Good Morning

CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

Contents
Part-1

Introduction

Importance of studying child psychology

History

Evolution of child psychology

Classification Of Theories Of Psychology

Biography of SIGMUND FREUD

Theory with its clinical application

Evaluation of Freuds Theory

Dental/Clinical Application

Critical analysis of the theory

Conclusion

References

Part-2
Freudians V/S Non Freudians.
Eriksons Biography.
Eriksons Major Work.
Methodology.
Psychosocial Developmental Tasks Theory.
Eriksons 8 Stages Of Development.
Critical Analysis Of Eriksons Theory.
Freud Vs. Erikson
References

Part-3
Cognitive Development theory by Piaget
Related studies
Classic conditioning theory

Part-4
Operant conditioning theory
Social Learning theory
Hierarchy of needs

Learning Objectives
At the end of the presentation the learner should be able to:
1. Define child psychology
2. Understand why studying child psychology is important
3. List the classification of child psychology
4. Enumerate various stages of Psychoanalytical theory in detail
5. Describe the dental/clinical application of Freuds theory
6. Critically analyze the Freuds theory

Introduction
Studying psychology is a bit like sailing a small boat on the high
seas.
Children should not be studied as embryonic adults, but in their
essential child nature so as to understand their capacities and
know how to deal with them
~John Amos Comenius

Definitions
Psychology is both a field of study and also a means of improving
the quality of life ~Kimble 1984
Psychology : science dealing with human nature , function and
phenomenon of his soul in main
Psychology can be defined as scientific study of behaviour and
mental processes

Improvement in human learning

Reducing internal tension
Relieving the misery of any psychological disorders
The main aim of studying psychology is to gain an increased
understanding of why people respond as they do.

Child Psychology
Is the science that deals with the study of childs mind
and how it functions, it also deals with the mental power
or an interaction between the conscious and subconscious
element in a child

The dentist who fails to attend to the psychological needs of a

child will soon deal with an uncooperative patient David C Johnsen.

Personality development of the child,

Development of anxiety and fear at different developmental

stages

Rapid shift in language skills

Cognitive development, emotional maturity

Understanding of the developmental tasks and behaviours

common to specific age group of a child.

The importance of Child psychology

Know the child patients better
Understand the behavior problem psychologically
Deliver dental services in a meaningful and effective way
Establish effective communication and gain confidence of the
child and the parent
Produce a comfortable environment for the dental team to
work on the patient
Teach the parent and the child, the importance of primary and
preventive care

History
From Speculation To Science: How Psychology
Developed

The term psychology is derived from two Greek words

psyche and logos
The first use of the term "psychology" is attributed to the
Croatian humanist Marko Maruli (1450-1524) in the title of
his Latin treatise, Psichiologia de ratione animae
humanae which was subsequently lost

German Scholastic philosopher Rudolf Goeckel (1547-1628)

German idealist philosopher; Christian Wolff (1679-1754) used it
in his Psychologia empirica and Psychologia rationalis (17321734).
ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Socrates (470 399 B.C) and his followers such as Plato and
Aristotle;
Physiology is also as old as philosophy and date as far back as
Greek physician Hippocrates (460 377 B.C).

A New Science Is Born

1879 as psychologys Date of Birth
Wilhelm Wundt , first psychology laboratory, at the
University of Leipzig in Germany and he is now known as
Father of Scientific Psychology
According to Wundt, the subject matter of the psychology was
consciousness the awareness of immediate experience
Wundts conception of psychology dominated for about two
decades

The Battle Of The School Begins:

Structuralism Vs Functionalism
Structuralism (structure of consciousness) was based on the
notion that the task of psychology is to analyze consciousness
into its basic elements and investigate how these elements are
related,
Structuralism was shaped by Wundts ideas and his student
Edward Titchener, an Englishman who migrated to the United
States in 1892

Functionalism (function of consciousness) was based on the

belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose
of consciousness, rather than its structure.
The chief architect of functionalism was William James (18421910), a brilliant American scholar.
Charles Darwins ~~ Theory of Natural Selection
Consciousness consists of continuous flow of thoughts
Stream of consciousness

Behaviorism Makes Its Debut

Behavioral Perspective
Behavior refers to an overt response (observable response)
or activity by an organism
The key assumption of behavioral psychology is that if
psychology is to be a science, it must study only that which is
Observable namely behavior
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936).
Edward Thorndike (1874-1949): Law of Effect

John B.Watson (1878-1958)

Psychologists should abandon the study of consciousness and
focus exclusively on behaviors they could observe directly
Behavior is governed entirely by the environment.
Environment became a basic principle of behaviorism

Freud Brings The Unconsciousness Into

Picture
Psychodynamic
Perspective
Unconscious forces exert important influence on human
behavior
Unconsciousness.
Freud made disconcerting suggestion that people are not
masters of their own minds and their behavior is greatly
influenced by how people cope with their sexual urges
1920 psychoanalytical theory was widely known around the
world

Behaviorism Flourishes
Clark Hull, behavioral approach still emphasized the study of
observable behavior, but it permitted careful inference to be
drawn about individuals internal states such as drives, needs
and habits
This movement towards the consideration of internal state was
dramatically reversed in 1950 by the work of B.F Skinner
(1904-1990),
Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), All behavior is fully
governed by external stimuli, environment not by ourselves

The Humanistic Revolt

Psychoanalytical theory attacked for its belief that behavior is
dominated by primitive, sexual urges.

Beginning in the 1950 the diverse apposition to the

behaviorism and psychoanalytical theory blended into a loose
alliance that eventually became a new school of thought
called Humanism

The most prominent architects of humanistic movement have

been Carl Rogers in 1902-1987 and Abraham Maslow (19081970).
Carl Rogers argued that human behavior is governed
primarily by each individuals sense of self or self concept
which animals presumably lack.
Humanistic greatest contribution to psychology has been their
innovative treatments for psychological problems and
disorders.

Cognitive Perspective
The 1950s and 1960s saw many discoveries that high
lightened the interrelationships among mind, body and
behavior.
Major progress in study of childs cognitive development
(Piaget 1954) memory (Miller 1956), language (Chomsky
1957) sparked a surge of interest in cognitive psychology

Evolution of child psychology

Plato:
Children born with different abilities and that their training
should stress those talents
Jean Jacques( 18th century)
Children should be free to express their energies in order to
develop their special talents

John B. Watson (1879-1958)

Role of the environment in shaping children's development.
Sigmund Freud ( 1856- 1938)
Jean Piaget ( 1960s)

Classification of Theories

Different Theories Of Psychology Which

Have An Application In Pediatric
Dentistry
Theories on personality Development
o

Psychoanalytic theory or psychosexual theory by Sigmund

Freud

Psychosocial theory or Eriksons model of Personality

development

Theory on Cognitive Development

o

Cognitive development theory by Jean Piaget

Theories on Learning and development of

Behavior
o

Classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov

Operant conditioning by B.F. Skinner

Social or Observational learning by Albert

Bandura

Other relevant theories

o

Separation-Individuation theory by Margaret S

Mahler

WHY ARE THEORIES IMPORTANT

Useful in integrating and abstracting interrelatedness of
natural phenomenon
They are like a quest for unknown and uncertain
Predict future events and in some instances control
forces of nature
Provide pleasure to the scientist of his own creation

Psychoanalytic theory or psychosexual

theory by Sigmund Freud

History ( 1856 1939 )

Born To Jewish Parents
May 6 1856 Moravia( Freiberg)
Age 4 Years-shifted To Vienna (Austria)
Lived In Vienna 8 Years
Married To Martha Barnay

Academics
1873 Enters Medical School Of The University Of
Vienna
1876 First Original Piece Of Research
1881 Receives Medical Degree
1885-86 Studied Under Jean Charcot ( Paris)
Develops Interest In Psychology

Vienna toward the end of the 19th century

Patients to lie down in a relaxed position, on a couch, and to try
to say exactly what was passing through their minds from
moment to moment
He found that there were all sorts of unconscious and halfconscious fears and preoccupations behind his patients
psychological symptoms.

Publication
Freud pioneered new techniques for
understanding human behaviour,
Comprehensive theory of personality and
psychotherapy ever developed
By 1895, the year he published Studies on
Hysteria with Josef Breuer
The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900 and
Psychopathology of Everyday Life in 1901.
Beyond the Pleasure Principle in 1920
The Ego and the Id

Beginning of psychoanalysis - Case of

Anna O
Josef Breuer, a prominent Viennese physician who was a close
friend of Freud.
The patient, Bertha Pappenheim, consulted Breuer in
December 1880 (She was referred by Breuer as Anna O..,)
Two distinct states of consciousness one, relatively normal
young woman, the other, a troublesome and naughty child

METHODS USED BY SIGMUND

Contents
METHODS ADOPTED
FREUD BY SIGMUND
FREUD

Introduction
Biography of SIGMUND FREUD
FREE
FREE ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATI
ON
DREAM ANALYSIS
DREAM
ANALYSIS

TRANSFEREN
CE

From- Freud S. The Interpretations of Dreams; 1900

3 parts
1) Theory of personality dynamics
Conscious, Unconscious
2) Theory of structure of personality
Id, Ego, Superego
3) Theory of psycho sexual development
Motives- Child at different stages of growth

Dynamic Approach
Seething cauldron an inherently selfish creature, who is
relentlessly driven by two kinds of instincts, which he called
Eros (Life instinct) and Thantos. (Death instinct)

Eros:Promotes survival by directing life-sustaining activities such as

breathing, eating, and fulfilment of all the other bodily needs

Erogenous zones
The lips and oral cavity
The anal region The sex organs

Thantos or death instinct

Destructive instincts present in all human beings that are likely
to be expressed through such behaviors as fist fights, sadistic
aggression, murder and even masochism.

The development of Personality

According to Freud personality develops
response to four major sources of tension.
Physiologic growth process
Frustrations
Conflicts
Threats

in

According to Freud there are three behaviourChanneling defenses

Identification
Displacement
Sublimation

Identification
Oedipal conflict
Involves attempt to resolve conflicts about ones behaviour by
identifying with another person who appears successful,
realistic, and moral trying to act as much like that person as
possible.
An accumulation of numerous identifications, made at various
periods of persons life, although the mother and father are
probably the most important identification figures in any once
life.
Freud regards identification as a relatively healthy defense
mechanism.

Displacement
Directs aggressive behavior away from someone or something
that has aroused anger toward someone against whom it is
both safe and morally acceptable to aggress.
For ex: a man who has angered by his boss might remove his
anger on his wife/ son.
The direction taken by a displacement is determined by two
factors:
resemblance of the substitute object to the original one
the sanctions and prohibitions imposed by the society

Contents
Introduction
Biography of SIGMUND FREUD

H
C
A
O
R

P
P
TOPOGRAPHIC APPROACH
A
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I
H
P
A
R
G
O
P
TO

TOPOGRAPHIC MODEL
The map of mind displays three topographic
regions-

Sigmund Freuds
Iceberg diagram

Contents

Introduction
Biography of SIGMUND FREUD

STRUCTURAL THEORY OF MIND

PERSONALITY
Id (Pleasure Pain Principle) Reflex Action
Primary Process Thinking
Ego (Reality Principle) Secondary Process Thinking
Super Ego Ego Ideal Conscience

The it (Id )
inherited reservoir of
unrecognised drives
Resides in unconscious
Pleasure principle
Primary process of thinking

The I (Ego)
The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for
dealing with reality
Conscious& unconscious
Mental structure that interact with the real world to satisfy id
demands
Reality principle
Delayed gratification--the ego will eventually allow the
behavior, but only in the appropriate time and place.

The over me (Super ego)

The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our
internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from
both parents and society--our sense of right and wrong
Conscience
Superego provides guidelines for making judgments
Superego to emerge at age five
STRIVES FOR PERFECTION

There are two parts of the superego:

The ego ideal: includes the rules and standards for good
behaviors. Obeying these rules leads to feelings of pride,
value and accomplishment
The conscience: includes information about things that are
viewed as bad by parents and society.
The superego acts to perfect and civilize our behavior.

The Interaction of the Id, Ego and

Superego
Personality disorders exist because of a conflict between the ego
and the superego
SUPEREGO comes in conflict with the EGO
EGO also develops the defense mechanism to hide the
SUPEREGO

key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego,

and the superego

Functions of ego
Control over voluntary motor activity
Judgment
Relation to reality
Object relationships

DEFENSE MECHANISMS
According to Freud anxiety is a danger
signal to the ego.
Defense

mechanisms

are

unconscious

strategies that people use to reduce anxiety

by concealing the source from themselves
and others.

Defense Mechanism Includes

Denial
Repression
Regression
Displacement
Sublimation
Projection
Intellectualization
Rationalization
Reaction formation

DENIAL
Denial is an outright refusal to admit or recognize
that something has occurred or is currently
occurring
I FEEL SO
GOOD!

REPRESSION
Primary defense
mechanism in which
unacceptable or
unpleasant ID impulses are
pushed back into the
unconscious.

REGRESSION
It is a reversion to immature patterns of the
behaviour

DISPLACEMENT

The expression of an unwanted feeling or thought, directe

towards a weaker person instead of a more powerful one

SUBLIMATION
A defense mechanism
considered healthy by
Freud, in which a
person diverts
unwanted impulses
into socially
acceptable thoughts,
feelings or behavior.

PROJECTION
A defense mechanism in
which people attribute
their own inadequacies
or faults to someone
else.

Intellectualizati
on
works to reduce anxiety by thinking
about events in a cold, clinical way

RATIONALIZATION

A defense mechanism whereby people justify a negative

situation in a way that protects their self esteem.

Reaction formation
Reduces anxiety by taking up the opposite feeling,
impulse or behavior

FREUDS STAGES OF
PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

Steven / Shelby / Freud

Adamin/ Abby
1921
8th Period - AP Psychology

AN OVERVIEW
The Psychosexual Stages define how human personality
develops from our birth up to early adulthood.
Oral / Anal / Urethral / Phallic / Latency/ Genital
Without a proper resolution following each stage, we
may experience faults in our future personalities.

THE ORAL STAGE (0 - 1 Y)

Organization
of
the
psyche
through approximately the first 18
months of life
Thirst, hunger, pleasurable tactile
stimulations evoked by the nipple
or
its
substitute
and
also
sensations relating to swallowing
Mouth experiences most tension
and requires the most tensionreducing stimulation

THE ORAL STAGE (0 - 1 Y)

Objectives:
Trusting dependence on nursing and
sustaining objects,
To establish comfortable expression and
gratification of oral needs without
excessive conflict or ambivalence from oral
sadistic wishes

FIXATION
Both insufficient and
forceful feeding can result
in fixation in this stage.
Symptoms of Oral Fixation
:
Smoking
Constant chewing on gum,
pens, pencils, etc.
Nail biting
Overeating

ANAL STAGE 18mth -3 yrs

Begins near the age of 1
The erogenous zone shifts from the oral
cavity to the anal region.
Maturation of neuromuscular control
occurs
The conflicts lead to develop an EGO
Realize he cannot always do what he
wants

FIXATIO
N Personality: If the
Anal-Expulsive
parents are too lenient, the child will
derive pleasure and success from the
expulsion .
Are excessively sloppy, disorganized,
reckless, careless, and defiant.
Anal-Retentive Personality: If a
child receives excessive pressure and
punishment, the child will experience
anxiety over bowel movements.
Very careful, stingy, withholding,
obstinate, meticulous.

URETHRAL STAGE
Transition between anal & phallic.
Derives pleasure by exercising control
over urinary sphincter.
Objectives similar to anal stage.

THE PHALLIC STAGE (3-6Y)

The most intricate of the
stages; erogenous zone shifts
from the anus to the genitals.
Freud developed his theory
from the male perspective
(thus, phallic = penis).
Males have the potential to
develop an Oedipal Complex,
while females may develop an
Electra Complex.

Oedipus Complex

Freud introduced the term Oedipus complex in his

INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS in 1899.

This concept is a desire for sexual involvement with the

parent of opposite sex, which produces a sense of
competition with the parent of the same sex.

There is a simple positive & negative Oedipus complex in

a boy.

OEDIPUS
COMPLEX(CONTD)

ELECTRA COMPLEX

THE LATENCY STAGE

(8-13Y)
Lasts from 7yrs to Puberty
The social environment around them, other
people, culture, values and their own skills,
capacities and interests.
Children transfer there interest from parents to
peers
Separation of sexes begins to change at age
12, when young adolescents enter the Genital
Stage

THE LATENCY
STAGE
Transitioning
(8-13Y)
period between the
Phallic and Genital stages.
Focuses on areas like academics
and athletics, etc. Same-sex
friendships develop during this
time .

THE GENITAL
STAGE
Extends from
( 11-13Y)
onset of puberty

11-13
years of age until young adulthood.
Primary
objectives
are
ultimate
separation from dependence on &
attachment to parents & establishment
of mature relations.
Child
makes
contact
and
form
relationships with members of opposite
sex

SUPEREGO
undergoes
further
development and become more flexible

NORMAL ABNORMAL
CONTINUUM

Freud explains the value of studying abnormal behavior.

He sees no sharp distinction between the normal & the

abnormal.

The abnormal and normal personalities obey the same

principle and merely occupy different positions along a
continuum ranging from the very disturbed to the very healthy
individual.

EVALUATION OF FREUDS
THEORY

Strengths

Originality, Boldness and Power of communication.

Uncovering of the unconsciousness as a powerful shaper of

development.

Lasting contributions to developmental research.

Relevance for contemporary research on cognitive

development.

He was first major developmentalist to argue for an

interactional model which sees both inborn processes &
environmental factors as making strong contributions to the
child development.

Early experience may have important effects on a persons

behavior in later life still holds an important basis for modern
psychoanalysis.

Unconsciousness had a central role in Freud psychology.

He believed that pulling back of unconscious memories into

the conscious could have a vital therapeutic effect.

Freuds TALKING CURE

From- Lehrer S. Modern correlates of freudian
psychology.
Am J Med.1984;77:977-80.

WEAKNESSES

Inadequate methodology for identifying developmental

processes.

Uncertain testability of central claims concerning developme

Over emphasis on childhood sexuality.

The theory is vague & makes few clear predictions.

It offers no guidance for predicting which manifestation

of the difficulty will occur.

The observations are derived from limited population .

Weakness

Regarding his theory of personality, there appears to be no

unified structure or functional unity between the id, ego &
the superego.

The bulk of his theory is derived from observations of

neurotic people .

Rand N. Did women threaten the oedipus complex

between 1922 & 1933. Angelaki journal of the theoretical
humanities.2004;9:53-66.
Barbe C. Freud, science and soul: a review essay. J. Relig
Health.2007;46:607-624.

DENTAL/CLINICAL
APPLICATIONS
Dental/ clinical applications of freuds theory

OEDIPUS & ELECTRA

COMPLEX (3-6 Y)

ANXIETY NEUROSIS
o This term was introduced by Freud to
describe a syndrome of general irritability,
anxious expectations, anxious attacks
,breathlessness,
chest pain.

PHOBIC NEUROSIS
o Patients

are

overwhelmed

by

an

intense & irrational fear of some

animal,

object,

social

situation

disease.
o For e.g.White coat fear when only by
looking at a doctor, the child starts
crying.
.

or

FEAR
o Fear may be irrational in the sense that the child
may not
know why he is frightened.
o Memories of the past experience may fade
entirely but the emotions associated with the
forgotten experience determines his reaction
to a similar event in the future

FIXATION
Fixation is a failure of the development
in which the individual continues to
seek a particular kind of gratification.
Fixation to ORAL STAGE can lead to :
Thumb sucking
Chewing habits
Smoking
Drinking

FIXATIO
Fixation to Anal
Nstage leads to
obstinate, passively aggressive behavior.
These type of children do not listen to their
parents
or the dentist & are extremely uncooperative.
Fixation to urethral stage leads to
competitiveness.
This kind of child behavior can be modified by
modeling

FIXATION
Fixation to latency stage leads to introvert
nature, rigidity.
Child shows the tendency to hide behind his or
her mother or probably does not at all look at the
dentist due to hesitation & change in
environment.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Regression -

DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Displacement- Anxiety of a child in a dental
set up sometimes is exhibit in the form of
throwing temper tantrums at parents/
siblings as he is unable to express his
feelings to the dentist.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Projection- A child may feel pain due to toothac

He gets examined by the dentist. Suddenly he
starts crying and blames the dentist for the
reason of his pain.

DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Denial- A child has a carious tooth, but since

the child/ parent denies the problem of a carious

tooth, he reassures himself that it is perfectly fine.

Thus, many children report to the dental office
in advanced stage of tooth decay.

Criticisms of Freuds theory

According to Freud, sexuality is pervasive factor behind
personality, which many of them strongly disapproved.
Oedipus complex was not as universal as Freud believed
First five yrs of life are not as powerful in shaping adult
personality as Freud thought
Ego and conscious thought process play dominant role in our
personality than Freud gave them credit.

Socio-cultural factors are much more important than Freud

believed
Feminists have vigorously attacked Freuds speculations about
the psychology of women especially the concept of penis
envy.
Freuds theory is markedly deficient in providing as set of
relational rules by which one can arrive at any precise
expectations of what will happen if certain events take place.
Freuds theory has not been substantiated by scientifically
respectable procedures.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately the significance of Freuds contribution to

psychology can be seen as threefold:

1.

First, in the therapeutic approach, which continues to

evolve & provoke research and debate.

2.

Second, in focusing the attention of clinical psychology on

personality & emotion, on the unconscious mind & on the
significance of sexuality in human development.

3.

Finally, he has provided in psychoanalysis an incredibly

ambitious, psychological theory.

REFERENCES
A Primer Of Freudian Psychology
Calvin S. Hall
A Textbook Of Psychology
Morgan & King
Textbook Of Pedodontics
Shobha Tendon
Theories Of Personality
Calvin S. Hall

References

Feldman RS. Understanding psychology. 10th ed.

New York: McGraw-Hill; 2011.

Sadock BJ, Sadock VA. Synopsis of psychiatry.

10th ed. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins:2010.

Miller PH. Theory of developmental psychology.

United States Of America; WH Freeman and
Company:1989

Grunbaum A. A century of psychoanalysis: Critical

retrospect and prospect. Int Forum Psychoanal.2001;
10:105-112.

Gammelgaard J. The unconscious A re-reading of the

Freudian concept. Scand. Psychoanal.Rev.2003;26:11-21

Segrist DJ. Whats going on in your professors head?

demonstrating the id, ego, and superego. Teach Psychol.
2009;36:51-54.

Dreams are often

most
profound
when they seem
the most crazy.
Sigmund Freud

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