How Unfaithful Applied To Psychology

Psychoanalytic theory is probably known to be the origin of any other psychological theories in the science field of Psychology. It consists of unique views, developed by psychologist Sigmund Freud, that captures the attention of all people worldwide. Sigmund Freud had observed and studied every type of behavior conducted by a specific group; from that, he concluded his own theory of how all mankind act in the real world and why. His approach towards behavior states that every person has an unconscious internal state which motivates him/her to do certain actions. Every performance must be done with an explanation; it could either be consciously or unconsciously. In the movie Unfaithful, Connie Sumner, the main character of the story, commits adultery because of her selfish acts. What motivated her to her action? There is no exact definite answer. But according to Freudian psychology, otherwise known as psychoanalytic theory, Freud would quote that Connie has had a lot of unconscious desires, motivations, and conflicts. Her drive for the hot affair could be an result from Eros, a sexual instinct that is necessary for an individual's survival. Freud states that every human being contains two types of instincts: Eros and Thanatos (death instinct). An instinct is an inherited psychological drive that arise in response to fundamental physical needs. The energy that drives the instincts out is known to be libido. Connie's libido finally leaked from her unconscious mind onto her actions when she could no longer resist the temptation. As a mother and housewife, the amount of house tasks, child-rearing, and work load have taken priority over romance. The lack of romance in her life has created unconscious conflicts and yearning within Connie. Psychoanalytic theories describe the human mind as three major motivation systems: the id, superego, and ego. The id is the center for all psychic energy and desires. It follows the pleasure principle, which acquire "obtain satisfaction now, not later." The superego follows the moral standards and disputes with the id. As for the ego, it tries to balance between the drives of the id and the forces of the superego. In other words, the ego follows the reality principle, which is usually socially acceptable. However in Connie's case, it is obvious that her id had won the battle against the superego. Her selfish sexual needs has taken over her moral standards, which is not to commit adultery. And in the end, because of her instinct and action, her passion turns into profound guilt. Her conscious awareness of her mistake leads her to follow the superego once again and break the affair off. Although Connie's deed has no conscious reason, it can be clearly seen that her action is significantly influenced from her unconscious conflict and urge.

Social Psychology focuses on how the behavior of an individual is affected by other individuals and groups rather than the individual itself. Social psychologists, such as Robert Zajonc and Carl Hovland, cultivated theories to explain why specific behaviors/actions happen. Within the movie Unfaithful, Connie's adultery act could be an effect from outside influences. According to Fritz Heider, his attribution theory states how individuals make inferences about why other people do things. An explanation for Connie's adultery could be because of situational factors, external features that bring about a change in behavior. The pressure and seduction coming from Paul Martel, the admirer, might be the primary cause of Connie's unaccepted behavior. The attraction these two share results from their own desirable characteristics. Paul Martel can't stop flirting with Connie and keeps on leading her on. Connie is drawn to Martel and fabricates pretexts to stop by his apartment. With the abound exposure to one another, it enhanced both of their likings for each other, which ultimately leads to a scorching affair. This could be known as the mere exposure hypothesis, a possibility of intimate attraction between two people due to familiarity. Towards the end of the movie, Connie decided to exterminate the affair between Martel and herself. From this, psychologist Carl Hovland would clarify this alteration of attitude as a process of persuasion. There are three components of persuasion: the communicator, the communication,

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