The big question of syndromes

[kitkitkit]

What actually makes the Oedipus syndrome occur?

[Glider]

No idea, but its a complex, not a syndrome.

[Skye]

...or what stops it occurring normally?

[MishMish]

Changing topics slightly, think more interesting is the idea barriers to incest are established by being raised in proximity

 

What's a complex?

[Glider]

The Oedipus complex is a Freudian term which refers to a (usually) sexual fixation on one or other parent, and is characterised by a range of loving and hostile wishes by a child passing through the so-called phallic stage of development (at 3-5 years of age). I suppose it is termed a complex due the characteristic constellation of emotions that defines the condition. Beyond that, I have very little idea. I don't know much about Freud or Freudian psychoanalytic thoery (I come from the 'other end' of psychology).

[BrainMan]

As a modern twist on the idea, however, it might be interesting to note that people tend to be more attracted to members of the opposite sex that resemble thier parent of the opposite sex (but not the same sex parent). This research was done in the context of evolutionary considerations, so "what causes it" might be answered by an appeal to natural selection.

[MishMish]

Thanks, have heard of Oedipus complex and had the basic idea, but you had maintained a distinction between complex and syndrome.

 

My question referred to that distinction and whether or not there is a technical definition for complex, or is it just a hold over term

[Glider]

The term 'syndrome', in medicine, refers to a group of symptoms which consistantly occur together, particularly where the underlying cause or problem is not well understood.

 

I'm guessing, but I suppose the term complex could be used in the same way in psychology, to describe a set of behaviours or attitudes that occur together due to some poorly understood aetiology, but which extend beyond the rational. For example, 'inferiority complex' which is characterised by a set of beliefs and attitudes concerning one's worth and self esteem and is manifest in behaviours concordant with those beliefs. For it to be a complex, these beliefs are irrational and baseless in reality, and the underlying cause of the complex is unknown (initially at least).

[MishMish]

Okay, thanks

 

Think will go with my gut feel on this and go back to thinking it's a useless term...

 

While I might have to acknowledge "irrational," depending on how one defines it, I have a hard time with "baseless in reality." That's just me, of course

[Glider]

By 'Baseless in reality' I mean simply that the beliefs held are ..er..well, baseless, unsupported, wrong, in reality. For example, somebody believing they are useless at what they do, would not be baseless if they are in fact useless at what they do. That would be a rational and supported belief (i.e. there would be some objective evidence in support of that belief). If they were in fact very good at what they do, but believed they were useless, then such a belief would be baseless in reality and only 'evidence' for it would be the irrational, biased and selective perceptions in the mind of that individual.

[MishMish]

This is going to take me directions I really can't go.

 

But taking a hopefully somewhat simpler example, say some phobia. There must be some reason some would be more predisposed to over-learn than others. In an applied context, the reaction (or pre-emtive action) may not be appropriate to the threat, but that would not make it baseless

 

I don't mean to be playing semantic games here, it is just that I have a fair distrust of "psychological" explanations

[Glider]

And so you should. Psychobabble has been used to mislead too often.

 

With the example of phobias: You're right, a fear of snakes is arguably not baseless, but may still be irrational (a defining characteristic of a phobia). A person with a severe snake phobia will show extreme fear (and associated autonomic responses) to a picture of a snake. Nonetheless, people can learn a fear of snakes (though not a phobia) by observing others being harmed by snakes (either in reality or in films, documentaries etc.). (some) snakes are dangerous, there are real grounds to fear them.

 

Now, take for example a moth phobia. Moths are harmless. Fear of moths has no basis in reality. We cannot have learned the fear by observing another being mauled or fatally bitten by a moth. The percept of a moth held by a person with a moth phobia is baseless in reality.

[kitkitkit]

Can i just say, i think that the this complex causes a SON (not any offspring) to feel sexual "tendencies" towards his MOTHER (not the father). This is from the "Introduction to Psychology".

 

Btw, what is "the other end of psychology" ?