approaches -psychodynamic approach Flashcards
what is the psychodynamic approach based on?
.role of the unconscious
what is the unconscious?
.a storehouse of repressed memories, instincts and biological drives
what is the tripartite structure of personality?
.the idea that personality is a consequence of dynamic interaction between the ID, ego and superego
what is the id?
.pleasure principle eg: urges, instincts
what is the ego?
.reality principle, mediator between the id and superego
what is the superego?
.morality principle -punishes ego with guilt
what are defence mechanisms?
.they reduce anxiety and are used unconsciously
what are the 3 defence mechanisms?
.displacement -transfer feelings from true source to substitute target
.denial -reject an aspect of reality
.repression -force memories into the unconscious
who came up with the psychosexual stages of development
Freud
what are the psychosexual stages of development?
.fixed biological phases that determine adult personality
.each stage has a pleasure focus and conflict that has to be resolved
.failure to resolve leads to fixation
what are the stages?
Oral (0-18m), anal (1-3), phallic (3-6), latency (6-12), genital (puberty). Oedipus complex occurs in the phallic stage in boys, Electra complex in girls.
what is a strength to the psychodynamic approach?
.RWA -Led to the treatment psychoanalysis (a talking therapy aiming to make the unconscious conscious with dream analysis and free association)
what are the negatives to the psychodynamic approach?
.psychic determinism -Unconscious conflicts determines behaviour so no free will
.gender bias -Theory focused on male experience - Freud said he was ignorant of female sexuality. Problematic when treatments applied to women (generalisability)
