Shift (psychoanalysis)

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Shift is a psychological process through which mental energy that is directed at a certain person (or at the unconscious representations of the person's imagination ) is transferred to another person (e.g. anger at the father becomes anger at the little brother). Shift serves the psychic economy (establishment of an inner balance), in that affect amounts can change relatively freely from one content to another. Therefore, in the psychodynamic understanding of object cathexis, the shift is also referred to as the affect shift .

The conception goes back to Freud and was first described by him as a process of dream work . The opposite to the displacement process is the so-called compaction (compression), in which the occupation of a representative not to another given is but a plurality of representations to a fuse (the image of strict father and that of the strict teacher becomes a representation, the common Includes properties and affects). According to Freud's economic theory, an idea can transfer the entire amount of energy from its cathexis to another by shifting it; through the process of compression it can absorb the cathexis of several others . Displacement and compression are examples of the primary process ; H. internal psychic processes that follow the pleasure principle .

Sometimes the shift also serves as a defense mechanism , e.g. B. phobias or cover memories .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Arnold, Wilhelm et al. (Ed.): Lexicon of Psychology . Bechtermünz, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-86047-508-8 ; Column 26
  2. ↑ Freud, Sigmund : The Unconscious . In: The Unconscious. Writings on psychoanalysis. S. Fischer Verlag 1963, page 26, first published in: Zeitschrift f. Psychoanalysis 1915, Vol. III; Collected works, S. Fischer, Vol. X, page 285
  3. ↑ Freud, Sigmund : The Interpretation of Dreams . [1900] Collected Works, Volume II / III, S. Fischer, Frankfurt / M, the following page references from: Paperback edition of the Fischer Library, Aug. 1966, VI. The dream work, chap. B. Shift work page 255 ff.
  4. ↑ Peters, Uwe Henrik : Dictionary of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology . Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munich 3 1984; Stw. Shift, page 600
  5. ↑ Freud, Sigmund : On the psychopathology of everyday life . (1904) Collected Works, Volume IV, S. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt / M 3 1953; following page number from: paperback edition of the Fischer library, Nov. 1954, page 46 f.