Freud's Psychodynamic Theory

Question 1

How did he see the psyche?

Answer 1

Divided into different parts.

Question 2

When do these parts develop?

Answer 2

Over first 5 yrs of life.

Question 3

What is the most important stage in human life, according to Freud, and why?

Answer 3

Early childhood - the stage when psyche forms and shapes everything we think and do for the rest of our lives.

Question 4

What’s the iceberg model of the psyche?

Answer 4

• Conscious mind
• Pre-conscious mind
• Unconscious mind

Question 5

What is the conscious mind?

Answer 5

Part of mind we’re aware of. Contains thoughts we’re currently thinking at any given moment.

Question 6

What is the pre-conscious mind?

Answer 6

Part of mind we’re occasionally aware of. Contains remembered dreams, feelings that haven’t been put into words and memories that can be recalled into conscious mind without help.

Question 7

What is the unconscious mind?

Answer 7

Rest of psyche we’re totally unaware of. Contains instincts, desires, fears, motives, most of our dreams and memories that have been repressed because they are too painful.

Question 8

Is the unconscious mind accessible?

Answer 8

No - completely inaccessible to conscious mind.

Question 9

What is psychoanalysis?

Answer 9

Technique to help patients understand unconscious mind with help from a psychoanalyst.

Question 10

Why did Freud make psychoanalysis?

Answer 10

To help people overcome problems rooted in the unconscious.

Question 11

What are the 3 parts of the psyche?

Answer 11

• Id
• Ego
• Superego

Question 12

What is the Id?

Answer 12

Id consists of urges and desires - it’s made up entirely of feelings (imagine limbic system - amygdala).

Question 13

When does the id develop?

Answer 13

First in babies.

Question 14

Where does the id exist?

Answer 14

In unconscious mind.

Question 15

What is the id based on?

Answer 15

“the pleasure principle” - doesn’t understand logic, time or the outside world. It wants what it wants, and denial = frustration.

Question 16

Is the id evil?

Answer 16

No - just wants necessities, like food, sleep or sex.

Question 17

What’s the issue with the id?

Answer 17

It’s issue is the ability to restrict itself, put things off or acknowledge others - lives in the moment and is completely selfish.

Question 18

What is the ego?

Answer 18

Thinking and decision-making part of mind - imagine prefrontal cortex.

Question 19

When does the ego develop?

Answer 19

In toddlers.

Question 20

Where does the ego exist?

Answer 20

In conscious mind.

Question 21

What is the ego based on?

Answer 21

“the reality principle” - understands the outside world, the consequences of actions and time.

Question 22

Does the ego have desires of its own?

Answer 22

No - job is to find a way to grant desires that come from the id. I can do this as it understands real world and can formulate plans.

Question 23

What is deferred gratification?

Answer 23

Putting off pleasure until later, or enjoying less pleasure in SR for sake of larger pleasure later. It persuades id to desire something less pleasant while promising something more pleasant later.

Question 24

Does the ego have conscience?

Answer 24

No - no sense of right and wrong. Understands punishment and will try to avoid it but feels no guilt.

Question 25

When does the super-ego develop?

Answer 25

Between 4-6.

Question 26

Where does the superego exist?

Answer 26

Straddles between conscious and unconscious mind.

Question 27

What is the superego based on?

Answer 27

“morality principle” and acts as “the voice of conscience” - tells ego whether its thoughts are morally acceptable or not.

Question 28

Does the super-ego feel guilt?

Answer 28

Yes - when super-ego rejects to ego’s thoughts it generates guilt. Ego finds these feelings unbareable, so comes up with thoughts that don’t offend super-ego (which is difficult as id continually generates needs and desires which the super-ego forbids).

Question 29

Does the super-ego want punishment?

Answer 29

Yes - if someone misbehaves and is repeatedly punished for it, then this may be the super-ego at work.

Question 30

Why are defence mechanisms established?

Answer 30

Ego caught in the middle of conflict between demands of id and restrictions of ego - sets up defence mechanisms to protect itself.

Question 31

What do defence-mechanisms do?

Answer 31

Restrict demands of id or transform them so they no longer offend super-ego. Also block out parts of reality that the ego finds overwhelming or which offend the super-ego or frighten the id.

Question 32

What are the 5 defence mechanisms?

Answer 32

• Repression
• Denial
• Projection
• Displacement
• Sublimation

Question 33

What is Repression?

Answer 33

Id demands repressed into unconscious mind, so a person doesn’t realise what their id wants from them.

Question 34

What is Denial?

Answer 34

Id’s feelings or urges are acted upon, but conscious mind refuses to admit what they are (e.g. someone doesn’t realise how unpleasant they’re being).

Question 35

What is Projection?

Answer 35

Id’s feelings are denied and super-ego’s hostility is directed towards others who seem to be acting on those same feelings; involves being judgemental about others doing things you secretly want to do.

Question 36

What is Displacement?

Answer 36

Id urges are acted upon, but are directed at a different target; causes people to blame others or “over-compensate” for their problems.

Question 37

What is Sublimation?

Answer 37

Id urges are acted upon, but are transformed into something socially acceptable, e.g. dance, art or work; sublimated behaviour may not resemble orginal unconscious desire but connection might come out in Freudian slips.

Question 38

What is catharsis?

Answer 38

Emotional release linked to a need to relieve unconscious conflicts.

Question 39

What is the Oedipus Complex?

Answer 39

A crisis children experience around 5 when their super-ego’s form.

Question 40

What is the oedipus complex caused by?

Answer 40

The fact every child sexually desires opposit sex parent, but feels guilt about this and grows to fear and hate the same-sex parent as a result.

Question 41

What does the oedipus complex say children do with their feelings?

Answer 41

Repress them and use defence mechanism called identification to imitate the same-sex parent that they hate and fear - this is where we get gender identity and personality from.

Question 42

Is Freud’s theory credible?

Answer 42

Yes:

• He based his theories on psychoanalysing his patients. He carried out a case study on Little Hans, and himself studying his own dreams and childhood memories.
• His ideas of the id and ego have links with the neuroscience of the brain; Limbic system and prefrontal cortex handles rational decision-making, just like the id and ego.

No:

• Freud insisted on being non-judgemental about what he discovered, creating his own scientific terminology (e.g. libido, id, ego) rather than using the biased terminology of ordinary language (lust, sin, self-control).

Question 43

+ Explains types of agg, impulsive (strong id but weaker superego) or cold blooded (really strong id and ego but weaker superego).

+ Explains early trauma as motivation fro agg has face validity with some offenders - soemthing bad happens when you were younger, causes conflict between id and super-ego which leads to ego defences mechanisms when you’re older such as catharsis and displacement (this has face validity).

• agg not cathartic - doesn’t reduce agg. Bushman study (once people released catharsis they were more angry - against freud).

Application: therapy - focus on a harmless way to vent and displace frustration.

Question 44

What are the applications of Freud’s theory?