LS7 - Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
Psychodynamic Approach
Freud - Assumes adult behaviour reflects complex interactions between conscious and unconciosu thoughts, it also suggestes adulthood is determined by our childhood.
The Unconscious
Freud - Suggesested the conscious mind is just thet ip of the iceberg and most if it is the unconscious which is a vast storehouse of biological drives/instincts that have a significant effec on behaviour/personality. It also contains disturbing memories/thoughts that’ve been repressed.
Role Of The Unconscious
To protect the conscious from any unpleasant memories or thoughts.
Preconscious
Thoughts that may slip the tongue or come in our dreams, into the conscious. This makes dream analysis a way of getting through to the unconscious.
Psychoanalysis
Therapy to get to the unconscious and early childhood, involving dream analysis and hypnosis.
Two Basic Drives
Born with 2 drives: Sex & Aggression
Which motivate all of our thoughts/behaviours
Two Basic Drives
Born with 2 drives: Sex & Aggression
Which motivate all of our thoughts/behaviours
Sex Drive
Vital for reproduction and therefore has its own psychic energy.
Libidio
Sexual psychic energy
Aggression Drive
Allows us to procreate whilst eliminating anyone that stops us from doing so.
Personality Structure
The interaction between the triparte personality.
Triparte Personality
ID
Ego
Superego
ID
Based on the pleasure principle, wants immediate satisfaction with no consideration of reality, this comes at birth.
Ego
Meeting needs whilst taking the restraints of reality into account, this develops after the age of 1.
Superego
Develops as a result of the moral constraints taught by our parents. A strong superego means high guilt and a weak superego means low guilt
Defence Mechanisms
Repression, Denial, Displacement.
They prevent stressful/threatening impulses from leaving the conscious as the ID has a difficult time pleasing the ego and superego.
Repression
Making guilty secrests unsconciosu and becoming unaware of them, given that they’re in the unconscious, they might infuleunce us in ways we aren’t aware.
Displacement
Diverting emotions onto someone/something eslse, as we can’t on the person concerned.
Denial
When people to refuse to admit they’re experiencing a ceratin emotions.
Psychosexual Stages
At different stages of development, different parts of the body are sensitive to sexual stimulation. Frustration occurs when this need isn’t met or the child is overly satisfied at a particular stage so doesn’t move on.
Oral Stage
0-18 months - Libindal energy focuss focuses ont he mouth, frustration at this stage may result in pessimism/envy. Fixation at this stage could lead to a smoking/drinking addiction.
Anal Stage
18 months to 3 years - Eliminating and retaining faeces, which conflicts the ID and ego. Being too leninent may make you anally expulsive (disorganised) or retaining too much may make you anally retentive (stingy/neat).
Phallic Stage
3 to 6 years - Unconscious drive for their mother, rivalling their father. Instead of fighting their father they identify with them. As a result the boy represses his feelings towards his mother and develops masculine features.
Phallic Stage Females
Develop unconscious sexual attraction to their fahter and develop ‘penis envy’ as they believe their mother castrated them at birth. The wish for penis is eventually replaced by the wish for a baby.
Fixation At Phallic Stage
May have problems with sexuality e.g. becoming homosexual.
Latent Stage
6 to puberty - Sexual drive lies dormant, girls now become feminine and boys more masculine.
Genital Stage
Puberty Onwards - Sexual urges awaken and people want heterosexual relationships.
Psychodynamic Approach Strengths
Case Study Evidence
Determinist
Unique
Psychoanalysis
Psychodynamic Weaknesses
Abstract Concepts
Sexist Theory
Lacks Falsifiability
Case Study Evidence (+)
Little Hans and Anna o explain how things like a phobia can be causedf by problems during the phallic stage.
Determinst (+)
It was the first approach to highlight the importance of childhood behaviour on adulthood e.g. fixation at the phallic stage can lead to homosexuality.
Unique (+)
It allows us to understand the complexity of human behaviour from a different persepctive e.g. how the ego uses defence mechanisms to justif actions.
Unique (+)
It allows us to understand the complexity of human behaviour from a different persepctive e.g. how the ego uses defence mechanisms to justif actions.
Psychoanalysis (+)
The psychodynamic approach has developed psychoanalyisis which helps understand the underlying causes of disorder through hypnosis and dream analysis. Research has shown psychoanalysis to be highly successful.
Abstract Concepts (-)
The ID, Ego & Superego are abstract concepts since they are unconscious e.g. you can’t physically prove any of these are real.
Sexist Theory (-)
Freud focuses on the oedipal complex suggesting girls don’t feel the same guilt as boys e.g. Little Hans study is only about how boys feel towards their mothers.
Lacks Falsifiability (-)
You can’t prove it wrongw hich prevents it from being scieitnfici as there’s less research eveidence e.g. you can’t prove adulthood is determined by childhood.
