I. Important Background

1. I. Important Background • A. Why is this study useful? (especially to Freud) • 1. He had recently published Three Essays on The Theory of Sexuality in which he detailed his ideas about infantile sexuality and the Oedipal complex. • 2. He had been critiqued for formulating his theory on only the recollections of adults in psychoanalysis • 3. This case provided an opportunity to exam the phenomenon from a child’s point of view. • 4. It illustrates Freud’s methods

2. B. Background information on Freud and Hans • 1. Sigmund Freud is father of psychoanalysis • a. He was a doctor in Vienna • b. He studied Personality, personality development, & child development and moral development • c. He proposed 5 psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) • d. He studied several patients (mostly young women) who presented with symptoms of hysteria • e. Much of his work is also based on his psychoanalysis of his own self.

3. 2. Historical background • a. Published much of his work over 100 years ago when England was dominated by Victorian morals about proper behaviour especially in regards to sex and the role of women • b. Children at the time were punished brutally, put to work in factories and considered untrustworthy sources of information. • C. Background on Hans • 1. Real name Herbert Graf • 2. Parents were good friends of Freud. Dad was a famous music critic, mom was a former patient of Freud’s. Freud would attend birthday parties etc. • 3. Hans parents were very “liberal” for the time. They didn’t beat Hans and raised him under many of Freud’s principles.

4. 4. Case spans from age 3 ½ to 5 years of age • 5. Hans and sexuality • a. He liked to coax (cuddle) with his mother • b. He was fascinated by his “widdler” since age 3 and masturbated frequently • c. Once asked his mother to touch his widdler • d. Reportedly had dreams that involved his neighborhood girl friends touching his widdler or watching him touch it. • e. Believed that all living things had a widdler (toys did not). • f. Noticed that large animals had large widdlers and concluded also that his parents (yes mommy too) must have large widdlers like horses. • g. Also concluded that his would grow big as he grew up too.

5. II. Aim and Methodology • A. The AIM • 1. This was a chance to test Freud’s theory about infantile sexuality and the Oedipus complex with a real child as opposed to using the recollections of adults. • 2. Due to Hans’ development of a phobia this case also presented the opportunity to test Freud’s theory about how phobia’s develop

6. 3. Finally it was a report of the findings of the treatment of a five-year-old boy for his phobia of horses • 4. Hypothesis (implicit not explicit) that a 5 year old boy’s phobia of being bitten by a horse can be interpreted in terms of castration anxiety.

7. B. Procedure/Method • 1. A case study in a clinical context of a little boy named Hans who is between the ages of 3-5 during the time period of the study • 2. Freud only meets with Hans on one occasion, the majority of the study was conducted through correspondence • Conversations between Hans and his father are recorded by the father. • This is an example of the case study method

8. 5. Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of the father’s reports. • 6. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. • 7. first reports of Hans when 3

9. CUE 1: Briefly describe how the two previous studies from this unit can be considered useful. • Cue 2: Consult your CIE textbook and write down the strengths and weakness of using a case study method. • Cue 3: List two of the aims of this study. • Cue 4: Over two potential problems you see with how this case study is being conducted

10. III. The study in detail • A. Hans – the early years • 1. Hans and his Widdler • a. Early masturbation (3 y/o) fits well with Freud’s concept of the phallic stage. • b. He also found what seemed to be pleasure from both urinating and defecating • c. Mother caught him playing with his penis and threatened to send him to the doctor to have it cut off (castration anxiety.)

11. 2. Death Wishes • a. Would punch his dad and then kiss the spot (torn between jealousy-fear and love) • b. Hans reported that he wished his mother would drown his little sister in the bathtub • Engaged in a biting game with his dad that marked the end of his fear of horses. • B. The Phobia Begins • 1. Hans was afraid that white horse would bite him

12. 2. Freud believes that the phobia is a result of repressing the anxiety that resulted from his feelings for his mother and father. • 3. begins when he was 4 ½ • 4. Based partly on a warning Hans overheard a grandfather give his daughter about white horses. • 5. Freud believes the horse represents the father.

13. 6. Hans fear evolved from a fear of horses to a fear of horses pulling carts • a. Based on a real event where he saw a work horse pulling a heavily laden cart fall over. • b. Freud believes • i. Hans secretly wished his father would fall over and die too. • ii. Hans was preoccupied with defecating, and a full cart was like a full stomach and the horse falling made a sound like the splash in the toilet. • iii. A full cart is like a pregnant woman, when the horse fell down it was like the woman giving birth and this reminded Hans of the anxiety caused by the birth of his sister.

14. Hans – a timeline

15. B. Hans – fantasies and dreams • 1. The dream about giraffes • a. Hans told his father that he dreamt of a big giraffe and a crumpled one. • b. In the dream Hans took the crumpled one from the big one, but the big one complained. After the big one stopped complaining Hans sat on the crumpled one.

16. c. Hans dad interpreted the dream in the following way: • i. The big giraffe represented the father or his penis • ii. The crumpled giraffe represented the mother or her genitals • iii. Represents his morning ritual of coming into the bed with mom and dad with dad protesting that mom should not allow this. • 2. Criminal fantasy of breaking a window on a train with his father – this is interpreted as wanting to do something forbidden to his mother that his father also does.

17. 3. Pregnancy fears • a. After the arrival of his sister Hans was curious about where babies come from – his parents told him the stork brings them • b. Hans didn’t believe this – he saw mother’s swollen belly as similar to his when he had to defecate. Giving birth must be pleasurable like the pleasure he had in going the bathroom. • 4. He also had ongoing fantasies where he fathered children with mommy and daddy became the grandfather. – Because dad is still in the picture Freud saw this as identification

18. CUE 5 – List 3 facts that you believe support Freud’s belief that Hans was in the phallic stage of development. • CUE 6: What do you think the two giraffes represent? • CUE 7 – Use one of the dreams to support the Freud’s belief that Hans was in the phallic stage

19. V. The Discussion • A. Support for his theory • 1. Critiques • a. 1st criticism – If Hans was abnormal (he was in treatment for phobias) then you can’t draw conclusions about healthy kids from Hans • b. 2nd criticism. The analysis was conducted by his father and thus was biased. • 2. Freud’s response – • a. Neuroses in early childhood ARE NORMAL • b. Even if the father sometimes asked leading questions they were still Hans’ answers and the close relationship allowed for more revealing answers.

20. 3. Freud sees multiple levels of support for his theory • a. Hans interest in his widdler • b. His interest in his mother supports the Oedipal idea • c. His death wishes against his sister/father • d. The insight provided relief of the phobia. • Freud believed that psychoanalysis did not lend itself to scientific study • Therefore the proof lay in the fact that the therapy worked.

21. B. Understanding phobias • 1. Freud believed that phobias were due to repressed anxieties – this case fit the theory well. • 2. Freud believed that this anxiety and type of phobias were normal so psychoanalysis might be appropriate for many children

22. VI. Evaluating the study • A. Critique by other theorist • 1. Eric Fromm claims it was more a fear of the mother than the father • a. Mother threatened castration • b. Mother gave birth to Hanna, a form of betrayal

23. 2. John Bowlby believes it has to do with attachment issues • a. Mom threatens to leave Hans • b. Bowlby believes that Hans has insecure (anxious subtype) attachment. • c. He experiences separation anxiety • 3. Behaviorist see this as an example of classical conditioning (John Watson)

24. B. Other weaknesses • 1. Methodological • a. Case-study so can not be generalized. • b. Freud didn’t interview the client, his father did • c. Father was an adherent of Freud and mother was a former client. • 2. Bias – • a. Ethnocentric in that not all family units consist of mother, father and child (children). • b. Androgenic in that he focuses on males. He also believes girls develop penis envy