Sleep and dreaming - 9.2 Studies: 9.2.1 Freud (1909) Little Hans, analysis…

The idea

Freud’s (1909) study of Little Hans aimed to investigate a five-year-old boy's phobia of horses and find evidence for the Oedipus complex. The procedure involved Hans's father observing his son's behaviour and dreams, then writing to Freud, who interpreted these reports. Freud concluded that Hans's fear of horses symbolised a fear of his father (castration anxiety) due to his unconscious desire for his mother. A key strength is the rich, qualitative data gathered, providing deep insight. However, weaknesses include the subjective nature of Freud's interpretations, the potential bias of the father's leading questions, and the inability to generalise findings from a single, unique case study to the wider population.

What earns the marks

• Identify the aim: to investigate the origins of Little Hans's phobia and find evidence for the Oedipus complex.
• Recall the procedure: Hans's father observed him, recorded his dreams and conversations, and sent them to Freud via letter.
• State the findings: Freud interpreted the horse as a symbol of Hans's father, representing castration anxiety.
• Explain a weakness: the data was subjective, and the father may have used leading questions, reducing validity.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Believing Freud directly observed or interviewed Little Hans.

  Put it right: Freud only met Hans once; the data was collected entirely by Hans's father and sent via letters.

• Stating that the study proves the Oedipus complex exists in all children.

  Put it right: As a case study of one boy, the findings cannot be generalised to the wider population.

• Confusing the phobia's literal object with its psychoanalytic meaning.

  Put it right: Hans was literally afraid of horses, but Freud concluded this was an unconscious displacement of his fear of his father.

Exam tips

• Remember that the data collection method was correspondence (letters) between the father and Freud, which introduces significant bias.
• Use this study to illustrate the concepts of the Oedipus complex and displacement in psychoanalytic theory.
• When evaluating, focus on the lack of generalisability and the highly subjective nature of dream analysis.