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Glite Dictionary
Freudian psychology

Freudian psychology

6.3
Ideas about the hidden part of the mind and early childhood that shape behaviour
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɔɪdiən saɪˈkɑlədʒi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : psicología freudiana
  • In her book, she discussed the impact of Freudian psychology on modern therapeutic practices.

Examples

  • The principles of Freudian psychology emphasize the importance of the unconscious mind in shaping our behavior.

  • Many of the Austrians I met during my three-and-a-half-month stay in the city made a point of alerting me to a lecture on Freudian psychology or sharing their opinions about the current hot-ticket theater production.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Many therapists use principles of Freudian psychology to help their clients understand their unconscious motivations.

Synonyms

psychoanalysis
vsFreudian psychology
  • Specialized
14 8.1

A type of therapy where a trained person helps you find and understand hidden thoughts and feelings

covers broader theoretical ideas about the unconscious and childhood causes of behavior
psychodynamics
vsFreudian psychology
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The study of how thoughts you notice and hidden feelings shape a person's character and actions

focuses on theories developed by Sigmund Freud about unconscious and childhood influences
Freudianism
vsFreudian psychology
  • Specialized
1 8.4

Ideas and methods that explain people's behavior using the unconscious mind and childhood experiences

gives more weight to therapy and childhood shaping of behavior

Surface Forms

Freudian psychology singular
Freudian psychologies plural

Morphology

Freudian + psychology

The meaning is directly compositional: Freudian denotes 'relating to Freud's theories' and psychology is 'the study of mind', so the phrase refers straightforwardly to psychological theories associated with Sigmund Freud. This proper-name + discipline pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Freudian psychology is named after Sigmund Freud, a doctor in the early 1900s who studied hidden thoughts and dreams. He used talking therapy to bring these hidden ideas into view, so the name now refers to theories about the 'unconscious mind' and how childhood can shape behaviour.