30 Must-Read Books for Psychologists

Rationalization: Providing logical explanations for irrational behavior.

4. The Oedipus Complex:

Freud believed that the Oedipus complex plays a crucial role in the development of the Superego. The Oedipus complex is a boy's unconscious desire to possess his mother and kill his father, who he sees as a rival for his mother's affections. This complex is eventually resolved through identification with the father, leading to the formation of the Superego.

5. The Death Drive:

Freud also introduced the concept of the death drive in this book. The death drive is an unconscious force that compels individuals towards self-destruction and aggression. Freud believed that the death drive is in constant conflict with the life instincts (Eros).

Best Quotes from the Book:

"The ego is… the mediator between the id and the external world."

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"The id knows no values, no good or evil, no morality."

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"The superego… is the heir to the Oedipus complex."

Criticism:

Freud's theory is based largely on clinical observations rather than empirical evidence.

His overemphasis on the role of childhood experience has been challenged by later research.

The theory is reductionist, attributing all behavior to unconscious drives.

Influence:

"The Ego and the Id" had a profound impact on psychology, shaping the field of psychoanalytic theory and therapy. It introduced the concept of three distinct psychic structures (Id, Ego, Superego), which became foundational in understanding human behavior.

Interesting Facts:

The book was originally published in German as "Das Ich und das Es."

Freud wrote it at the age of 67, after suffering from throat cancer.

The three-part model of the psyche is often represented as three overlapping circles: Id, Ego, and Superego.

WORDLIST:

human psyche – человеческая психика

primal, instinctual part of the personality – изначальная, инстинктивная часть личности

pleasure principle – принцип удовольствия

instant gratification – мгновенное удовлетворение

basic needs and desires – основные потребности и желания

external world – внешний мир

constraints of reality and the moral code – ограничения реальности и морального кодекса

moral conscience – моральная совесть

internalizing societal values – усвоение общественных ценностей

transgressions – нарушения

pleasure-seeking impulses – стремления к получению удовольствия

maintain equilibrium – сохранять равновесие

unconscious mental processes – бессознательные психические процессы

distort or block threatening thoughts – искажать или блокировать угрожающие мысли

unacceptable thoughts and feelings – неприемлемые мысли и чувства

Repression – Вытеснение

Projection – Проекция

Rationalization – Рационализация

possess – обладать

rival for his mother's affections – соперник за привязанность матери

self-destruction and aggression – саморазрушение и агрессия

heir – наследник

Exercise 5

Fill in the gaps with some words or phrases from the wordlist.

1. The Id is the __________, driven by the pleasure principle.

2. The Ego balances the demands of the Id with the __________.

3. The Superego is the __________, internalizing societal values.

4. Defense mechanisms are __________, which protect the Ego from anxiety.

5. Repression is the unconscious burying of __________.

6. Projection is the attribution of one's own __________ to others.

7. The Oedipus complex is a boy's unconscious desire to __________ his mother.

UNIT 5

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (2011)

Key Ideas:

System 1 and System 2 Thinking

System 1:

Fast and automatic

Intuitive and emotional

Operates without conscious effort

Relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases

System 2:

Slow and deliberate

Rational and logical

Requires conscious effort

Used for complex tasks and decision-making

Cognitive Biases

Framing Effects: People's decisions can be influenced by the way information is presented, even if the underlying facts are the same.

Confirmation Bias: People tend to seek out and interpret information that confirms their existing beliefs.

Availability Heuristic: People tend to judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily they can recall examples of it.

Prospect Theory

People evaluate gains and losses differently, with losses having a disproportionately greater impact on their decision-making.

This asymmetry leads to risk aversion for gains and risk seeking for losses.

Anchoring Effect

People tend to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making judgments.

This can lead to biased estimates and decisions.

Nudge Theory

Small, subtle interventions can influence people's decisions without restricting their freedom of choice.

Nudges can be used to promote desirable behaviors, such as saving for retirement or eating healthier foods.

Examples