3.1.5 freud

Question 1

what is the unconscious?

Answer 1

the part of the mind that we are unaware of but affects behaviour & emotions

Question 2

what are the different parts of the personality according to freud?

Answer 2

• id
• ego
• superego

Question 3

id

Answer 3

pleasure principle
birth - 2 years
* driven by impulses of eros and thanatos
* demands immediate gratification - aggression if this is not obtained
* no thought for consequences
* aggression at this age is inevitable (throwing/hitting/shouting)

Question 4

ego

Answer 4

reality principle
2-3 years
* controls and delays the urges of the id
* doesn’t know right from wrong but it has an idea of when it’s appropriate to behave aggressively
* helps to satisfy id’s urges (e.g. fantasize about aggression rather than doing it in real life)

Question 5

superego

Answer 5

morality principle
3-6 years
* develops an understanding of right from wrong
* urges of the id are delayed until an appropriate time and child feels pride when acting correctly or guilty for incorrect behaviour
* id urges remain in the unconscious mind, only time we are aware of them is through cathartic behaviours

• problems with the development of the superego could lead to aggressive outbursts in adulthood

Question 6

freud - ao1 summary

Answer 6

According to Freud’s psychodynamic theory of aggression, any issues in the development of either the ego or the superego (eg. parents haven’t ensured their child understands right from wrong) results in problems with managing and controlling the impulsive aggressive urges of the Id. Therefore the Id’s urges dominate and do not remain in the unconscious, so aggressive behaviour is used inappropriately and no guilt is felt.

Question 7

freud - considers nature and nurture

Answer 7

P: Considers both sides of the nature & nurture debate

E: The theory argues we are born with our Id (nature) and then childhood experiences, such as being taught right and wrong, shape the balance between our Ego and SuperEgo (nurture).

T: This is a strength as it is holistic, thus more valid than a reductionist explanation eg. hormones

Question 8

freud - contradicting explanations

Answer 8

P: Contradicting explanations of agg

E: Deficit in the pre-frontal cortex = issues with controlling impulsive aggressive behaviour, imbalance in amygdala = issues interpreting threats
Raine found a difference in pre-frontal cortex activity between NGRI’s and controls ( -0.04) and NGRI’s had an imbalance in the amygdala (lower on left side, compared to right side)

T: Therefore validity is lowered

Question 9

freud - application

Answer 9

P: Application to real life

E: Psychoanalysis can be used to treat agg. behaviour through the exploration of unconscious causes of agg (dominant Id) with a therapist, in a safe environment

T: Thus it’s useful to society as it can reduce aggressive behaviour

Question 10

freud - unscientific

Answer 10

P: A weakness of this theory is that it is unscientific and Freud failed to use scientific methodology.

E: The Id, Ego and SuperEgo cannot be directly and accurately measured because they are abstract concepts (that we cannot see) and Freud claimed the Id was in our unconscious, so we don’t have access to this.

T: Therefore this theory is not falsifiable, meaning we cannot prove or disprove it. This means the theory lacks validity as it cannot accurately explain aggression.