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The priority of primary process categorizing: experimental evidence supporting a psychoanalytic developmental

Linda A W Brakel1, Howard Shevrin, Karen K Villa

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, USA. Brakel@umich.edu

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|September 11, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Freud's theory of mental organization is supported, showing primary process thinking dominates in young children and is replaced by secondary process thinking around age 7, remaining stable thereafter.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Development
  • Psychoanalytic Theory

Background:

  • Previous research confirmed Freud's primary and secondary process mental organization.
  • Primary process thinking is more active unconsciously.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the developmental priority of primary process mental organization.
  • To examine the age-related shift from primary to secondary process thinking.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a categorization test with stimuli from prior research.
  • Assessed primary and secondary processes in 559 participants aged 3 to 80.

Main Results:

  • Primary process mentation is predominant in preschoolers.
  • Secondary process organization emerges around age 7, supplanting primary process.

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  • Secondary process organization remains stable from age 7 throughout adulthood.

    • Conclusions:

    • The findings support Freud's model of mental organization development.
    • Primary process thinking has developmental priority, shifting to secondary process thinking in childhood.
    • Cognitive organization shows remarkable stability after age 7.