Ads (not from Google:)


End of ad
Non-Google ads
javascript:void(0)

Freudian Slip

Abstract: Freudian slips are mistakes in speech, which reveal hidden or subconscious thoughts and feelings.

Web4Health logo
psychologist Independent medical expert answers on psychiatry and psychology

Freudian Slip

Intelligent natural language question-answering in the area of psychology and psychiatry. Ask a simple question  Local help Info


Go the top of the page Top Forum iconDiscuss this Forum iconGet expert advice Printer Print
Question(s): 
Written by: Jacob Palme, professor, Stockholm University
First version: 21 Aug 2008.
Latest revision: 24 Jun 2009.

What is meant by a "Freudian Slip"?

Answer:

According to the theory of Sigmund Freud, people have many subconscious wishes, feelings and desires, which they have suppressed so that they are not consciously aware of them or are not willing to think of them at the present time. However, people sometimes make mistakes, called "Freudian slips" which reveal their subconscious thoughts. In a wider sense, "Freudian slip" is used to refer to any mistake in speech which reveals feelings or thoughts a person does not want to reveal.

Example 1: A man calls his wife by the name of his mistress.

Example 2: A student and his photography teacher had a mutual crush on each other. His teacher made an embarrassing slip by asking him to step in to the "bed" with her, when she was in fact asking him to step into the hall.

Example 3: A person calls his wife "mom" because he subconsciously thinks of her like his mom.

Example 4: A person expecting a dinner guest with a large nose reminds himself to avoid making any reference to noses at dinner. Then dinner comes and he says "Pass the nose" instead of "Pass the salt".

People on average make such slips about two to three times a week, according to one investigation by Dr.James Reason at the university of Manchester in England.

Male volunteers found to be high in guilt about sex were likely to make a sex-related slip when the experimenter was an attractive woman. Instead of giving the response "lice- legs" for instance, they said "nice- legs".

Warning: All slips are not Freudian, and to interpret all slips as Freudian is not recommended.

Intelligent natural language question-answering in the area of psychology and psychiatry. Ask a simple question:
Local help Info
Clickviper ad
Disclaimer: The documents contained in this web site are presented for information purposes only. The material is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified psychiatrist or psychotherapist. It can not and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. If you find anything wrong, please notify us at .
Go to top of page To top of page
Web4Health in other languages: Finnish German Greek Italian Polish Russian Swedish

psy-freud-slip Copyright 2003-2017 Web4Health
Copyright 2003-2017 Web4Health.
Web4Health was selected as finalist for the 2008 Stockholm Challenge Award
Translate Web4Health
We seek voluntary translators who are interested in translating Web4Health to new languages. We can provide the servers, and pay you 50 % of the income from ads on pages, which you have translated. We are especially interested in translators from German To English, From German, Swedish or English to French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Finnish, Polish, Farsi, Russian.
web4health.info/en/tr/

Advertise here
Reach 300 000 visitors reading one million pages for a cost of 600 US $/month.
/en/ad/