Freud and the "Little Hans" study

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Overview

The ‘Little Hans’ study is an in-depth study of the treatment of the five year old son of Max Graf (a friend of Freud and supporter of his theories) who was suffering from a phobia of horses (or hippophobia). The aim of the study was to report the findings of his treatment of the young boy and was conducted through letters sent to Freud by Max Graf of conversations he had with his son and observations of his behaviour. Freud, however, only met Hans on one or two occasions and, therefore, Hans’ father conducted the actual treatment based on Freud’s replies.

The initial information given to Freud concerned Hans’ active interest in his penis and whether other people had a penis or not that developed at about the age of three. Fantasies involving penises started to occur throughout this period and were accompanied by manipulation of his penis, which his mother ordered him to stop doing, or she would summon the doctor to remove his penis. It was at about the age of three and a half that Hans became jealous of his newly-born sister for a short time and he started to develop emotional attachments to other children, girls in particular.

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At the age of five, Hans developed the phobia of horses, which prompted his father to contact Freud for treatment, providing him with extensive information of his conversations with his son. Analysing some anxiety dreams Hans had experienced involving losing his mother, Freud theorised that the young boy had made his mother the focus of his libido. Hans’ father believing there to be a link between his interest in his penis and the phobia, he told his son to stop touching himself but to no avail. However, when Freud was told that Hans did not like horses with black bits ...

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