Approaches:Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What are the 3 key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

-unconscious mind drives our behaviour
-instincts motivate our behaviour
-early childhood experiences influence later behaviour

Question 2

Make 2 points about the role of the unconscious in our behaviour

Answer 2

-unconscious mind refers to the thoughts that occur without our conscious awareness
-traumatic experiences are stored here

Question 3

What is the purpose of psychoanalysis

Answer 3

to deal with the conflicts in the mind created through traumatic experiences

Question 4

Name the 3 components of the tri-partite personality structure and does its development have an influence on our behaviour?

Answer 4

-Id
-Superego
-Ego

yes

Question 5

Describe the Id
make 4 points

Answer 5

-develops between birth to 18 months
-found in the unconscious
-selfish part and demands immediate satisfaction and doesn’t care about reality
-we experience pleasure when its satisfied and tensions when denied

Question 6

Describe the Superego
make 5 points

Answer 6

-develops between 3-6 years
-found in the unconscious
-known as the morality principle and dictates what is right/wrong
-based on parental/societal values
-controls the urges of the Id

Question 7

Describe the Ego
make 4 points

Answer 7

-develops between 18 months-3 years
-found in conscious part of the brain
-known as the reality principle as it manages conflict between superego and id
-works out realistic ways of satisfying Id while considering social norms and rules of super ego

Question 8

According to the tri-partite personality structure , what is behaviour a result of ?
What happens if the Id or Superego overpower the Ego?
What does too much conflict cause?

Answer 8

results from conflict between the three components

negative behaviour is displayed and may cause mental health issues

anxiety , this can weaken the ego

Question 9

What are defence mechanisms ?

Answer 9

strategies we use unconsciously to reduce our anxiety caused by conflict between the Id and Superego

Question 10

Name and describe the three defence mechanisms

Answer 10

repression-put unpleasant thoughts into the unconscious
denial-refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation
displacement-express strong emotions onto a neutral object/person

Question 11

Make 3 points about the psycho sexual stages introduced by Freud

Answer 11

-Freud said we are driven by instinct to go through a series of stages from birth to 18
-too much gratification at a stage can lead to fixation and has later effects on behaviour
-trauma in a stage can also cause fixation

Question 12

Name the 5 psycho sexual stages

Answer 12

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

Question 13

Describe the Oral stage
3 points

Answer 13

0-18 months
-pleasure gained through the mouth
fixation in this phase makes people more likely to chew on pens , bite nails , smoke (addictive personality)

Question 14

Describe the Anal stage
4 points
(includes 2 different types of fixation)

Answer 14

18 months-3 years
-pleasure gained through the anus
fixation can lead to a person being :
anal retentive-organised and reluctant to spend money
anal expulsive-messy and thoughtless

Question 15

Describe the Phallic stage
5 points
(involves 2 complexes)

Answer 15

3-6
-pleasure gained through genitals
oedipus complex-sexual feelings towards mother , castration anxiety
electra complex-sexual feelings towards father , penis envy
fixation in this stage can lead to a person being narcissistic , reckless and possibly homosexual

Question 16

Describe the Latancy stage
3 points

Answer 16

6-11
-sexual energy displaced throughout the body so theres no conflicts
no fixation occurs so no effect on adult personality

Question 17

Describe the Genital stage
4 points

Answer 17

11+
-pleasure gained through genitals
remains this way for life
fixation can cause difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

Question 18

What are the 2 strengths of this approach?

Answer 18

+case study support
case study of Little Hans who had a phobia of horses , he had a fascination wit his penis and envied horses for having larger ones , this study suggested he was in the Phallic stage
provides evidence to support the stages

+prac apps
led to development of psychotherapy which has been reported as an effective treatment , adds credibility and external validity

Question 19

What are the 2 weaknesses of the approach?

Answer 19

-evidence uses case studies
results came from a very unique case so they can not be generalised to the whole population which challenges the validity of the stages

-ideas can’t be scientifically studied
abstract concepts such as personality structure and psycho sexual stages can’t be measured or studied directly meaning there is a lack of empirical evidence to support these ideas , suggesting the approach is incomplete