Freudian slip
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| - | {{Template}}A '''Freudian slip''', or '''parapraxis''', is an error in [[speech]], [[memory]] or physical action that is believed to be caused by the [[unconscious mind]]. | + | {{Template}} |
| + | A '''Freudian slip''', also called '''parapraxis''', is an [[error]] in [[speech communication|speech]], [[memory]], or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of some [[unconscious mind|unconscious]] ("dynamically repressed"), subdued wish, conflict, or train of thought. The concept is thus part of classical [[psychoanalysis]]. | ||
| - | Some errors, such as a man accidentally calling his wife by the name of the other woman he loves more and with whom he is having an affair, seem to represent relatively clear cases of Freudian slips. In other cases, the error might appear to be trivial or bizarre, but may show some deeper meaning on analysis. As a common joke goes, it can be like "saying one thing, but meaning your mother". A Freudian slip is not limited to a slip of the tongue, or to sexual desires. It can extend to our word perception where we might read a word incorrectly because of our fixations. It is important to note that these slips are semi-conscious. This is to say that these thoughts are consciously repressed and then unconsciously released. This is unlike true Freudian repression which is the unconscious act of making something unconscious. | + | Slips of the tongue and the pen are the classical parapraxes, but psychoanalytic theory also embraces such [[phenomena]] as misreadings, mishearings, temporary forgettings, and the mislaying and losing of objects. |
| - | == History == | + | ==History== |
| + | The Freudian slip is named after [[Sigmund Freud]], who in his 1901 book ''[[The Psychopathology of Everyday Life]]'', described and analyzed a large number of seemingly trivial, bizarre, or nonsensical errors and slips. | ||
| - | The Freudian slip is named after [[Sigmund Freud]], who described the phenomenon he called '''''Fehlleistung''''' (literally meaning "faulty action" in German, but termed as '''''parapraxis''''' in English) in his [[1901]] book ''[[The Psychopathology of Everyday Life]]''. Freud gives several examples of seemingly trivial, bizarre or nonsensical Freudian slips in ''Psychopathology''; the analysis is often quite lengthy and complex, as was the case with many of the dreams in ''The Interpretation of Dreams''. | + | Freud never named an idea, discovery, or concept after himself, instead calling his therapies psychoanalysis. (Today, after countless revisions by those in the field, it is now called [[psychodynamic]].) It is unknown who first coined the term "Freudian slip," but it has since come to be used around the world and has been found in various pop-culture references and even found its way into everyday speech. |
| - | == Popularity == | + | The process of analysis is often quite lengthy and complex, as was the case with many of the dreams in his book ''[[The Interpretation of Dreams]]'' (1899). An obstacle that faces the non-German reader is that Freud's emphasis on 'slips of the tongue' leads to the inclusion of a great deal of material that is extremely resistant to translation. |
| - | Popularization of the term has diluted its technical meaning in some contexts to include any slip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, often in an attempt by the user to humorously assign hidden motives or sexual innuendo to the mistake. It is not clear, however, what Freud considered an "innocent" mistake, or if he thought that there were any innocent mistakes. The enormous quantity of slips analyzed in [[Psychopathology|psychopathology]], many of which are banal or apparently trivial, would seem to indicate that Freud felt almost any seemingly tiny slip or hesitation would respond to analysis. | + | As in the study of dreams, Freud submits his discussion with the intention of demonstrating the existence of unconscious mental processes in the healthy: |
| - | Another popularity that has been common among people that intend to counsel or provide social help to others is to use witnessed Freudian Slips with shy, apprehensive, or reserved people as an indication that the person making the slip needs to speak more in depth regarding a more deeper repressed set of thoughts. In slang reference, this is termed as "to spill the beans", "a slip-up", "the cats out of the bag", and more loosely termed as, "blabbermouth". | + | |
| + | :"In the same way that psycho-analysis makes use of dream interpretation, it also profits by the study of the numerous little slips and mistakes which people make -- symptomatic actions, as they are called [...] I have pointed out that these phenomena are not accidental, that they require more than physiological explanations, that they have a meaning and can be interpreted, and that one is justified in inferring from them the presence of restrained or repressed intentions and intentions. --Freud, ''[[An Autobiographical Study]]'' (1925) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Freud, himself, referred to these slips as '''''Fehlleistungen''''' (meaning "faulty actions", "faulty functions" or "misperformances" in [[German language|German]]); the Greek term '''''parapraxes''''' (plural of "parapraxis", from the Greek παρά [''para''] and πρᾶξις [''praxis''], meaning "another action" in English) was the creation of his English translator, as is the form "symptomatic action". | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Popularity== | ||
| + | Popularisation of the term has resulted in its being applied to any slip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, often in an attempt by the user to humorously assign hidden motives or an air of sexual innuendo to the mistake. This has brought about a dilution of the original technical meaning, with the word "Freudian" being applied to interpretations and explanations that have no essential connection with genuine psychoanalytic thought. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Alternative explanations of "slips of the tongue"== | ||
| + | :''[[Speech error]]'' | ||
| + | In contrast to psychoanalytic theorists, cognitive psychologists claim that linguistic slips can represent a sequencing conflict in grammar production. From this perspective, slips may be due to cognitive underspecification that can take a variety of forms – inattention, incomplete sense data or insufficient knowledge. Secondly, they may be due to the existence of some locally appropriate response pattern that is strongly primed by its prior usage, recent activation or emotional change or by the situation calling conditions. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Some sentences are just susceptible to the process of banalisation: the replacement of archaic or unusual expressions with forms that are in more common use. In other words, the errors were due to strong habit substitution. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In general use, the term 'Freudian slip' has been debased to refer to any accidental [[slips of the tongue]]. Thus many examples are found in explanations and dictionaries which do not strictly fit the psychoanalytic definition. | ||
| + | |||
| + | For example: She: 'What would you like—bread and butter, or cake?' He: 'Bed and butter.' | ||
| + | |||
| + | In the above, the man may be presumed to have a sexual feeling or intention that he wished to leave unexpressed, ''not'' a sexual feeling or intention that was dynamically repressed. His sexual intention was therefore ''secret'', rather than ''unconscious'', and any 'parapraxis' would inhere in the idea that he ''unconsciously wished to express that intention'', rather than in the sexual connotation of the substitution. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Examples== | ||
| + | [[George H. W. Bush]] is known for two Freudian slips, both on [[live television]]. About [[Ronald Reagan]] he said : "For seven and a half years I worked alongside him, and I'm proud of being his partner, and we had triumphs, we made some mistakes, we had some sex...setbacks." A second is when he stated: "Some of you may have gotten my ass email—my mass email...Freudian slip only!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * [[Brantome on the lapsus]] | ||
| + | * [[Cognition]] | ||
| + | * [[Lapsus]] | ||
| + | * [[Pun]] | ||
| + | * [[Spoonerism]] | ||
| + | * [[Malapropism]] | ||
| + | * [[Tip of the tongue]] | ||
| + | * [[Signorelli parapraxis]] | ||
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A Freudian slip, also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of some unconscious ("dynamically repressed"), subdued wish, conflict, or train of thought. The concept is thus part of classical psychoanalysis.
Slips of the tongue and the pen are the classical parapraxes, but psychoanalytic theory also embraces such phenomena as misreadings, mishearings, temporary forgettings, and the mislaying and losing of objects.
Contents |
History
The Freudian slip is named after Sigmund Freud, who in his 1901 book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, described and analyzed a large number of seemingly trivial, bizarre, or nonsensical errors and slips.
Freud never named an idea, discovery, or concept after himself, instead calling his therapies psychoanalysis. (Today, after countless revisions by those in the field, it is now called psychodynamic.) It is unknown who first coined the term "Freudian slip," but it has since come to be used around the world and has been found in various pop-culture references and even found its way into everyday speech.
The process of analysis is often quite lengthy and complex, as was the case with many of the dreams in his book The Interpretation of Dreams (1899). An obstacle that faces the non-German reader is that Freud's emphasis on 'slips of the tongue' leads to the inclusion of a great deal of material that is extremely resistant to translation.
As in the study of dreams, Freud submits his discussion with the intention of demonstrating the existence of unconscious mental processes in the healthy:
- "In the same way that psycho-analysis makes use of dream interpretation, it also profits by the study of the numerous little slips and mistakes which people make -- symptomatic actions, as they are called [...] I have pointed out that these phenomena are not accidental, that they require more than physiological explanations, that they have a meaning and can be interpreted, and that one is justified in inferring from them the presence of restrained or repressed intentions and intentions. --Freud, An Autobiographical Study (1925)
Freud, himself, referred to these slips as Fehlleistungen (meaning "faulty actions", "faulty functions" or "misperformances" in German); the Greek term parapraxes (plural of "parapraxis", from the Greek παρά [para] and πρᾶξις [praxis], meaning "another action" in English) was the creation of his English translator, as is the form "symptomatic action".
Popularity
Popularisation of the term has resulted in its being applied to any slip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, often in an attempt by the user to humorously assign hidden motives or an air of sexual innuendo to the mistake. This has brought about a dilution of the original technical meaning, with the word "Freudian" being applied to interpretations and explanations that have no essential connection with genuine psychoanalytic thought.
Alternative explanations of "slips of the tongue"
In contrast to psychoanalytic theorists, cognitive psychologists claim that linguistic slips can represent a sequencing conflict in grammar production. From this perspective, slips may be due to cognitive underspecification that can take a variety of forms – inattention, incomplete sense data or insufficient knowledge. Secondly, they may be due to the existence of some locally appropriate response pattern that is strongly primed by its prior usage, recent activation or emotional change or by the situation calling conditions.
Some sentences are just susceptible to the process of banalisation: the replacement of archaic or unusual expressions with forms that are in more common use. In other words, the errors were due to strong habit substitution.
In general use, the term 'Freudian slip' has been debased to refer to any accidental slips of the tongue. Thus many examples are found in explanations and dictionaries which do not strictly fit the psychoanalytic definition.
For example: She: 'What would you like—bread and butter, or cake?' He: 'Bed and butter.'
In the above, the man may be presumed to have a sexual feeling or intention that he wished to leave unexpressed, not a sexual feeling or intention that was dynamically repressed. His sexual intention was therefore secret, rather than unconscious, and any 'parapraxis' would inhere in the idea that he unconsciously wished to express that intention, rather than in the sexual connotation of the substitution.
Examples
George H. W. Bush is known for two Freudian slips, both on live television. About Ronald Reagan he said : "For seven and a half years I worked alongside him, and I'm proud of being his partner, and we had triumphs, we made some mistakes, we had some sex...setbacks." A second is when he stated: "Some of you may have gotten my ass email—my mass email...Freudian slip only!"
See also
- Brantome on the lapsus
- Cognition
- Lapsus
- Pun
- Spoonerism
- Malapropism
- Tip of the tongue
- Signorelli parapraxis
