Topic
Freud's seduction theory
About: Freud's seduction theory is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16 publications have been published within this topic receiving 166 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: A close examination of the seduction theory papers and of other contemporary documents reveals that Freud's later reports of the episode, the foun dation on which Masson builds his case, are false as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Jeffrey Masson's version of the seduction theory episode in Freud's early career, as presented in The Assault on Truth (1984), is very plaus ible as a revised account of the traditional story. However, close examination of the seduction theory papers and of other contemporary documents reveals that Freud's later reports of the episode, the foun dation on which Masson builds his case, are false. Some purported his torical events that Masson uses to buttress his case are also shown to be without foundation. The several accounts of the episode Freud gave in his writings are dissected to demonstrate that they are tendentiously misleading and serve to conceal what actually occurred with his patients during the period in question. Some consequences of the widespread acceptance of the traditional account are briefly discussed.
36 citations
17 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that Freud's seduction theory was so manifestly false that it was unlikely that his contemporaries would accept it or that he would retain it for very long as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: It is argued that Freud's seduction theory was so manifestly false that it was unlikely that his contemporaries would accept it or that he would retain it for very long. It is further argued that t...
16 citations
TL;DR: Sigmund Freud never totally repudiated his original seduction theory, maintaining to the end of his life that at least some cases of actual incest occurred and that these instances underlay certain types of psychopathology.
Abstract: In the early 1890s Freud expressed the belief that many cases of hysteria had a basis in childhood incest. Later he expressed a different view, emphasizing childhood fantasies of sexual intimacies with a parent that never actually took place. Freud never totally repudiated his original seduction theory, however, maintaining to the end of his life that at least some cases of actual incest occurred and that these instances underlay certain types of psychopathology. In our era we have become aware that incest is frequently a forerunner of subsequent borderline disorders, especially in women hospitalized with borderline personality disorder (B.P.D.). All the clinical manifestations of B.P.D. can be related to the prior incest experiences.
13 citations
12 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |