Approaches Booklet 4 - Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What 4 parts does the psychodynamic approach booklet consist of?

Answer 1

-Unconscious Mind
-Structure of Personality
-Defence mechanisms
-Psychosexual stages

Question 2

What are the overall assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 2

-There is importance in the unconscious mind
-They focus on the fact that most behaviour stems from early childhoos experiences
-Revolves largely around Sigmund Freud

Question 3

What does Freud compare the mind to? how?

Answer 3

To an Iceberg, with most of the iceberg underwater, similarly to how most of the mind is unconscious

Question 4

What does Freud explain the top of the iceberg to be?

Answer 4

This represents the conscious mind because these are the things that we are aware of in life (thoughts for example)

Question 5

What is the part of the iceberg touching the water according to freud?

Answer 5

This part of the iceberg represents the pre-conscious mind, thing we are aware of but have little control over (dreams, memories and Freudian slips)

Question 6

What is the bottom of the iceberg according to Freud?

Answer 6

This part of the iceberg represents the part of the mind that we cannot access, where all our deep deires and traumatic memories are repressed to

Question 7

What are the three parts of the structure of personality?

Answer 7

-Id
-Ego
-Superego

Question 8

What is the Id?

Answer 8

(0-18 months) this is the demanding, selfish part of our personality and we’re born with this as it is the pleasure principle

Question 9

What is the ego?

Answer 9

(18 months- 3 years) this is the part of the personality that manages the conflict between Id and superego, it is the reality principle

Question 10

What is the superego?

Answer 10

(3 years- 6 years) this is the moral part of our personality, the part that tells us what is right and wrong, this is the morality principle (inner parent)

Question 11

What happens if someones ego is/isn’t strong enough to maintain control and balance?

Answer 11

If it can maintain balance then the individual is healthy, however if it can’t maintain the balance then it will lead to abnormality

Question 12

What happens if the Id is more in control?

Answer 12

It will lead to chaotic/psychotic behaviour where a person acts impulsively - explains crimes such as murder, rape

Question 13

What happens if the superego is more in control?

Answer 13

It can lead to neurotic behaviour an d explains: OCD, anxiety

Question 14

What are defence mechanisms?

Answer 14

What the ego uses to unconsciously try and protect us from distress and anxiety, however overuse can be maladaptive and lead to abnormalities/symptoms of a disorder

Question 15

What are the three defence mechanisms?

Answer 15

-Repression
-Denial
-Displacement

Question 16

How does repression work?

Answer 16

The brain pushes thoughts out the conscious mind to prevent harm

Question 17

How does Denial work?

Answer 17

The brain blocks external events from the awareness by having the individual refuse to believe/experience it

Question 18

How does Displacement work?

Answer 18

Redirection of a (usually aggressive) impulse towards a substitute target that’s weaker than themselves

Question 19

What are the 5 psychosexual stages? (OAPLG)

Answer 19

-Oral stage
-Anal stage
-Phallic
-Latency
-Genital

Question 20

What happens if we are frustrated/deprived or over-indulged in one of the psychosexual stages?

Answer 20

We become fixated in that stage which can affect adult behaviour

Question 21

Explain the Oral stage…

Answer 21

-(Age 0-1 years)
-Focus of pleasure is on the mouth
-Oral fixation leads to chain smoking, biting nails in adulthood

Question 22

Explain the Anal stage…

Answer 22

-(Age 1-3 years)
-Focus of pleasure is the anus. Child gets pleasure by either withholding or expelling faeces
-Fixation is two possible ways: (Anal retentive- perfectionist, OCD, super cleanliness. Anal repulsive- messy)

Question 23

Explain the Phallic stage…

Answer 23

-(Age 3-5 years)
-Focus of pleasure is on genital area, boys go through oedipus complex, girls go through electra complex
-Suggested fixation can lead to homosexuality

Question 24

Explain the latency stage…

Answer 24

-(Age 6-11 years)
-Repress earlier conflicts
-No effect on adult behaviour

Question 25

Explain the Genital stage…

Answer 25

-(Age 12+)
-Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty
-Difficulty with relationships

Question 26

What are the evaluations of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 26

😀Practical application - psychoanalysis
😭Approach to abnormality is unscientific and unfalsifiable
😭Too much emphasis on past, can’t ignore adult experiences that contribute
😭Out of date - ideas no longer relevant (homosexuality)
😭Deterministic (no free will)