The Development of Neo-Freudian Theorists

This report analyzes the contrast of Neo-Freudian and Freudian theories along with an evaluation of the modern-day applicability of Neo-Freudian theories. It covers themes such as self-awareness, drivers of human behavior, psychoanalysis and its critics, and theories of personality. The report also mentions the contributions of Freudian and Non-Freudian theories to the development of modern applicability.

Running head: NEO-FREUDIANS 1
The Development of Neo-Freudian Theorists
Gabriela Rosu
Grand Canyon University: PSY-802
July 18, 2018

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The Development of Neo-Freudian Theorists
Sigmund Fred is an eminent Austrian neurologist, who had founded the concept of
psychoanalysis, a clinical method of treating patients through verbal therapy. Freudian theory has
put emphasis on the unconscious mind and according to Freudian philosophy, “the unconscious
mind governs the behavior” of an individual to a larger degree than society suspect. Freudian
theory has three main elements namely id, ego and superego which are considered to be the chief
characteristics of human personality. Modern psychology has been greatly aided by Freudian
theory. However, several Non-Freudian theories are there that demonstrate human behavior from
a different aspect. In this report, analysis of the contrast of Neo-Freudian and Freudian theories
along with an evaluation of the modern-day applicability of Neo-Freudian theories will be
performed.
Self-Awareness
It cannot be ignored that a strong relationship exists between executive effectiveness and
self-awareness. Executive consultation is seen to be sharing the crucial role with psychoanalytic
treatment due to enhanced self-knowledge. Self-awareness of leaders in an organization is a
crucial factor on with the success and effectiveness of that organization depends. Leaders who
lack self-awareness often evidence conflict between team members resulting in employee
attrition and loss of the yearly revenue of the company (Axelrod, 2012). Self-awareness in
leaders helps them to make an ideal and right decision for the development of the company.
In contrast to the modern concept of self-awareness and self-reflection, the term self-
observation has a fairly narrow and specific meaning. It has been identified that self-observation
is the central role of free association in psychoanalytic theory. Considering the fact that ego and
Id of the executives and leaders have the potential to bring about the serious hazard in the
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organization, it is crucial to enhance the self–awareness of the leaders to prevent any unwanted
scenarios. Considering the fact that emotional awareness is a crucial part of self-awareness,
enhancement of emotional awareness in executives will enhance their professional effectiveness.
Analytical therapy is one of the best ways to treat unwanted ego.
Physiological and analytic therapy helps the healthcare service users to gain more control
over his or her increased complex and intrapsychic mode of self-observation (Kline, 2013).
Psychoanalytic therapy helps an individual to undergo in-depth analysis and understand their
own flaws and qualities. Moreover, as being stated by Freud, “instituting a free-associative kind
of self-observation would give analyst and patient access to the unconscious.”Axelrod, S. D.
(2012). Modern physiologist should incorporate Freud’s psychoanalysis theory in their
therapeutic procedure to develop and maintain emotional awareness along with self-awareness in
the executives.
Psychologists face several dilemmas when it comes to providing psychotherapy to the
healthcare service users. Unlike other clinical dilemmas, the clinical dilemma in psychotherapy
is difficult to assess due to lack of non-discrete quality. Due to the inseparable and interpersonal
character of psychotherapeutic treatment, clinical dilemmas are present when it comes to
psychotherapy. It must be noted that clinical dilemmas are highly different from that of the
ethical dilemmas faced by the psychologists during the time of providing treatment to the
patients. Psychotherapist is often seen to face issues while making decisions about the treatment
of the patient. Decisions like the appropriate time to shift from an exploratory mode to a more
active behavioral intervention or creating a barrier to intervene in a patient's life for the treatment
can be considered as a clinical dilemma. Clinical dilemma while providing a healthcare service
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user with therapeutic treatment has the potential to impose a negative impact on the treatment of
the patient.
Psychotherapist, in spite of their theoretical persuasions, frequently find themselves in
situations where their judgment calls are similar for different patients as well as their families.
Hence in order to eradicate clinical dilemmas in psychotherapy, several Freudian theories can be
implemented. Psychologists have understood that in order to prevent the above-mentioned
dilemma, it is highly crucial to differentiate between the professional psychotherapists and the
behavioral technician (Lacan, 2013). This differentiation will help the psychologist to gain a
better insight into the issues of the patient which in turn will lead to improvement and betterment
of the condition of the patient. For instance, the theory of self-efficiency can be implemented
while treating patients as a unifying concept of in the behavioral change process. Including
Freudian theory for differentiating the behavioral approach of the patient can help the
physiotherapist to make effective decisions.
The drivers of human behavior
According to Neo-freudian theory, as highlighted by Newton (1992), with advancing age
comes maturity and a sense of responsibility, however it should be critically noted that between
the age group of 39 to 44, individuals tend to inculcate in themselves a sense of insecurity and
fear pertaining to the major realisation of the fact that they have already lived half the tenure of
their life-span and are approaching their old age which would eventually lead to their death and
individuals grouped under this age group are extremely anxious and frustrated in accessing the
extent to which they have gained success in terms of accomplishments and failure (Gluck &
Bluck,2013). Research studies reveal that ‘the mid-life crisis’ can last for a period of three to
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almost ten years (Lachman et al.,2015). Also, the theory on which the mid-life crisis is based
relies on the insecurity that Freud had faced associated with the discovery of the origin of
neurosis. While carrying out the research study, Freud had encountered the feelings of insecurity
that had ultimately paved the track for the discovery on the realization of dreams (Weaver,2009).
Therefore, it should be critically taken into consideration that mid-life crisis is a serious problem
as it leads to a number of complications that contribute in lowering of the morale of the
individuals who belong to the above-mentioned age groups. Mid-life crisis leads to a negative
effect on the mental health of the individuals as it often leads to depression and feelings of
loneliness and despair.
Hence in order to conclude, it can be said that the middle age should not be treated as an
age of acute emotional crisis but should be more or less considered as the age which should deal
with designing modern ideas and also an age to upgrade one-self with changing times and the
modern scenario.
Sigmund Freud and BF Skinner is view as polar opposites when it comes to
psychological theories. But both of the psychologists believed that in order to enhance desirable
behavior a system of reward as well as punishment is highly necessary. In spite of several
contrast and dissimilarities between the theories of Sigmund Freud and B.F. Skinner, the theories
of skinner like, dream symbolism, defense mechanism and metaphor use is found to be highly
influenced by Freud theory of psychoanalysis (Overskeid, 2007). Skinner was found to agree
with numerous theories of Freud when he was composing a book on human behavior. According
to Skinner, the desired behavior in a human being is enhanced through a system of positive
reinforcement, rewards and punishments. This belief of skinner is totally based on the theories of
the human behavior of Freud. According to the theories of Freud, superego, the person of a
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human being, is considered to be unselfish is created by a system of reward and punishment.
Freud believed that Id that is one's impulses is controlled by the external superego.
However, when it comes to methodology and conclusion, the idea of Freud and Sigmund
is found to be contrasting. For an instant, according to Freud, in order to Freud desirable
behavior can be developed in a child through properly shaping id, superego and ego by the
society and the parents (Fenichel, 2014). Skinner, however, in contrast, believed “that reinforced
operant behavior would only last temporarily without some intermittent
reinforcement”Overskeid, G. (2007). Whereas Skinner thought desired behavior in a human
being requires occasional reinforcement in order to prevent the effect of operant behavior to
become extinct, Freud believed that desired behavior can be made a part of the life by
eliminating the need of modification.
The concept of both the psychologist has highly aided modern psychology. With the help
of Freud and Skinner's theory, psychologists are able to understand human behavior with more
clarity which in turn helps them to provide the healthcare service users with better medication.
Theme 3: Psychoanalysis and Its Critics
The idea of Psychoanalysis had been developed in the nineteenth century by Freud and
has progressed a great deal through the years. Initially when it was discovered, it remained
confined to the practice of laying down the depressed patients in the chamber on the bed and
make them blabber anything and everything in their sub-conscious state of mind and then derive
inferences from whatever the patient had said (Berman,2013). The Psycho-analysis theory had
then been developed and more refined and in the modern context is segregated into five phases,
the first of which includes resistance, wherein the patient resists in providing minute details
pertaining to imparting the important personal data on account of feeling hesitant to face a
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stranger who in this case is the concerned psychologist (Eagle,2007). The second phase involves
the step of transferase or counter-transferase which implies the ability of the counsellor to
develop an attitude of love and affection or hatred by the patient towards the therapist. The step
involves the development of an insight and finally the last step incorporates the designing of the
intervention by accessing the insights analysed during the therapy session and accordingly adopt
measures to help the patient in combating the prevalent psychological stress (Fonagy et al.,2015).
Hence, it should be noted that the method in which the psychoanalytical approach is
undertaken should be moulded so as to develop better strategies to make the patient more
comfortable so that the patient is able to express the deep feeling and thoughts that had led to the
creation of a chaos in the mind-set. Also, the factors that lead to the exposure of vulnerability of
the patient should be adequately analysed and considered prior to the implementation of the
therapies in terms of narrative therapy or counselling sessions. Also, focus groups and
parameters to interpret the insight of the patients should be judged on the basis of the
consideration of specific characteristics that include the various age groups and other important
factors.
Theories of personality can be defined as the differences in an individual with respect to
their behavior and personality. As being stated by Freud, the personality of an individual remains
the outcome of interface between ID, ego and superego. Freud in his theory had also stated that
development of personality in an individual start at an age of 5. However, Freud had not
considered an external factor that imposes an impact on the personality of an individual. After
Freud, four of his followers, namely, Alfred Adler, Eric Fromm, Karen Horney and Harry stack
Sullivan have worked upon the theories of personality. The theories evolved by the mentioned
psychologists have greatly aided the modern psychotherapists to access the behavior and
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personality of the patient to understand the issues faced by them. Aldler has developed the school
of universal psychology. His theory has given importance to the feelings, drives, memories as
well as emotions in the framework of the wholelifetime of an individual. He has also described
various levels of energy associated with human personality (Fenichel, 2014). According to
Adler, human behavior deals majorly with the phenomenon that can be observed rather than a
phenomenon that can be taken as faith. The idea of freedom in human personality is added by
Eric Formm. He stated that freedom is the most crucial factor that can be evidenced in human
personality. He describes three methods by which one escapes from independence, namely,
strict, harmfulness and robotconformism. Fromm defined two types of “unproductive families”:
“symbiotic and withdrawal families.” According to Formm, the economic system of a country is
the best determinant of the social unconsciousness of its residents (Hall & Lindzey, 1957).
Horney in his theory has described the causes of female psychiatric disturbance. She
stated that the male-dominated culture that had produced Freud theory can be considered
responsible for psychiatric disturbance in females. In the concept, she has presented the
notions“of womb envy that demonstrate male envy of nursing, pregnancy and motherhood.”(Hall
& Lindzey, 1957)The fact that women have the potential to create and sustain life has led men to
claim their superiority. Horney, his theory has explained ten patterns of physiological needs that
characterize neurotics in their attempts to combat anxiety. The theories of Horney help modern
psychiatrist to provide effective treatment to female patients suffering from anxiety disorder.
Sullivan's theory, on the other hand has focused on both the social as well as cognitive aspects of
human personality. His theories are more inclined towards the eclectic approach instead of
Freud's psychosexual approach. Sullivan stated that anxiety results only from social interaction.
Hence the defense mechanism can be used as an effective tool to fight social anxiety.
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Conclusions
From the above themes, it can be concluded that both Freudian and Non-Freudian
theories have highly contributed to the development of modern applicability. Several similarities
between the Freudian and Non-Freudian concept of personality has been detected. It has been
found that, Non-Freudian theories which have been developed from Freudian theory has the
potential to eradicate several issues associated with clinical intervention taken by
psychotherapists. Finally, it can be concluded that though several research has been performed
about the various concepts associated with Non-Freudian theories, more researches are needed to
obtain clarity about of theoretical approaches that are required to be taken by therapists to
provide a better intervention to the patients. In the above themes it can be seen that there are a
number of different factors affecting the formulation of the ideology in the people in the society
ranging from inheritance to interaction. The identity of a person may cannot be differentiated
from any of the above said tenets as the human ideology depends on the person themselves and
the acculturation they get. This in tandem with the interaction and its intensity can be said to be
the formation of an identity.
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