Lesson 7 - Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards

1
Q

Psychodynamic Approach Assumptions

A

The Role of the Unconscious Mind
The Structure of Personality
Defence Mechanisms
Psychosexual Stages

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2
Q

The Role of the Unconscious Mind

A

Three levels to the mind (Freud)
Conscious Mind - thoughts/feelings/memories that individual is aware of
Preconscious Mind - thoughts/feelings/memories that can be accessed if wanted
Unconscious Mind - largest part of mind which is inaccessible

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3
Q

Unconscious Mind

Freud

A

Everyday behaviours are controlled by unconscious mind
Reveals itself in slips of the tongue (Freudian slips) in creativity and neurotic symptoms
Mind actively prevents traumatic thoughts/feelings/memories from reaching conscious mind as they would cause anxiety
During psychoanalysis, therapist tries to access unconscious mind of patients using free association and dream interpretation

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4
Q

The Structure of Personality

A

Personality has a tripartite structure; Id, Ego, Superego

Experience and conflicts in childhood shape development of the three parts of personality, affecting behaviour

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5
Q

The Structure of Personality

The Id

A

Formed between birth and 18 months
In the unconscious mind
Focuses on the self and is irrational and emotional
Deals with feelings and needs and seeks pleasure
Operates on the pleasure principle

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6
Q

The Structure of Personality

The Ego

A

Formed from 18 moonshot to 3 years
Within the conscious mind
Rational and obtains a balance between the Id and Superego
Operates on the reality principle

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7
Q

The Structure of Personality

The Superego

A

Formed between 3 and 6 years
Within the unconscious mind
Acts as a conscience or moral guide based on parental and societal values
Operates on the morality principle

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8
Q

Psychoanalysis

A

Set of theories and therapeutic techniques that deal in part with the unconscious mind, and which together form a method of treatment for mental disorders

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9
Q

Pleasure Principle

A

Instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs
Driving force guiding the Id

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10
Q

Reality Principle

A

The tendency to defer immediate instinctual gratification so as to achieve longer-range goals or so as to meet external demands

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11
Q

Morality Principle

A

Guidelines that people live by to make sure they are doing the right thing
Different for everyone as they depend on how a person was raised and what is important to them in life

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12
Q

Defence Mechanisms

A

Help ego to manage the conflict between the Id and Superego
Provide solutions to deal with conflict
Also provide strategy to reduce ancients, which weakens the ego’s influence
Repression, Denial and Displacement

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13
Q

Defence Mechanisms

Repression

A

Unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts
These repressed thoughts still 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

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14
Q

Defence Mechanisms

Denial

A

Refusal to accept reality to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings that may be associated with a traumatic situation
E.g. an alcoholic may deny they have a drinking problem

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15
Q

Defence Mechanisms

Displacement

A

Occurs when the focus of a strong emotion is expressed on an alternative person or object
E.g. a student given a detention may kick their locker

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16
Q

Psychosexual Stages

A

Personality developed through sequence of 5 stages; driving force in development to express sexual energy
If child experiences too much/little gratification at any stage, fixation occurs in which child’s later adult personality could show permanent signs reflecting stage at which fixation occurred

17
Q

5 Psychosexual Stages

A
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latent
Genital
18
Q

Psychosexual Stages

Oral

A

0-2 years
Focus of pleasure is the mouth and the control of sucking, tasting and biting
Resolved => trusting and able to give/receive affection
Unresolved => smoking, biting nails, sarcastic, critical

19
Q

Psychosexual Stages

Anal

A

2 - 3 years
Focus of pleasure is the anus
Child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces
Resolved => can deal with authority figures
Unresolved
=> Anal retentive personality (perfectionist and obsessive)
=> Anal expulsive personality (thoughtless and messy)

20
Q

Psychosexual Stages

Phallic

A

3 - 6 years
Focus of please is the genital area
Children experience the Oedipus or Electra complex
Resolved => adopts the behaviour/traits of the same sex
Unresolved => narcissistic, reckless and possibly homosexual

21
Q

Psychosexual Stages

Latent

A

6 - 12 years
Focus is on the mastery of the world and social relationships
Earlier conflicts are repressed

22
Q

Psychosexual Stages

Genital

A

12+ years
Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty
Resolved => individual is a well adjusted adult
Unresolved => difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

23
Q

Oedipus Complex

A

During 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), bots repress their feelings for their mother and identity with their father
In doing so, they internalise his gender role and moral values (his superego)

24
Q

Electra Complex

A

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)

25
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Points
``` Defence Mechanisms Practical Applications Little Hans Falsifiability Generalisability ```
26
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Defence Mechanisms Positive
Psychodynamic concepts such as defence mechanisms do have intuitive appeal Most people appreciate ideas of denial, repression and displacement
27
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Points Practical Applications Positive
Led to development of psychoanalysis Therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders Laid foundations for psychotherapy in modern psychiatry
28
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Points Little Hans Positive
Case of Little Hans supports the Oedipus Complex proposed by Freud However, Oedipus Complex can only be inferred by behaviour or reported thoughts/experiences where subjection interpretation is open to investigator bias The psychodynamic approach lacks scientific rigour
29
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Points Falsifiability Negative
Key concepts of psychodynamic approach such as unconscious mind and defence mechanisms lack falsifiability They are unconscious processes and therefore difficult to test
30
Psychodynamic Approach Evaluation Points Generalisability Negative
Concepts of psychodynamic approach are based on small samples due to reliance of the case study method Poses problems of generalisability