Lesson 7 - Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
Psychodynamic approach assumptions
Adult behaviour reflects complex dynamic interactions between conscious/unconscious
Emphasises importance of childhood processes
What are the three levels to the mind
Conscious mind
Preconscious mind
Unconscious mind
What is the conscious mind
Thoughts, feelings, memories person is Currently aware of
What is the preconscious mind
Thoughts, feelings, memories person Could access
What is the unconscious mind
Biological drives/instincts, inaccessible, largest store of info
What are Freudian slips
aka paraphraxes
Slips of the tongue
product of unconscious mind
What is the role of the unconscious mind
Prevents traumatic thoughts, feelings, memories from reaching conscious mind
-Could cause anxiety
How is the unconscious mind accessed
Dream interpretation via psychoanalysis
What is psychoanalysis
Therapist (psychoanalyst) uses free association & dream interpretation & inkblot tests
What are the two drives we are born with
Eros (sex)
Represents life instinct, has its own psychic energy (libido)
Thanatos (aggression)
Represents death instinct
What is the tripartite personality
3 parts: id, ego, superego
What is the id
Formed between 0-18months
Unconscious mind
Irrational, emotional, deals with feelings/needs. Selfish
Operates on pleasure principle
What is the ego
Formed between 18months-3years
Conscious mind
Rational, balance between id & superego
Operates on reality principle
What is the superego
Formed between 3-6years
Unconscious mind
Conscience, moral guide based on parental/societal values
Operates on morality principle
What are defence mechanisms
Ego’s compromise solutions to manage conflict between id and superego
What is repression
Unconscious blocking of thoughts
Thoughts continue to influence behaviour
What is denial
Refusal to accept reality
Avoids dealing with painful feelings associated with trauma
What is displacement
Focus of strong emotion is expressed on alternative person/object
What are the five psychosexual stages
Oral 0-2 years
Anal 2-3 years
Phallic 3-6 years
Latent 6-12 years
Genital 12+ years
What is the oral stage
0-2 years
Focus of pleasure is mouth
Resolution: Trusting able to give/receive affection
Fixation: Smoking, sarcastic, critical
What is the anal stage
2-3 years
Focus of pleasure is anus
Resolution: Can deal with authority figures
Retentive: Perfectionist & obsessive
Expulsive: Thoughtless & messy
What is the phallic stage
3-6 years
Focus of pleasure is genital area
Resolution: Adapts traits of same sex
Unresolved: narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual
What is the latent stage
6-12 years
Focus of pleasure is on mastery of world and social relationships
Earlier conflicts are repressed
What is the genital stage
12+ years
Focus of pleasure on genital areas
Resolution: Well-adjusted adult
Unresolved: Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
What is the Oedipus complex
During phallic stage boys develop incestuous feelings to mother and hatred for father
Castration anxiety from father, repress feelings for mother and identify with father
Internalise gender role and moral values (superego)
What is the electra complex
During phallic stage girls having penis envy and desire father
Believe they were castrated and blame mother
Desire for father replaced by desire for baby
Internalise mum gender role and moral values (superego)
+ Defence mechanisms are intuitive
Denial, repression, and displacement are ideas that can be appreciated by most people
+ Practical applications of the psychodynamic approach
Development of psychoanalysis
-therapy for treatment of anxiety disorders
Foundation for psychotherapy in modern psychiatry
+ Little Hans case study psychodynamic approach
Supports Oedipus complex
Case study rich in detail and in-depth data
Although can only be inferred, so subjective to investigator bias
(-) Psychodynamic approach lacks falsifiability
Concepts such as unconscious mind, defence mechanisms etc lack falsifiability
Cannot be tested, not scientific
(-) Small samples, psychodynamic approach
Mostly case studies (Little Hans)
Lacks generalisability since not representative
(-) Psychodynamic approach based on psychic determinism
Everything based on unconscious mind and not accidents
States there is no free will
