Lesson 10: Defence mechanisms and the psychosexual stages Flashcards
What do defence mechanisms help the ego to manage
conflicts between the ID and SUPEREGO
How do defence mechanisms help the ego manage conflict between the id and superego
by providing COMPROMISE SOLUTIONS to deal with unresolvable conflict
+ provide a strategy to REDUCE anxiety
What are the THREE types of defence mechanisms?
1) Repression
2) Denial
3) Displacement
What is repression?
the process by which the UNCONSCIOUS blocks unacceptable thoughts
(+however, these thoughts continue to influence behaviour)
What is denial?
the REFUSAL to accept reality to avoid having to deal with any PAINFUL feelings that may be associated with a traumatic situation
What is displacement?
occurs when the focus of strong emotion (e.g. anger) is expressed on an alternative person or object
How many sequence of stages did freud believe personality developed through?
5
What are these 5 stages referred to as?
Psychosexual stages
Name the 5 psycho sexual stages
(hint: Oscar And Pedro Look Good)
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latent
Genital
What do the psychosexual stages emphasize that the most important driving force in development is?
the most important driving force in DEVELOPMENT is the need to express SEXUAL ENERGY (libido)
What happens at each stage of the psychosexual stages?
sexual energy is expressed in different ways and through different BODY parts
According to Freud, who played an important role in the child’s progression through the psychosexual stages
Parents
What happens if a child experiences too MUCH or too LITTLE gratification at any of the stages?
They become FIXATED on the stage-> adult life reflects the stage in which an adult has fixated on
Give a description of the Oral stage
(give consequences if resolved+ unresolved)
Description: (0-2 years)
-focus of pleasure is in the MOUTH + the control of sucking, tasting and biting
Consequence of RESOLUTION:
-trusting and able to give/receive affection
Consequence if UNRESOLVED:
-oral FIXATION- smoking, biting nails, sarcastic + critical
Give a description of the Anal stage
(give consequences if resolved+ unresolved)
Description: (2-3 years)
-focus of pleasure is in the ANUS-> child gains pleasure from WITHOLDING or expelling faeces
Consequence of resolution:
Can deal with authority figures
Consequence if unresolved:
Anal RETENTIVE personality- perfectionist and obsessive
Anal EXPULSIVE personality- thoughtless and messy
Give a description of the phallic stage
(give consequences if resolved+ unresolved)
Description: (3-6 years)
-Focus of pleasure is in the GENITAL area-> child experiences the Oedipus complex or Electra complex
consequences of resolution:
-adopts the behaviours/ traits of the same sex
Consequences if unresolved:
narcissistic, reckless and possibly homosexual
Give a description of the Latent stage
Description: (6-12 years)
Focus is on the mastery of the world and social relationships. Earlier conflicts are
repressed.
Give a description of the Genital stage
(give consequences if resolved+ unresolved)
Description:
Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty.
consequences of resolution:
Individual is a welladjusted adult.
consequences if unresolved:
Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
What is the oedipus complex?
-occurs during the PHALLIC STAGE
-boys develop INCESTUOUS feelings towards their mother + hatred for their father (rival)
-develop fear that father may castrate them (castration anxiety) they REPRESS
their feelings for their mother and IDENTIFY with their father-> INTERNALISE father’s gender role and moral values
What is the ELECTRA complex
-occurs during PHALLIC stage
-girls develop PENIS ENVY and as a result desire their FATHER
-they believe they have been CASTRATED and therefore blame their MOTHERS for this
-overtime girls give up their desire for their father + replace this with the desire to have a baby -> INTERNALISE mother’s gender roles and moral values
State a POSITIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach
(hint: intuitive appeal)
+ Psychodynamic concepts such as defence mechanisms do have INTUITUVE APPEAL; most people appreciate the ideas of denial, repression and displacement.
State a POSITIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach
(hint: practical applications+ psychoanalysis)
+ 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.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach
(Hint: oedipus complex + subjective)
The case study of Little Hans SUPPORTS the Oedipus complex proposed by Sigmund 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 lacks scientific rigour.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach
(Hint: Falsifiability)
- The key concepts of the psychodynamic approach such as the unconscious mind and defence mechanisms lack FALSIFIABILITY because they are unconscious processes and therefore difficult to TEST.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of the psychodynamic approach
(Hint: cases studies + generalise)
- Concepts of the psychodynamic approach are based on small samples due to the reliance of the case study method. This poses problems of generalisability.
