Approaches in Psychology-The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
When is the id present?
The id is present from birth
What three things did Freud say structured our personality?
Id, ego, superego
What is the id?
It is our pleasure principle and controls our selfish desires
Is ID unconscious or conscious
Unconscious
What happens if the ID becomes too dominant?
It causes addiction e.g. gambling
What is the ego?
It is the mediator between the id and reality
Is the ego conscious or unconscious?
Preconscious
When does the ego develop?
It starts to develop from 18 months
What did Freud liken the mind to?
He likened it to an iceberg- the unconscious mind contains info that the conscious mind would find uncomfortable and so it is repressed by defence mechanisms to avoid anxiety
What is the superego?
It is our moral conscience and reality principle- it punishes us with guilt when we transgress the rules of society
What happens if the superego becomes too dominant?
It can lead to Anxiety, OCD etc.
When does the superego develop?
3-6 years
What are the three defence mechanisms?
Repression
Denial
Displacement
What is repression?
You force a distressing memory out of the conscious mind- they do not go away and can continue to influence our behaviour
What is denial?
The refusal to accept reality and reject the thought or feeling
What is displacement?
You redirect your feelings e.g. anger to another target
What happens if repression occurs too much?
Can lead to panic attacks
What happens if denial occurs too much?
Loses touch with reality
What are the three psychosexual stages?
Oral, Anal, Phallic
When does the Oral Stage occur?
0-2 years old
When does the anal stage occur?
2-3 years old
When does the phallic stage occur?
3-6 years old
What is the development of the oral stage
- Focus on mouth
- Pleasure by feeding
- Id is dominant
What is the development of the anal stage?
- Focus on anus
- Pleasure by pooping
- Ego develops through potty training
What is the development of the phallic stage?
- Focus on genitals
- Child passes through Oedipus or Electra stage
- Gender identity and superego develops
What is the Oedipus complex?
A boy’s sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father, boy eventually identifies with father and they get along
What can occur if the anal stage is too strict?
Anally retentive resulting in OCD, controlling
What can occur if the anal stage is too lenient?
Anally expulsive resulting in outbursts, bipolar
What can happen if the Oral stage is not completed successfully?
Biting nails, talking too much
What are the strengths of psychoanalysis?
- First talking cure for psychological disorders
- Uncovers unconscious motivation for mental health issues
- Widely used and successful
- Used today in therapy
What are the weaknesses of psychoanalysis?
- Accused of sexism and overemphasising male sexuality
- Culturally limited, as developed within Western society
What are the assumptions of the Psychodynamic Approach?
- All behaviour has a cause/reason
- Different parts of the unconscious mind are in constant struggle
- Our behaviour and feelings as adults are rooted in our childhood experiences
Is the psychodynamic approach free will or determinist?
It is determinist as it reject the idea of free will and is shaped in their early life and biological drives
