Approaches in psychology- PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH Flashcards
Who is the founder of the psychodynamic approach ?
Freud
What form of therapy did the founder develop?
Psychoanalysis -> this deal with the conflicts within the mind which have been developed through dramatic experiences
Explain what the founder suggested about dramatic experiences
They have been repressed into their unconscious mind but still have an impact on behaviour in terms of the person experiencing mental anguish
What does the approach think affects our behaviour ? Explain
Unconscious mind
Believes that if we have problematic or challenging behaviour then we must access the unconscious mind to sort it out
What does this approach believe motivates our behaviour ?
Instincts or drives
Explain the thing that this approach believes motivates our behaviour
Driven by our instincts to go through a series of stages in development of our behaviour + personality
According to Freud what is the only way of accessing the unconscious mind ?
Psychoanalysis
What are the basic assumptions of the psychodynamic approach ?
UNCONSCIOUS MIND -> driving force behind behaviour. To sort out challenging / problematic behaviour, this area needs to be accessed
INSTINCTS / DRIVES -> motivates behaviour. Instincts take us through stages in development of our behaviour + personality. Drives for sex + aggression
EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES -> pivotal in making us who we are. Formed prior to 6 years old
What is the largest part of the mind?
Unconscious mind
What is used to explain the unconscious mind?
iceberg model
What are the three elements that our personality is shaped by?
ID
Ego
Superego
What is the ID?
Selfish part of personality i.e pleasure principle
When is the ID formed ?
From birth to 18months
Where is the ID located ?
Unconscious mind
What is the ID also known as ? Explain
Pleasure principle
Due to the dominant force of this is to seek pleasure
When is the ego formed ?
18 months - 3 years
What is the ego also known as ?
Reality principle
What is the ego ?
Keeps balance between ID + superego
To ensure ID/ Superego don’t become dominant as this effects mental health
What kind of personality is produced if the ID becomes dominant ?
Selfish
What kind of personality is produced if the super ego becomes dominant ?
Moralistic
Where is the ego located ?
Unconscious mind
When does the superego develop ?
5 yrs old
What is the super ego also known as ?
Morality principle
What is the role of the super ego?
Acts as our conscience.
Feels guilt + senses right + wrong
Helps to form a moral code
Where is the superego found ?
conscious mind
How is personality derived ?
In the unconscious mind
Where does this approach say we get our behaviour from ?
Conflicts between ID, ego + superego
What are defence mechanisms ?
Methods used unconsciously to reduce anxiety. This is due to anxiety weakening the gos influence, which needs to be strong to mediate between ID + superego
Why are dense mechanisms sometimes called ‘ego defence mechanisms ‘
They are used by the ego to reduce conflict
What are the 3 main defence mechanisms ?
Repression
Denial
Displacement
Explain repression
When an unpleasant memory is pushed into the unconscious mind where it is not accessible to the conscious mind + therefore cannot cause anxiety
Still affects behaviour in unconscious mind
What is denial ?
When we refuse to accept reality of unpleasant situation. Reduces anxiety, not a positive way to think but it is a resistance to accept reality
What effect does repression have on behaviour ?
No recall of event or situation
What effect does denial have on behaviour ?
Positive thinking does not occur but a resistance to accept reality. Someone may believe that the situation is not negative so it should not cause anxiety
What is displacement ?
To reduce anxiety, the focus of strong emotion is expressed onto neutral object / person
What effect on behaviour does displacement have ?
Someone may exhibit very strong emotions but focus it onto uninvolved person or object
What are the psychosexual stages ?
Oral Anal Phalic Latent Genital
What age does the oral stage occur ?
0-18 months
What age does the anal stage occur ?
18 months - 3 yrs
What age does the Phalic stage occur ?
3- 6 yrs
What age does the latent stage occur ?
6 - 11 yrs
What age does the Genital stage occur ?
12 yrs
Explain the Oral stage
Pleasure is from the mouth ; biting + sucking achieved by breastfeeding
When might a child become fixated in the oral stage ?
if weaned from others milk too early or late
What is the affect in adult behaviour if the child become fixated in the oral stage ?
Orally passive :
Non- aggressive
Gullible
OR
Orally aggressive:
Chewing pens
Agression
Explain the Anal stage ?
Pleasure from anus ; achieved by poohing + using potty
Explain the affect on behaviour if a child becomes fixated in anal stage ?
If fixated + liked using the potty they will be orally expulsive :
generous
temper fits
If fixated + parents were strict about potty they will be orally retentive :
organised
neat
mean with money
Explain the phalic stage
Pleasure from genitals ;
Boys have Oedipus complex
Girls have Electra complex
Explain the Oedipus complex
Boy has sexual feeling towards mother
Sees father as a rival + might castrate him -> has castration anxiety
To reduce anxiety he feels like he has to be friend father i.e identification
Can only occur if father figure is present
Explain the Electra complex
Girls have feeling towards father
Notices that she doesn’t have a penis -> thinks mother has removed it + envys males
To reduce the feeling she has to identify with mother
What happens if a boy become fixated in the Phalic stage ?
Homosexual
What happens if a girl become fixated in the Phalic stage ?
Jealous + anxious
Explain the latent stage
Pleasure displaced throughout the body + they concentrate on becoming + adult
Does fixation occur at the latent stage ?
No
Explain the genital stage
Pleasure from genitals + stages her whole life
Does fixation occur in the genital stage ?
No
What case study is vital to the psychodynamic approach ?
Little Hans
Explain the psychodynamic approach case study
Little Hans developed a phobia of horses.
HIs father gave Freud a documentation of what his son said + his behaviour
From the documentation Freud said he must be fixated in the phalic stage because;
-facinated by ‘Widdler’ found animals / horses had bigger ones
-Enjoyed just having all mothers attention when dad went away + resented his presence on return
-Sister was born + he was hostile -> Oedipus complex
-Experiencing sexual attraction to mother + father was rival for affection = castration anxiety
What is the criticisms of the little Hans case?
Most info was fathers reports -> biased
Prior to analysis Freud came up with his ideas of psychosexual stages, so report could have been biased too
Hans may have been classically conditioned to have a fear of horses due to him seeing on collapse when he was younger
What are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach ?
Shows how childhood experiences are very important for development meaning that they should have been nurtured
Today, some of Freuds ideas are used in therapy in treating mental health
What are the criticism of the psychodynamic approach ?
Unrepresentative as a lot of concept evidence is from case studies
Unscientific + cannot be proven as reliability of ideas is difficult to test
Theory developed only suits some people
Freud said that it is only possible for people to recover from mental illnesses through psychoanalysis but this does not explain how some people recover themselves
