Failed act (parapraxis, lapses): definition and causes

Failed acts are errors in behavior and cognition, including memory or spoken and written language, which according to the classical approaches of psychoanalysis provide information about the unconscious processes of the person who commits them.

In this article we will describe what parapraxias consist of, what types exist according to Sigmund Freud and how they are given meaning from traditional psychoanalytic practice.

What is a failed act?

Parapraxias, also called failed acts, Freudian lapses or lapses, are failures in speech, in actions, in memory, in reading or writing that, according to Sigmund Freud and other psychoanalysts Later, they reveal an interference of the unconscious part of the mind in the behavior manifest.

Some examples of common failed acts might be forgetting to respond to an email regarding an interview for a job that we are not convinced, mistakenly saying a word of sexual content to a person who attracts us and calling the current partner by the name of a ex partner.

The word "parapraxis" comes from a translation of the word "Fehlleistungen", used by Freud himself. The Greek word means "another action", while the German can be translated as "wrong action".

The first failed act recorded by Freud was that of a young patient who forgot a word when quoting a passage from The Aeneid. The therapist determined through the association of words that the man associated the term with blood, and He hypothesized that he had unconsciously blocked it in order to avoid recalling a traumatic event related to is.

Meaning of parapraxias

Freud's theory, and therefore psychoanalytic practice in general, is based on the belief that it is possible to infer conflicts and unconscious impulses repressed from many actions and experiences in which this structure of the mind.

Not only are dreams capable of being studied as manifestations of the unconscious; according to psychoanalysis, in many cases we can detect similar elements during wakefulness. Some cases are parapraxias, neurotic symptoms, the defense mechanisms or the word association method.

Freud wrote that since failed acts also occur in people who do not display any psychopathology, can be considered a sign that unconscious processes also exist in those who do not suffer from neurosis or other psychological disorders.

Although on some occasions the psychoanalytic hypothesis seems to be correct, it is worth considering mind that frequently these types of errors can be due only to factors such as fatigue or random. Recall that even Freud himself stated that "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar" when he was drawn to his own habit.

Types of Freudian slip

Freud described four types of failed act: the verbal ones, or lapsus linguae, those of writing and drawing (lapsus calami), those of listening and reading comprehension and memory blocks motivated by unconscious factors.

Below we will describe the main characteristics of each of them.

1. Verbal (lapsus linguae)

Lapsus tongue are the most common failed acts and also the best known to the general public.; for the latter, it is very common to use the word "lapses" to refer exclusively to parapraxias of a verbal type.

The verbal slips of famous people are very popular on the Internet and on television. For example, Mariano Rajoy, President of the Government of Spain, said in 2016 to the leader of the parliamentary opposition: "What we have done, which you did not do, is to deceive the people."

2. Graphics (manus slip)

The manus lapses, as the failed acts that occur in writing or in other graphic manifestations are called, they work in a very similar way to verbal ones. Like these, in many cases they can be explained by a decrease in the level of attention or alertness, as well as by other similar factors.

The concept "lapsus calami" is close to that of lapsus manus. It is used to exclusively refer to typed errors, making it more restrictive.

3. Listening and reading comprehension

These types of failed acts consist of misunderstanding something we have heard or read. It is relatively common for this to happen at times when we fear that our interlocutor will mention of a specific issue, but also when there is simply a term very present in our mind.

An example of this type of error may be someone who, after returning from an appointment with a person who likes, hears his partner ask "Were you with your lover?" instead of "Were you with your mother?".

4. Symbolic forgetfulness (lapsus memoriae)

Symbolic or motivated forgetting is a type of failed act that has attracted the attention of psychology in particular.. It is not uncommon for people to forget to go to medical or professional appointments that generate a particular rejection, as well as to carry out tasks that do not arouse them.

In many cases the lapsus memoriae manifest themselves in spoken language; thus, not being able to remember the name of a person we do not want to think about during a conversation would be an example of symbolic forgetfulness.