A2 Approaches Flashcards
who originated the psychodynamic approach?
Sigmund Freud in the 1800s
What did Sigmund Freud think the three areas of the mind were?
The unconscious mind, the preconscious mind and the conscious mind.
What did Freud think the “unconscious” part of the brain controlled?
Fears, violent motives, unacceptable sexual desires, immorality and selfishness.
What did Freud think the “pre-conscious” part of the brain controlled?
memories, stored knowledge, basic understanding
What did Freud think the “conscious” part of the brain controlled?
Thoughts, perception, rationality, morality and consciousness
How did Freud use icebergs as a metaphor for how the mind acts during emotional outbursts?
Freud believed that, most of the time, the conscious mind was “on top”, or what are actions relied on most, at the tip of the iceberg. This is “above the water” as it is what is most present in daily behavior. However, when icebergs become too melted, due to being exposed to too much heat, they can flip upside down. Freud suggested that when a person is put under a lot of pressure, their iceberg flips. Therefore, the unconscious mind is now most present and most responsible for determining our actions (meaning we act aggressively/irrationally/emotionally).
Which of the different areas of the mind was Freud most interested in and why?
The unconscious mind- he believed we could not directly observe it, and suggested it was used in defense mechanisms such as displacement, repression and denial.
What are the three different “drives” Freud suggested each of us are born with?
The Id, The ego and the Super-ego
What does the Id feature?
It is our first drive that we are born with. It controls our drive/desire for pleasure. It also drives selfishness, fear, anger and lust.
What does the Ego feature?
Developed as a child develops from infancy. It is like a mediational drive between the id and superego. It applies reality to the impulses form the id. It controls rational thinking, reality, logical thinking, balance, compromise and reason
What does the superego feature?
Developed latest out of the three drives, it is an internalisation of social rules. It is often influenced by parents, guardians or other loved ones encouraging “good” or “bad” behavior. It controls morality, guilt, conscience and obedience.
What are the four types of defense mechanisms that Freud theorised?
Repression, Denial, Displacement and Minimalisation
What is the defense mechanism of repression?
When an individual will unconsciously block unacceptable or traumatic thoughts and impulses, and storing them in the “unconscious mind”. The repressed thoughts and impulses may still influence behavior, without the individual being aware of it.
What is the defense mechanism of Denial?
When an individual refuses to accept reality in order to avoid negative thoughts or feelings.
What is the defense mechanism of displacement?
When an individual redirects their thoughts or feelings that we are not able to openly express (often as they are considered socially unacceptable), so will direct these feeling son to something/someone else.
What is the mnemonic you use to remember Freud’s psychosexual stages?
Old Age Pensioners Love Gardener’s world
Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latent, Genital
What is involved in the oral stage of psychosexual development?
The mouth is the focal point of sensation and is the way in which the child expresses early sexual energy (between the ages of 0-2)
What is involved in the anal stage of psychosexual development?
The ego begins to develop, as the child must become toilet trained, so they begin to embrace that one can not just do whatever they want whenever they want in reality, and elucidates the need to conform to the demand of others.
What is involved in the Phallic stage of psychosexual development?
Sexual energy is now focused on the genitals., suggested to occur during the age of 3 and 6. The major conflict at this stage is the oedipus conflict, and may be where repression first occurs.
What is involved in the Latent stage of psychosexual development?
The child begins to master the world around them. The child (usually between ages 6-12) will start to repress their past memories that can be associated with negative feelings.
What is involved in the Genital stage of psychosexual development?
Sexual energy is fixed in the genitals. This directs us towards sexual intercourse and the beginnings of adult life.
Who pioneered the Humanist Approach?
Maslow and Rogers
What were some key features of Maslow and Roger’s approach to psychology?
They focused in free will and individual differences, meaning they often rejected scientifics approaches to psychology for being too generalised.
What were the different tiers in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, from most basic to most optimal? (and what is the mnemonic you could use to remember this?)
Psychological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem and Self Actualization
(Petty Squirrels Love Eating Sour Acorns)