APPROACHES - psychodynamic

Question 1

overview of Freud belief on personality

Answer 1

Freud describes personality as a tripartite (consisting of three parts), these are the Id, Ego and Superego
The Id, Ego and Superego all develop at different points in a person’s life and each is qualitatively distinct from the other
The Id, Ego and Superego are not separate entities: they work together but not necessarily in harmony

Question 2

Outline the ID

Answer 2

Present from birth (Freud describes babies as being ‘bundles of id’)
The id is the primitive part of our personality and operates on the pleasure principle
It is selfish and demanding (rather like a spoilt child e.g. I want it now!)
It contains unconscious biological drives, instincts and and urges
The Id is very important in early life to ensure infants survival, which is why an infant will cry until its needs are met

Question 3

Outline The Ego

Answer 3

Develops around the age 2
The ego operates on the reality principle (rather like a sensible adult e.g. I’d like to have that but it may take time to get it and I must accept that it may never happen)
It is the mediator between the Id and Superego, having to mediate between them at all times

Question 4

The Superego

Answer 4

Develops around the age of 5
The superego operates on the morality principle (rather like a disapproving teacher or parent e.g. Why would anyone want that? It’s wrong and it means that you are weak to want it)
It is our internalised sense of right and wrong, it is our conscience
It represents the moral standards of the same-sex parent
It punishes the ego through feelings of guilt when it does something wrong and it rewards the ego with feelings of pride when it does something right
It tries to civilise our behaviour and suppress the unacceptable urges of the Id

Question 5

Frued and the imbalance

Answer 5

Freud stated that for a healthy personality there had to be a balance between the Id, Ego and Superego
However;
If the Id is more dominant, the person can become impulsive and uncontrollable as they are acting on their most basic wants with no concern for consequences
If the Superego is more dominant, the person can become incredibly moralistic and judgmental, not accepting anything they consider against their moral judgment

Question 6

why do we have defence mechanisms

Answer 6

Defence mechanisms are used by the ego to help it balance the conflicting demands of the Id and Superego

Question 7

are defence mechanisms conscious

Answer 7

These mechanisms are unconscious and ensure the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary traumas and/or threats

Question 8

what is Displacement

Answer 8

The focus of a strong emotion is expressed onto a neutral person or object, which reduces anxiety as it allows the expression of that strong emotion e.g. I shout at my husband because I cannot shout at my boss

Question 9

what is Repression

Answer 9

Unpleasant memories are pushed down into the unconscious mind and so are unable to cause anxiety e.g. I have ‘locked down’ my memories of being bullied so that they do not have the power to harm me

Question 10

what is denial

Answer 10

Refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation, which stops the situation from causing anxiety e.g. I am sure that my partner loves me even though she frequently stays out all night

Question 11

overview of the psychosexual stages

Answer 11

According to Freud, children go through 5 psychosexual stages
They must go through all 5 stages to become well-adjusted adults
During each stage the child fixates on a different part of the body
During each stage the child goes through conflict which they must resolve to move through the stage successfully
If they do not resolve the conflict in each stage, it can result in adult fixation

Question 12

ORAL STAGE

Answer 12

0-1 years

The mouth is the focus of pleasure

Conflict can arise when weaning off bottle or breast

Oral Fixation: Smoking, overeating, biting nails, critical and sarcastic verbalisations

Question 13

ANAL STAGE

Answer 13

1-3 years

The anus is the focus of pleasure

Conflict can arise when toilet training

Anal retentive: Neatness, perfectionism

Anal expulsive: Messiness, insensitivity

Question 14

Phallic

Answer 14

3-6 years

The genital area is the focus of pleasure

Conflict can arise and cause the Oedipus or Electra complex (see below)

Vanity, overambition, narcissism, impulsivity

Question 15

Latency

Answer 15

Earlier conflicts become repressed

No symptoms

Question 16

Genital stage

Answer 16

The genitals are the focus of pleasure

Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty

Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

Question 17

Oedipus complex

Answer 17

Boys desire closeness with the opposite sex parent i.e. their mother
The same-sex parent (the father) is a rival who the boy wants out of the way
Boys fear that their father will castrate them (castration anxiety)
To reduce anxiety boys use defence mechanisms and identify with their father
This reduces the threat and the boy internalises male characteristics and comes out of the Oedipus complex

Question 18

Electra complex

Answer 18

Girls desire closeness with the opposite sex parent i.e. their father
Girls do not fear their same-sex parent (the mother) as they believe that they have already been castrated; instead they experience penis-envy
Girls fear losing their mother’s love
To reduce anxiety the girls identify with their mother
This reduces the threat and girls internalise female characteristics and come out of the Electra complex