Approaches: The Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Define The Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 1

A perspective that describes the different forces, most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience

Question 2

Outline the Psychodynamic approach:

Answer 2

• The role of the unconscious
• The structure of personality
• Psychosexual stages

Question 3

Outline the Psychodynamic approach:

- The role of the unconscious

Answer 3

Conscious mind is just tip of the iceberg
Unconscious sits below holding out biological drives and instincts, along with disturbing memories that have been repressed
Pre-conscious sits just below including thoughts and ideas which we may become conscious of during dreams

Question 4

Outline the Psychodynamic approach:

- The Structure of personality

Answer 4

• ID
  Pleasure principle, selfish, born with it
• Ego
  Reality, mediator, uses defence mechanisms
• Super-ego
  Morality principle, punishes ego for wrong doing

Question 5

Outline the defence mechanisms used by the Ego

Answer 5

• Repression - forcing a distressing memory out of conscious mind
• Denial - refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
• Displacement - transferring feelings from true course of distressing emotion onto a substitute target

Question 6

Outline the Psychodynamic approach:

- Psychosexual Stages

Answer 6

Each stage shows conflict the child must resolve in order to progress. Any stage unresolved leads to fixation, child will carry certain behaviours from that stage on through life

• Oral
• Anal
• Phallic
• Latency
• Genital

Question 7

Evaluate the Psychodynamic approach

Answer 7

+ Explanatory power (useful for childhood, personality development etc)
- Case studies
- Untestable concepts (cant access unconscious)
+ Practical application (therapy)
- Psychic determinism (Freudian slip, no free will)