Examination of the Film "Sybil"

The psychoanalytical theory explains causes for behavior because it includes the different parts of the brain. The ID, ego, and superego are 3 parts in his theory. The Id is the part of the brain that strives to satisfy basic things to survive. The ID is considered the primitive mind. The Id has only one principle and that is the pleasure principle. The ID does not care about the consequences. It just wants to get short term pleasure. The ego learns on the reality principle. It thinks about way it can get long term pleasure. The super ego is the one that considers the real and the ideal. The superego tries to be perfect, and its demands are usually the opposite of the IDs.

I believe that the super ego is Vicky because she cared about what doctor Wilbur said and also cared about the consequences if they didn't follow her directions. The ID in the movie would have to be Peggy due to the reality factor. A Dissociative Identity Disorder is when two or more distinct identities take control of an individual. When a person has this disorder, they are usually separated into a good and bad personality. They also report of possible sexual and physical abuse.

The psychoanalytical theory includes the ID, ego, and superego. When a person has the disorder, they also usually have an id, ego and superego telling them what to do. In Sybil, she exhibits DID as a disorder because she has 15 different personalities t her. She has Sybil, Peggy, Vicky, Marcia, etc. Each one of her personalities has different values and is unique. DID is treated by dream analysis, free association, and hypnosis. Free association is when u lay down on a bed and just talk about anything you want. Dream analysis is when the doctors ask you about your dream and they try to figure out what the dream means. Hypnosis can cause changes in subjective experience, alterations in perception, sensation, emotion, thought or behavior. The hypnotic state may also facilitate change in the body. Dr. Wilbur used the dream analysis method when she tried to find out the meaning of the kittens dream. She used the hypnosis method when she made Sybil go back to when her mother beated her repeatedly.

She used the free association method when she told Sybil to just talk and Dr. Wilbur let her lie down. The requirements for a scientifically valid theory would be a testable hypothesis. The hypothesis can be either accepted or rejected after the experiment. In a psychoanalytical theory, the hypothesis is made after the experiment, so it can not be considered testable because testable hypothesizes are made before the experiment. Psychoanalysis was not very effective but Dr. Wilbur learned what had worked and what had not worked. She was able to change her strategies in order to help Sybil. I don't believe that the psychoanalytical theory is a scientifically valid theory.