Freud Was a Weird Guy (But Occasionally Right)

Q: What do acquisition and extinction mean in conditioning?

Acquisition is the learning phase; extinction is the weakening of the conditioned response when the stimulus pairing stops.

Q: What’s the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?

Primary reinforcers meet biological needs. Secondary reinforcers are learned rewards such as money, grades, and praise.

Q: What is latent learning?

Learning that exists without immediate demonstration and appears when there’s motivation to use it.

Q: What is trait theory?

A personality approach focusing on stable characteristics like openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness.

Q: What is group polarization?

Group discussion can shift members toward more extreme positions compared with their initial views.

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Summary (TL;DR)

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This piece playfully critiques Freud while acknowledging his impact. It outlines his stages of psychosexual development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) and the id–ego–superego model, stressing how these ideas shaped conversations about the unconscious and early experiences.

It contrasts Freud’s drive-based view of motivation with contemporary, evidence-based theories like arousal and optimal arousal theory. It also explains classical conditioning (neutral, unconditioned, conditioned stimuli and responses; acquisition and extinction) and distinguishes primary vs. secondary reinforcement.

The article touches on group psychology and polarization, affective attitudes, and other core topics (Cannon–Bard theory, instinct examples, latent learning, humanistic perspective), highlighting where modern psychology moved beyond Freud.

Bottom line: Freud was often wrong, sometimes insightful, and undeniably influential in launching key psychological debates.

A blog post about cigars, dreams, and how we all apparently wanted to marry our mothers

Let’s just get this out of the way: Sigmund Freud was a weird guy. Like, textbook definition of “unserious man taken way too seriously.” He once said women envy penises and then built an entire theory around it. That’s not psychology, that’s a you problem, Sigmund.

And yet… buried beneath the mountain of cocaine-fueled hypotheses and oddly detailed dreams about your mom, there were a few things Freud actually got kinda right. So today we’re doing what every psych student eventually must: we laugh, we cringe, and then we acknowledge that yes, the man did contribute to the field (albeit while chain-smoking and catastrophizing).

The Stages of Psychosexual Development (Or, Why Freud Needed a Hobby)

Let’s start with Freud’s most notorious theory: the stages of psychosexual development. There are five:

First comes the oral stage of development—babies put everything in their mouth. Freud called this normal. I call it "baby meets outlet." Then we hit the anal stage of development, the infamous potty-training phase, where toddlers supposedly develop their sense of control. Hello, my fellow spreadsheet enthusiasts.

By the time we reach the phallic stage, things get weird fast. Freud had a lot to say about this one—most of it uncomfortable. See: phallic stage psychology definition, Oedipus complex, and a career-ending amount of maternal fixation. Then there’s the latency stage, in which Freud more or less takes a break from theorizing. Finally, we reach the genital stage, which is basically puberty and onward—aka “how to ruin every high schooler’s day in one psych class.”

According to the development theory of Freud—also described as the stages of human development Freud or Freud stages of human development—these stages form the foundation of adult personality. Honestly, there’s something to be said about that. We all know someone permanently stuck in the oral development stage, chewing pens and oversharing in group chats.

Personality, According to Freud (And No One Else)

Freud’s take on personality, detailed in Freud's developmental theory, splits the psyche into three dramatic characters: the id, ego, and superego. The id is a chaos goblin, demanding instant gratification. The ego is the overworked mediator trying to keep the peace. The superego is the guilt-tripping moralist with a superiority complex. It’s basically an internal group project gone wrong.

This structure features prominently in Freud’s stages of personality development and the broader Freud theory of development. Wildly unscientific? Yes. Weirdly relatable? Also yes.

Freud and Motivation: The Original Overthinker

Freud believed human behavior stemmed from two main drives: life (libido) and death (Thanatos). Modern psychology has since added depth (and evidence) to the discussion, with more grounded concepts like arousal theory of motivation, optimal arousal theory, and motivation theory in psychology. These theories suggest that we’re driven by our desire to maintain the right level of excitement or stimulation—too little and we’re bored, too much and we’re stressed.

Throw in psychology theory of motivation, psychology motivation theory, and a handful of biological psychology theories, and you’ve got a more complete picture of why we do anything. Spoiler: it’s not just because we repressed our feelings about our mothers.

Conditioning: The Thing Freud Did Not Invent (But We Wish He Had)

While Freud was dissecting dreams, classical conditioning psychology was out here making actual discoveries. Enter Pavlov, who showed that if you ring a bell every time you feed a dog, eventually the bell alone will make the dog drool.

Here’s how it works: A neutral stimulus causes no response on its own. Pair it with an unconditioned stimulus (like food), which causes an unconditioned response (salivation). Eventually, the bell becomes a conditioned stimulus that causes a conditioned response. This is the classical conditioning process, and it’s the backbone of behaviorist theory.

Learning includes stages like acquisition in classical conditioning (when the response is first learned) and what is extinction in classical conditioning (when the response fades after the stimulus pairing stops). According to Pavlov, in classical conditioning the unconditioned response is whatever naturally happens before learning occurs—like flinching when someone says “midterm.”

Freud didn’t invent this, but let’s be honest: he probably would have claimed the bell represented repressed desire.

Reinforcement, But Make It Freudian

Freud didn’t exactly dive into behavioral reinforcement, but the field evolved to include concepts like primary vs secondary reinforcement. Primary reinforcers (food, water, physical comfort) are biologically driven. Secondary reinforcers (like money or praise) are learned. Per the secondary reinforcer psychology definition, we’re basically trained to chase likes and gold stars—just with more student loan debt.

If you’re looking at trait theory characteristics, you can also map which people respond best to which kinds of rewards. Like, the extrovert in your psych lab group? 100% chasing secondary reinforcers. You? You’re just here for the snacks.

Group Psychology & Freud’s Identity Crisis

Freud had his moment with group psychology, too, arguing that people lose their individuality in crowds. A tad dramatic, but he was on to something—especially when we consider psychology group polarization, where discussions lead groups toward more extreme positions.

His musings also hinted at affective attitude psychology, or how emotions shape beliefs and behaviors. Though Freud might not have used that exact term, the sentiment’s there—wrapped in a thick cloud of cigar smoke and projection.

Other Concepts Freud Absolutely Did Not Invent (But We Still Need to Know)

Freud didn’t create these ideas, but modern psych students still need to know them:

Cannon Bard theory definition psychology tells us that emotions and physiological responses happen simultaneously, not sequentially. Instinct theory examples include rooting in newborns or panicking at the word “cumulative final.” Meanwhile, what is latent learning in psychology refers to knowledge that’s only demonstrated when there’s a reason to use it—like suddenly remembering every amino acid the second your professor walks in.

And classical and operant conditioning are forms of learning that, thankfully, have no ties to dream interpretation or parental envy.

You’ll also be quizzed on what is trait in psychology, psychology humanistic perspective definition, define polarization in psychology, and several terms Freud would’ve absolutely hated because they require empirical evidence.

Conclusion: Freud Was a Lot of Things. Correct Was Occasionally One of Them.

Freud's stages of development aren’t airtight. The stages of development Freud described are mostly vibes and wishful thinking. But give the man some credit—he jumpstarted conversations about the unconscious, emotional repression, and childhood’s impact on adult life.

And so, we remember him: Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, the guy with deeply questionable theories, and the man who proved that even your weirdest ideas might be worth writing down… just maybe don’t base an entire field on them.

Topic FAQs

1 What are Freud’s stages of psychosexual development?

The five stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Freud believed progress through these stages shapes adult personality patterns.

2 What are the id, ego, and superego?

The id demands instant gratification, the ego balances desire with reality, and the superego imposes moral standards and ideals.

3 How do modern motivation theories improve on Freud’s view?

Evidence-based models like arousal and optimal arousal theory explain behavior via regulation of stimulation and performance, not only unconscious drives.

4 What is classical conditioning?

It’s learning by association: a neutral stimulus becomes conditioned after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, eliciting a conditioned response.

5 What do acquisition and extinction mean in conditioning?

Acquisition is the learning phase when the association forms; extinction is the weakening of the conditioned response when pairing stops.

6 What’s the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?

Primary reinforcers meet biological needs (food, warmth). Secondary reinforcers are learned rewards (money, grades, praise).

7 What does the Cannon–Bard theory say about emotion?

Emotions and physiological arousal occur simultaneously rather than one causing the other sequentially.

8 What is latent learning?

Learning that isn’t immediately shown in behavior but appears when there’s motivation or a reason to use it.

9 What is trait theory?

A personality approach that explains behavior through stable characteristics such as openness, extraversion, or conscientiousness.

10 What is group polarization?

The tendency of group discussion to push members toward more extreme positions compared with their initial views.

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