discusses the life and theories of Sigmund Freud who is considered the father of psychoanalysis.

1,290 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, although Sigmund Freud is deemed the father of psychoanalysis, he is not given as much credit for the development of psychology because his theories were based more on human observation outside the laboratory rather than on well-constructed research studies that many experimental psychologists were conducting at the time. The author points out that, nonetheless, Freud is revered for his unique ideas and concepts, such as his "talking cure" method and his five structural principles of the unconscious mind. The paper relates that undoubtedly one of Freud's most famous and well-know principles describes three divisions of the human psyche: the ego, the id and the superego.

From the Paper:

"The Genetic Principle recognizes how the past influences current mental activity, and how those past influences shape current thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. This principle makes the presumption that one never gets over his or her childhood and is based on empirical findings intertwined with the fact that the human infant has a long period of biological dependence; and finally, There are three (3) phases of development that are examples of the Genetic Principle: the oral phase, the anal phase, and the phallic phase."

Sample of Sources Used:

Arlow, J. (2000) Psychoanalysis. In Corsini & Wedding (Sixth Ed.). Current Psychotherapies. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomas Learning. pp. 16-53.
Bagg, R., & Bagg, R., & Bagg, M. (2004). The Oedipus plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Kolonos, and Antigone. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.
Gay, P. (1998). Freud: A life for our time. New York: Norton.
Olby, R.C., & Cantor, G.N., & Christie, J.R.R., & Hodge, M.J.S. (1990). Companion to the history of modern science. London: Routledge.
Phelan, J.E. (2005). Consequences of the unresolved Oedipal paradigm: A review of the literature. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 27(3-4), 90-103.