A2 Approaches

Question 1

who originated the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

Sigmund Freud in the 1800s

Question 2

What did Sigmund Freud think the three areas of the mind were?

Answer 2

The unconscious mind, the preconscious mind and the conscious mind.

Question 3

What did Freud think the “unconscious” part of the brain controlled?

Answer 3

Fears, violent motives, unacceptable sexual desires, immorality and selfishness.

Question 4

What did Freud think the “pre-conscious” part of the brain controlled?

Answer 4

memories, stored knowledge, basic understanding

Question 5

What did Freud think the “conscious” part of the brain controlled?

Answer 5

Thoughts, perception, rationality, morality and consciousness

Question 6

How did Freud use icebergs as a metaphor for how the mind acts during emotional outbursts?

Answer 6

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).

Question 7

Which of the different areas of the mind was Freud most interested in and why?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What are the three different “drives” Freud suggested each of us are born with?

Answer 8

The Id, The ego and the Super-ego

Question 9

What does the Id feature?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

What does the Ego feature?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What does the superego feature?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

What are the four types of defense mechanisms that Freud theorised?

Answer 12

Repression, Denial, Displacement and Minimalisation

Question 13

What is the defense mechanism of repression?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

What is the defense mechanism of Denial?

Answer 14

When an individual refuses to accept reality in order to avoid negative thoughts or feelings.

Question 15

What is the defense mechanism of displacement?

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

What is the mnemonic you use to remember Freud’s psychosexual stages?

Answer 16

Old Age Pensioners Love Gardener’s world

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latent, Genital

Question 17

What is involved in the oral stage of psychosexual development?

Answer 17

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)

Question 18

What is involved in the anal stage of psychosexual development?

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

What is involved in the Phallic stage of psychosexual development?

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

What is involved in the Latent stage of psychosexual development?

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

What is involved in the Genital stage of psychosexual development?

Answer 21

Sexual energy is fixed in the genitals. This directs us towards sexual intercourse and the beginnings of adult life.

Question 22

Who pioneered the Humanist Approach?

Answer 22

Maslow and Rogers

Question 23

What were some key features of Maslow and Roger’s approach to psychology?

Answer 23

They focused in free will and individual differences, meaning they often rejected scientifics approaches to psychology for being too generalised.

Question 24

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?)

Answer 24

Psychological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem and Self Actualization

(Petty Squirrels Love Eating Sour Acorns)

Question 25

What were the needs involved in the “psychological” tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 25

Breathing, Food, Exercise, Shelter, etc.

Question 26

What were the needs involved in the “Safety” tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 26

Security of body, security of employment, resources, morality, family, health and property

Question 27

What were the needs involved in the “Love and Belonging” tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 27

Friendship, Family, sexual intimacy etc.

Question 28

What were the needs involved in the “Esteem” tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 28

Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others

Question 29

What were the needs involved in the “Self Actualizationl” tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 29

Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of fact

Question 30

What did Maslow describe a self -actualized person to seem like?

Answer 30

A person able to have “peak experiences” (moment of extreme inspiration and ecstasy when they could leave behind all doubts, fears and inhibitions). MAslow found that self-actualized people tended to be creative, accepting of others and have an accurate perception from those around them.

Question 31

What did Rogers believe happiness relies on?

Answer 31

Congruence between ones ideal self and one’s self-concept.

Question 32

What did Rogers define as our self-concept?

Answer 32

How we percieve ourself, often involving our self worth. Rogers believed that efelings of self-worth were developed in childhood due to experience with parents (nd could later be effected by experience with significant others)

Question 33

What did Rogers suggest indicated optimal mental health?

Answer 33

High self estem and self eficacy (ability to function)

Question 34

Define conditions of worth and how these affect people’s self worth

Answer 34

If a person is accepted by others for who they are and what they do including flaws and limitations, this is considered unconditional positive regard, and suggests a person forming a feeling of self worth without requirements. If a person is only accepted or supported by others if they display desired behaviors or traits (i.e. excelling academically), the person is only given conditional regard, and can develop conditions of worht. They may feel they have to meet these conditions to have self-worth or eperience self-acceptance.

Question 35

What did Rogers believe was often missing in childhood for people with less than optimal mental health?

Answer 35

Unconditional Positive Regard

Question 36

What were two features of Roger’s client-centred therapy that we still use today?

Answer 36

Empathy and Unconditional Positive Regard

Question 37

Evaluate the internal validity of Freud’s theories

Answer 37

Freud formed his theories using only case studies and notes from his particular patients. This makes them very determinist and biased (he never used experimental methods and mainly studied men).

Question 38

Evaluate the temporal validity of Freud’s theories

Answer 38

Freud often blamed women for men’s mental illness and was quite mysogynistic. He disregarded the idea fo female sexuality. The idea of the stages in psychosexual development also were ealuated later, as focus on sexuality in children became more unethical. The basic nature of the approach was still continued, but is now more commonly referred to as psychodynamic stages of development.

Question 39

What was one good application of the humanist theory?

Answer 39

The pioneering of counselling- elements of conditions of worth focused on.
This has been widely beneficial and accessible, specifically being effective in adolescents, when children are particularly vulnerable.