**L10 - Psychodynamic Approach (Defence Mechanisms and Psychosexual Stages)

Question 1

what exactly are DEFENCE MECHANISMS?

Answer 1

defence mechanisms help the EGO MANAGE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ID AND THE SUPEREGO. They provide COMPROMISE SOLUTIONS (usually unconscious) to deal with UNRESOLVABLE CONFLICT. They also provide a strategy to REDUCE ANXIETY, which WEAKENS THE EGO’S INFLUENCE

Question 2

what are the 3 defence mechanisms we use?

Answer 2

• REPRESSION
• DENIAL
• DISPLACEMENT

Question 3

what is REPRESSION?

Answer 3

Repression is the UNCONSCIOUS BLOCKING of UNACCEPTABLE THOUGHTS. However, these REPRESSED THOUGHTS CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR.

E.g a person who is abused as a child may not remember the abuse but could still have trouble forming adult relationships.

Question 4

what is DENIAL?

Answer 4

Denial is the REFUSAL TO ACCEPT REALITY to avoid having to DEAL WITH PAINFUL FEELINGS that may be associated with a TRAUMATIC SITUATION.

E.g an alcoholic may deny that they have a drinking problem

Question 5

what is DISPLACEMENT?

Answer 5

Displacement occurs when the focus of a STRONG EMOTION (e.g anger) is expressed on an ALTERNATIVE PERSON OR OBJECT.

E.g a student who has been given a detention by their teacher might kick their locker

Question 6

what did FREUD believe about PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT?

Answer 6

Freud believed that personality developed through a SEQUENCE OF FIVE STAGES. These are referred to as the PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES to emphasise the most important DRIVING FORCE in development is the NEED TO EXPRESS SEXUAL ENERGY (LIBIDO).

At each stage this energy is expressed in DIFFERENT WAYS and through DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY

Question 7

parents and psychosexual stages

Answer 7

FREUD believed that parents played an IMPORTANT ROLE in a child’s PROGRESSION THROUGH THE PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES.

If the child was allowed to experience TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE GRATIFICATION at any of the stages, a process called FIXATION could occur in which hte child’s LATER ADULT PERSONALITY could show PERMANENT SIGNS reflecting the STAGE AT WHICH THE FIXATION OCCURRED.

Question 8

what actually are the 5 PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT?

Answer 8

1) oral
2) anal
3) phallic
4) latent
5) genital

Question 9

what is the oral stage?

Answer 9

• oral stage occurs between 0-2 years
• FOCUS OF PLEASURE is the MOUTH and the CONTROL OF SUCKING, TASTING AND BITING
• the consequence of resolving this stage is TRUSTING and being able to GIVE/RECEIVE AFFECTION
• if unresolved they will develop an ORAL FIXATION later on in life - they are likely to SMOKE, BITE NAILS, BE SARCASTIC AND CRITICAL

Question 10

what is the anal stage?

Answer 10

• the anal stage occurs between 2-3 years of age
• FOCUS OF PLEASURE is the ANUS. The child gains pleasure from WITHHOLDING AND EXPELLING FAECES
• resolving this stage means you learn to DEAL WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES
• if unresolved they will develop either an ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY - PERFECTIONST and OBSESSIVE or an ANAL EXPULSIVE PERSONAITY - THOUGHTLESS and MESSY

Question 11

what is the phallic stage?

Answer 11

• the phallic stage occurs between 3-6 years
• FOCUS OF PLEASURE is the GENITAL AREA. Child experiences the **OEDIPUS OR ELECTRA COMPLEX
• once resolved the child adopts the BEHAVIOURS OF THE SAME SEX
• if unresolved the person will grow up to be potentially NARCISSITIC, RECKLESS and POSSIBLY HOMOSEXUAL

Question 12

what is the latent stage?

Answer 12

• the latent stage occurs between 6-12 years
• FOCUS IS ON THE MASTERY OF THE WORLD and SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
• EARLIER CONFLICTS ARE REPRESSED

Question 13

what is the genital stage?

Answer 13

• the genital stage occurs from 12 years onwards
• during this stage SEXUAL DESIRES BECOME CONSCIOUS alongside the ONSET OF PUBERTY
• once resolved an individual is a WELL ADJUSTED ADULT
• if unresolved the person will STRUGGLE TO FORM HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS LATER IN LIFE

Question 14

what is the OEDIPUS COMPLEX?

Answer 14

During the PHALLIC STAGE, BOYS DEVELOP INCESTUOUS FEELINGS TOWARDS THEIR MOTHER and a HATRED FOR THEIR RIVAL IN LOVE - their FATHER.

Fearing that their father will CASTRATE THEM (castration anxiety) boys REPRESS THEIR FEELINGS for their mother and IDENTIFY WITH THEIR FATHER. In doing so they INTERNALISE HIS GENDER ROLE and MORAL VALUES (his SUPEREGO)

Question 15

what is the ELECTRA COMPLEX?

Answer 15

during the PHALLIC STAGE, GIRLS experience PENIS ENVY and so DESIRE THEIR FATHER. They also BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN CASTRATED and BLAME THEIR MOTHER FOR THIS.

Over time, girls GIVE UP THEIR DESIRE FOR THEIR FATHER and REPLACE THIS with a DESIRE FOR A BABY.

In turn, they IDENTIFY WITH THEIR MOTHER and INTERNALISE HER GENDER ROLE and MORAL VALUES (her superego)

Question 16

+ intuitive appeal

Answer 16

+ psychodynamic concepts such as DEFENCE MECHANISMS do have INTUITIVE APPEAL; most people APPRCIATE THE IDEAS of DENIAL, REPRESSION and DISPLACEMENT

Question 17

+ practical applications

Answer 17

+ the psychodynamic approach has PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS. It has led to the DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOANALYSIS - a therapy for the TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS.

This LAID THE FOUNDATION for PSYCHOTHERAPY in MODERN PSYCHIATRY.

Question 18

+ Little Hans

Answer 18

+ the case study of LITTLE HANS SUPPORTS THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX proposed by Freud. However, the Oedipus complex COULD ONLY BE INFERRED FROM BEHAVIOUR or REPORTED THOUGHTS/EXPERIENCES (e.g through dream analysis) where SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION is OPEN TO INVESTIGATOR BIAS.

The psychodynamic approach therefore LACKS SCIENTIFIC RIGOUR

Question 19

• lacks falsifiability

Answer 19

• the KEY CONCEPT of the psychodynamic approach such as the UNCONSCIOUS MIND and DEFENCE MECHANISMS LACK FALSIFIABILITY because they are UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSES and therefore DIFFICULT TO TEST

Question 20

• generalisability

Answer 20

• concepts of the psychodynamic approach are BASED ON SMALL SAMPLES due to the RELIANCE OF THE CASE STUDY METHOD. This poses PROBLEMS OF GENERALISABILITY