Оксана Вячеславовна Иванова "30 Must-Read Books for Psychologists"

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

System 1: Driving a car on a familiar route, making a snap judgment about someone’s trustworthiness.

System 2: Solving a complex math problem, making a major financial decision.

Cognitive Bias: Someone who is afraid of flying might overestimate the likelihood of a plane crash because they can easily recall recent news stories about plane crashes.

Prospect Theory: A person might be more reluctant to sell a stock that has lost value than to sell a stock that has gained value, even if the potential gain or loss is the same.

Anchoring Effect: A real estate agent might anchor the price of a house at a high value, which can influence potential buyers’ perceptions of its worth.

Nudge: A government might send out reminders to citizens about the importance of saving for retirement, which can encourage them to contribute more to their retirement accounts.

Best Quotes

«In the end, it is not the magnitude of our knowledge but the depth of our wisdom that will shape our decisions.»

«System 1 is like an impulsive child who acts without thinking, while System 2 is like a cautious adult who weighs the pros and cons.»

«Humans are an anomaly in the animal kingdom. We have the capacity to think about our thinking.»

«Our ability to construct reality is stronger than our ability to discover reality.»

Criticism

Some critics argue that Kahneman oversimplifies the complexity of human decision-making.

Others question the generalizability of his findings across different cultures and contexts.

The book has been criticized for focusing too much on individual biases and not enough on the role of social and environmental factors in decision-making.

Influence