Question

In its early days, the school of psychoanalysis stressed that behavior was caused by

Select one:
a. heredity rather than environment.
b. environment rather than heredity.
c. unconscious motives and conflicts.
d. conscious choice and self-direction.

Answer 1

The early school of psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud, emphasized that behavior was caused by unconscious motives and conflicts, shaped by childhood experiences and repressed memories.

Step-by-step explanation:

In its early days, the school of psychoanalysis stressed that behavior was caused by unconscious motives and conflicts. This view was mainly advanced by Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalytic theory. Freud's work focused on the idea that unconscious drives, influenced by sex and aggression, as well as repressed memories and childhood experiences, have a significant impact on personality and behavior. He employed techniques like dream analysis, slips of the tongue, and free association to explore the unconscious mind. While some of Freud's ideas, such as the emphasis on childhood sexuality, were later criticized and adapted by neo-Freudians who focused more on social and cultural factors, Freud's core concept that much of our mental life is influenced by early childhood experiences and operates outside our conscious awareness, remains influential in the field of psychology.