Psy101 Assignment No. 1 solution

Semester "Fall 2010" 

Introduction to Psychology (Psy101)" 

Assignment No. 01 Marks: 15 

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You have studied different models of psychology in your course of introduction to 
psychology. Apply your knowledge answer the following questions. 

1. What assumptions did behaviorists make about the nature of human psychology?(7) 

2. What Freud says about defense mechanisms? Apply any of the five defense 
mechanism in a real life situation. Also discuss the authenticity of defense 
mechanisms. (8) 

Note: Give solid reasons to support your answers and findings. Irrelevant details will 
create bad impression and will result in deduction of marks. Do consult handouts, books 
and websites but avoid copy pasting; try to reproduce in your own words according 
to your own point of view. Marks depend on the quality of produced work. 

Important Tips 
This Assignment can be best attempted from the knowledge acquired after watching 
video lecture no. 01 to lecture no 17 and reading handouts as well as recommended 
text books. 

Schedule 
Opening Date and Time Nov 2nd, 2010 At 12:01 A.M. (Mid-Night) 

Due Date and Time Nov 8th, 2010 At 11:59 P.M. (Mid-Night)

Note: Only in the case of Assignment, 24 Hrs extra / grace period after the 
above mentioned due date is usually available to overcome uploading 
difficulties which may be faced by the students on last date. This extra time 
should only be used to meet the emergencies and above mentioned due dates 
should always be treated as final to avoid any inconvenience. 
Important Instructions: 

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Solution:

QNO1:

They assume that all behaviors and experiences are learned through conditioning. A famous experiment would be Pavlov's experiment with dogs and tuning forks. Basically, the way you behave depends on how you were shaped growing up.

 

QNO2:

Ego Defense Mechanisms We stated earlier that the ego's job was to satisfy the id's impulses, not offend the moralistic character of the superego, while still taking into consideration the reality of the situation. We also stated that this was not an easy job. Think of the id as the 'devil on your shoulder' and the superego as the 'angel of your shoulder.' We don't want either one to get too strong so we talk to both of them, hear their perspective and then make a decision. This decision is the ego talking, the one looking for that healthy balance. Before we can talk more about this, we need to understand what drives the id, ego, and superego. According to Freud, we only have two drives; Mad and aggression. In other words, everything we do is motivated by one of these two drives. Mad, also called Eros or the Life force, represents our drive to live, prosper, and produce offspring. Aggression, also called Thanatos or our Death force, represents our need to stay alive and stave off threats to our existence, our power, and our prosperity.Now the ego has a difficult time satisfying both the id and the superego, but it doesn't have to do so without help. The ego has some tools it can use in its job as the mediator, tools that help defend the ego. These are called Ego Defense Mechanisms or Defenses. When the ego has a difficult time making both the id and the superego happy, it will employ one or more of these defenses:

DEFENSE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE denial arguing against an anxiety provoking stimuli by stating it doesn't existdenying that your physician's diagnosis of cancer is correct and seeking a second opinion displacement taking out impulses on a less threatening target slamming a door instead of hitting as person, yelling at your spouse after an argument with your boss intellectualization avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the intellectual aspectsfocusing on the details of a funeral as opposed to the sadness and grief projection placing unacceptable impulses in yourself onto someone else when losing an argument, you state "You're just Stupid;" homophobia rationalization supplying a logical or rational reason as opposed to the real reason stating that you were fired because you didn't kiss up the the boss, when the real reason was your poor performance reaction formation taking the opposite belief because the true belief causes anxiety having a bias against a particular race or culture and then embracing that race or culture to the extreme regression returning to a previous stage of development sitting in a corner and crying after hearing bad news; throwing a temper tantrum when you don't get your way repression pulling into the unconsciousforgetting sexual abuse from your childhood due to the trauma and anxiety sublimation acting out unacceptable impulses in a socially acceptable way sublimating your aggressive impulses toward a career as a boxer; becoming a surgeon because of your desire to cut; lifting weights to release 'pent up' energy suppression pushing into the unconscious trying to forget something that causes you anxiety

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Another Solution:

QNO:1

They assume that all behaviors and experiences are learned through conditioning. A famous experiment would be Pavlov's experiment with dogs and tuning forks. Basically, the way you behave depends on how you were shaped growing up.

 

QNO2:

Ego Defense Mechanisms

 

We stated earlier that the ego's job was to satisfy the id's impulses, not offend the moralistic character of the superego, while still taking into consideration the reality of the situation.  We also stated that this was not an easy job.  Think of the id as the 'devil on your shoulder' and the superego as the 'angel of your shoulder.'  We don't want either one to get too strong so we talk to both of them, hear their perspective and then make a decision.  This decision is the ego talking, the one looking for that healthy balance.

 

Before we can talk more about this, we need to understand what drives the id, ego, and superego.  According to Freud, we only have two drives; sex and aggression.  In other words, everything we do is motivated by one of these two drives.

 

Sex, also called Eros or the Life force, represents our drive to live, prosper, and produce offspring.  Aggression, also called Thanatos or our Death force, represents our need to stay alive and stave off threats to our existence, our power, and our prosperity.

 

Now the ego has a difficult time satisfying both the id and the superego, but it doesn't have to do so without help.  The ego has some tools it can use in its job as the mediator, tools that help defend the ego.  These are called Ego Defense Mechanisms or Defenses.  When the ego has a difficult time making both the id and the superego happy, it will employ one or more of these defenses:

 

 

DEFENSE	DESCRIPTION	EXAMPLE
denial	arguing against an anxiety provoking stimuli by stating it doesn't exist	denying that your physician's diagnosis of cancer is correct and seeking a second opinion
displacement	taking out impulses on a less threatening target	slamming a door instead of hitting as person, yelling at your spouse after an argument with your boss
intellectualization	avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the intellectual aspects	focusing on the details of a funeral as opposed to the sadness and grief
projection	placing unacceptable impulses in yourself onto someone else	when losing an argument, you state "You're just Stupid;" homophobia
rationalization	supplying a logical or rational reason as opposed to the real reason	stating that you were fired because you didn't kiss up the the boss, when the real reason was your poor performance
reaction formation	taking the opposite belief because the true belief causes anxiety	having a bias against a particular race or culture and then embracing that race or culture to the extreme
regression	returning to a previous stage of development	sitting in a corner and crying after hearing bad news; throwing a temper tantrum when you don't get your way
repression	pulling into the unconscious	forgetting sexual abuse from your childhood due to the trauma and anxiety
sublimation	acting out unacceptable impulses in a socially acceptable way	sublimating your aggressive impulses toward a career as a boxer; becoming a surgeon because of your desire to cut; lifting weights to release 'pent up' energy
suppression	pushing into the unconscious	trying to forget something that causes you anxiety

 

Ego defenses are not necessarily unhealthy as you can see by the examples above.  In fact, the lack of these defenses, or the inability to use them effectively can often lead to problems in life.  However, we sometimes employ the defenses at the wrong time or overuse them, which can be equally destructive.