Approaches: The psychodynamic approach

Question 1

What’s the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

Explains behaviour as a result of unconscious processes.

Question 2

What are the key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 2

-The mind consists of multiple parts: the pre-conscious and unconscious mind.
-Behaviour is explained as a result of conflicts between these different aspects of the mind.
-Experiences in early childhood shape is as adults. Failure to resolve conflicts in childhood can lead to psychological problems as an adult.

Question 3

What is the role of the unconscious?

Answer 3

The part of the human mind that contains repressed ideas and memories as well as primitive desires and impulses that haven’t been allowed to enter the conscious mind.

Freud believed that this was inaccessible to conscious thought.

Question 4

What is the iceberg metaphor in reference to the role of the unconscious?

Answer 4

The tip representing the conscious mind and the larger part that’s hidden under water representing the unconscious mind.

Question 5

What does the unconscious mind control?

Answer 5

-Everyday actions
-prevents traumatic memory from reaching conscious awareness (acts as a defense mechanisms)

Question 6

What is a defence mechanism?

Answer 6

unconscious strategies that protect the conscious mind from anxiety. Involve distortion of reality to help the individual cope with the situation.

Question 7

What are the 3 defence mechanisms?

Answer 7

Repression
Denial
Displacement

Question 8

What is repression?

Answer 8

The unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts and impulses. These repressed thoughts and impulses continue to influence behaviour without the individual being aware.

e.g., a child who was abused by a parent may have no recollection of these events but have trouble forming relationships.

Question 9

What is denial?

Answer 9

The refusal to accept reality to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings that may be associated with the event.

The person acts as if the traumatic event didn’t happen which may seem strange to those around them.

Question 10

What is displacement?

Answer 10

The redirection of thoughts and feelings in situations where a person feels unable to express them to the person they should be directed towards, instead the person may take it out on someone else or an object.

Question 11

What is the structure of personality?

Answer 11

Id
Ego
Superego

Question 12

What is the Id?

Answer 12

Operates solely in the unconscious —> contains libido, which is the biological energy created by reproductive instincts.

Operates according to the pleasure principle and demands immediate gratification regardless of the circumstance e.g., when a person is hungry the pleasure principle demands they eat right away

Question 13

What is the Ego?

Answer 13

Can mediate between the impulsive demand (Id) and the moral demands (superego) e.g., it may delay gratification util there’s an appropriate opportunity to satisfy its demands.

Question 14

What is the superego?

Answer 14

Divided into the conscience ad ego ideal.

The conscience is the internalisation of societal rule and determines which behaviours are permissible + causes feelings of guilt when these rules are broken.

The ego ideal is what a person strives for and is most probably determined by parental standards of good behaviour.

Question 15

What are the psychosexual stages?

Answer 15

The belief that personality forms in 5 stages and emphasises the important driving force in development is expressing sexual energy.

Question 16

What are the 5 psychosexual stages?

Answer 16

1) Oral: 0 - 2 years
2) Anal: 2 - 3 years
3) Phallic 3 - 6 years
4) Latent 6 - 12 years
5) Genital 12+ years

Question 17

What is the oral stage (0-2yrs)

Answer 17

The child expresses their early sexual energy through the mouth e.g., through sucking and biting

Question 18

What’s the anal stage (2-3yrs)

Answer 18

The beginnings of ego development where the child becomes more aware of the demands off reality and the need to conform to the demands of others.

Question 19

What’s the phallic stage (3-6yrs)

Answer 19

Sexual energy is now focused in the genitals.

The major conflict of this stage is the Oedipus complex which is where a male child unconsciously wishes to possess their mother and get rid of their fathers and as a result boys will experience castration anxiety + so to resolve this issue boys will identify with the father.

Question 20

What’s the latent stage (6-12yrs)

Answer 20

The conflicts of previous stages are repressed with the consequence that children are unable to remember much of their early years.

Question 21

What’s the genital stage?

Answer 21

The culmination of psychosexual development and the fixing of sexual energy in the genitals.

Question 22

What is the AO3 for the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 22

+Practical applications
+scientific support
-Gender bias
-Ignores other factors

Question 23

(+AO3) What are the practical applications for the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 23

Resulted in a new type of therapy, psychoanalysis.

Freudian therapists have claimed success with many patients. This is a key strength of the approach as it provides individuals and therapists with an alternative option when attempting to treat a patient, thus giving a greater chance of recovery.

Question 24

(+AO3) What is the scientific support for the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 24

Psychoanalysis has been tested and many of researchers have confirmed using scientific methodology.

Researchers’ summaries 2,500 results and concluded that experimental studies of psychoanalysis compare well with other studies.

The researcher found support for the existence for the unconscious motivation in human behaviour and for the defence mechanisms of repression, denial and displacement.

Therefore, adding scientific credibility to the psychodynamic approach.

Question 25

(-AO3) How is research into the psychodynamic approach gender biased?

Answer 25

Freud’s view on women and female sexuality were less developed than female sexuality.

Freud seemed content to remain ignorant of female sexual development and how it may differ from men.

This led to psychoanalytic to criticise his work especially in regard to women and their development as Freud’s research could be harmful for women as he treated many female patients and his theories are still influential today.

Question 26

(-AO3) How does the psychodynamic approach ignore other factors?

Answer 26

Explains mental disorders as a result of conflict between different aspects of the mind but ignores other factors like biological factors.

For example there are physical differences in both neurochemistry and biological structures in people with OCD and without.

Treating thaws physical causes is likely to be more effective for many psychological disorders. Therefore, an interactionist approach should be used when explaining behaviour.