Why IS Freud still used?

Question

When I took psychology a few years ago I was baffled by his theories in child development. How can an opium eating idiot with a mother fetish be taken seriously in the field of child psychology - especially his theories that all boys have sexual tention with their mothers and vice versa for girls.

Isn't it like having a peodophile teaching parenting?

Answer 1

I am so sorry for you. you have not fully understood Sigmund Freud 's contribution to the field of psychology. There are many criticism for his too much of importance to sexualinstict or sexual energy which he calls it libido, however his theory is still pertinent to a certain level and its verymuch true as well. if you were to be a male than you will understand the " castration Anxiety " which goes in the male child in the early stage. just remember, theory has to be taken as the fact of what it applies to the majority but not for one or two exceptional. so instead of misunderstanding Freud, try to understand him as a neuro physician who became the psychologist

Answer 2

Because people are still ignorant.

Answer 3

I have interest in psychology and I dont like Freud or Jung's theories. Frankly Freud's theories freak me out a little.

Answer 4

Freud's theories aren't taken as fact, they're just taught along with others to show how psychology has developed. His theories are unfalsifiable, so there's no way to tell whether they're true or untrue.

His thoughts on the Oedipus/Electra Complexes and "p***s envy" do seem a bit extreme and focus far too much on s*x, but it's still interesting.

I've actually found that I relate well to his work on psychosexual stages and phobias; my own experiences seem to support his theories in those areas.

Answer 5

Freud - respected authority on psychology.

Princess - Princess sits there and might or might not look cute.

Answer 6

Amazing isnt it how others always know better. So WHO is ignorant.

Answer 7

Freud opened up new and never before studied theories of development that are still taught to this day. Not only did Freud intensively study the subconscious, he contributed heavily to what psychologists now refer to as the ID, Superego and the Ego.

These days, psychologists will either take some of what Freud worked on and utilize it when they deal with the subconscious

or dreams or fixations, but they typically stray more towards behaviourism, humanistic and cognitive psychologies.

Some psychiatrists still use his ink blotted cards when assessing patients, but it's mostly for interests sake (to see what patients see in the blots versus what Freud said the answers meant) or to measure creativity.

Here's the thing. You took one class on development right? This "opium eating idiot" made a lot of progress throughout his years of study. Not only this, he opened up doors of study that made people like you and I more aware of things that are difficult to study by seeing them with our eyes, or understanding them directly. So he had a few theories about fixation. You're telling me you never went through (or might still be in) the "oral stage"? ;) LOL

and it's NOTHING like a pedophile teaching parenting. Not in the least.

Answer 8

That guy was a raging cocaine addict with some drug fueled theories. I prefer Pavlov and his tuning fork.. at least making dogs salivate is cause and effect and logical. Jake - Cocaine is Sched 2 in the USA, sched 1 in Canada.