Approaches Booklet 4 - Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
What 4 parts does the psychodynamic approach booklet consist of?
-Unconscious Mind
-Structure of Personality
-Defence mechanisms
-Psychosexual stages
What are the overall assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?
-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
What does Freud compare the mind to? how?
To an Iceberg, with most of the iceberg underwater, similarly to how most of the mind is unconscious
What does Freud explain the top of the iceberg to be?
This represents the conscious mind because these are the things that we are aware of in life (thoughts for example)
What is the part of the iceberg touching the water according to freud?
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)
What is the bottom of the iceberg according to Freud?
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
What are the three parts of the structure of personality?
-Id
-Ego
-Superego
What is the Id?
(0-18 months) this is the demanding, selfish part of our personality and we’re born with this as it is the pleasure principle
What is the ego?
(18 months- 3 years) this is the part of the personality that manages the conflict between Id and superego, it is the reality principle
What is the superego?
(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)
What happens if someones ego is/isn’t strong enough to maintain control and balance?
If it can maintain balance then the individual is healthy, however if it can’t maintain the balance then it will lead to abnormality
What happens if the Id is more in control?
It will lead to chaotic/psychotic behaviour where a person acts impulsively - explains crimes such as murder, rape
What happens if the superego is more in control?
It can lead to neurotic behaviour an d explains: OCD, anxiety
What are defence mechanisms?
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
What are the three defence mechanisms?
-Repression
-Denial
-Displacement
How does repression work?
The brain pushes thoughts out the conscious mind to prevent harm
How does Denial work?
The brain blocks external events from the awareness by having the individual refuse to believe/experience it
How does Displacement work?
Redirection of a (usually aggressive) impulse towards a substitute target that’s weaker than themselves
What are the 5 psychosexual stages? (OAPLG)
-Oral stage
-Anal stage
-Phallic
-Latency
-Genital
What happens if we are frustrated/deprived or over-indulged in one of the psychosexual stages?
We become fixated in that stage which can affect adult behaviour
Explain the Oral stage…
-(Age 0-1 years)
-Focus of pleasure is on the mouth
-Oral fixation leads to chain smoking, biting nails in adulthood
Explain the Anal stage…
-(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)
Explain the Phallic stage…
-(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
Explain the latency stage…
-(Age 6-11 years)
-Repress earlier conflicts
-No effect on adult behaviour
Explain the Genital stage…
-(Age 12+)
-Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty
-Difficulty with relationships
What are the evaluations of the psychodynamic approach?
😀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)
