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Chapter 2: Problem 4

(a) Did Freud regard at least some of his ideas and constructs as truths that deserved to remain unchallenged for a long time? (b) What is the difference between a construct and a fact? (c) Given this difference, is it likely that Freud's constructs would be as enduring as he hoped?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Freud viewed his ideas as truths that deserved to remain unchallenged. A construct is a theoretical concept developed for describing relations among phenomena or for other research purposes, while a fact is something demonstrably true and directly observable. Given this difference, it's unlikely that Freud's constructs would be as enduring as he hoped since they can be modified, challenged, or discarded as more evidence accumulates and paradigms shift.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Freud's viewpoint

Freud definitely saw at least some of his ideas as truths that deserved to remain unchallenged. He wholeheartedly believed in his theories and helped to pave the way for the development of psychoanalysis.
02

Difference between a construct and a fact

A construct is an explanatory variable which is not directly observable. It's a concept developed for describing relations among phenomena or for other research purposes. For example, the idea of the 'super-ego' in Freud's theory is a construct. A fact, in contrast, is something demonstrably true and directly observable. The difference is that a fact can be objectively verified, whereas a construct is a theoretical creation.
03

Considering the endurance of Freud's constructs

Given that constructs rely heavily on theoretical frameworks and are not verifiable in the same way facts are, they can be modified, challenged, or even discarded as more evidence accumulates and paradigms shift. While Freud's constructs have greatly influenced psychology, they have also faced much criticism and revision over time. So, it's unlikely they would be as enduring as he might have hoped.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Give an example of a parapraxis from your own life, and suggest how Freud might interpret it. How would you interpret it?

Explain how the concept of resistance can be viewed both as a major contribution to our knowledge and as a way for Freud to protect his theory against attack.

The author of a popular textbook on introductory psychology (which I use when I teach that course concludes that the following evidence disproves Freud's construct of repression: "Shouldn't we expect children who have witnessed a parent's murder to repress the experience? A study of sixteen 5- to 10-year-old children who had this horrific experience found that not one repressed the memory. Shouldn't survivors of Nazi death camps have banished the atrocities from consciousness? With rare exceptions, they remember all too well." (Myers, \(2001,\) p. 498 ) Why is the author's conclusion incorrect?

A terrorist blows up a building in a hated foreign country. How might Freud use the concepts of id, ego, and superego to explain this behavior?

Consider the following quotes from Chapter \(1:(\text { a })\) "Psychoanalysis is a method of research, an impartial instrument, like the infinitesimal calculus." Do you agree? Why or why not? (b) "[Mental patients] have turned away from external reality, but for that very reason they know more about internal, psychical reality and can reveal a number of things to us that would otherwise be inaccessible to us." Do you agree that studies of mental patients can provide important information about personality in general? Why or why not?
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