Origins And Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
What is psychology
The scientific study of the human mind and its functions. In particular the functions that affect behaviour in a given context situation
Wilhelm Wundt
He opened the first ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry in Leipzig 1879
‘Grandfather of psychology’
Introspection
The examination of thoughts and Wundts colleagues were trained to examine their feelings, emotions and sensations
Introspection was difficult to replicate and very subjective
Emergence of psychology as a science
John Watson claimed that for psychology to be scientific it had to focus on observable and measurable phenomena.
The behaviourist approach dominated psychology for 50 years, and focused on the processes by which we learn using carefully controlled lab experiments.
Where are we now
Most dominant approach is cognitive approach
Due to emergence of cognitive neuroscience
Brain scanning techniques allow psychologists to study the brain in more scientific way
So psychology classes as science now
Weaknesses of introspection
Behaviourist psychologists questioned the scientific status of introspection as it produced data based on opinions
Results vary from P to P as Ps were recalling their own thoughts
This was deemed non scientific
No cause and effect
Not reliable as difficult to replicate
Psychodynamic approach
‘Behaviour is the result of the unconscious mind ‘
Iceberg analogy
Freudian slip
When the unconscious slips out. it is verbal
Dream analysis
When we are asleep, repressed ideas come to the surface, but what we might remember of the dream may be altered by our thought processes. Freud believed that the real meaning of a dream had a sexual significance.
Tripartite personality
Freud believed there were three parts to every adult personality, and that each part develops at a different stage in a persons life
Id
Selfish and impulsive part of our mind. Present from birth
Ego
Rational
Functions to balance demands of id and superego. Develops age 2.
Superego
Moralistic
Develops age 4
Defence mechanisms
Ego balances demands of id and superego - this creates anxiety
It protects itself with mechanisms
Denial
Arguing against an anxiety provoking situation by stating it doesn’t exist. E.g. grief