Personality: Psychodynamic Conception

Question 1

Psychodynamic Conception

Answer 1

• chain of thoughts from childhood may produce painful, unconscious memories (psychological problems)
• Freud proposed development of personality is derived from the dynamics of the unconscious minds & childhood experiences

Question 2

Structure of the Mind

Answer 2

• conscious = thoughts you are aware of (at any time)
• preconscious = not conscious but can be made conscious by a cue (easily accessible, unprotected)
• unconscious = inaccessible to our consciousness, protected thoughts, feelings, desires, memories, *drives behaviour

Question 3

Theory of Personality

Answer 3

• id = unconscious instincts, born with id, basic needs
• ego = deals with the demands of reality & uses reasoning to make decisions
• superego = the moral branch, develops by age 5
• in a healthy person, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the id, not upset the superego and still take into consideration the reality of the situation

Question 4

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Answer 4

• oral (0 - 18 months)
• anal (18 - 36 months)
• phallic (3 - 6 years)
• latent (6 years - puberty)
• genital (puberty onwards)
  Fixations = unresolved conflict (overindulgence, frustration, incomplete etc) during psychosexual stage(s), still progress to next stage, “lock” on pleasure-seeking energies

Question 5

Psychosexual Stages - Oral Stage

Answer 5

0 - 18 months
pleasure centres on mouth - sucking, biting chewigng
fixations: smoking, overeating, thumbsucking, nail biting

Question 6

Psychosexual Stages - Anal Stage

Answer 6

18 - 36 months
pleasure focuses on bladder & bowel elimination
fixations: anal-expulsive (disorganised), anal-retentive (uptight) character

Question 7

Psychosexual Stages - Phallic Stage

Answer 7

3 - 6 years
pleasure centres on genitals
children cope with threatening feelings by repression and trying to become like “rival” parent (Oedipus/Electra complex)
superego gains strength, incorporation of parent’s values
development of gender identity
fixation: “phallic” character - arrogant, reckless, narcissitic, difficulty with relationships, homosexuality

Question 8

Psychosexual Stages - Latent Stage

Answer 8

6 years - puberty
dormant sexual feelings
no fixations
children focus on relationships, sports etc.

Question 9

Psychosexual Stages - Genital Stage

Answer 9

puberty onwards

maturation of sexual interest

Question 10

Defence Mechanisms

Answer 10

= ego struggles to find “happy medium” between demands of id & superego > causes anxiety

• ego seeks to reduce/redirect anxiety…distorting reality (repression of memories - otherwise could cause psychological illness/suicidal tendencies)
  eg. repression, denial, regression, reaction formation, projection, rationalisation, displacement, sublimation, intellectualisation, passive aggression

Question 11

Defence Mechanisms (definitions)

Answer 11

• repression = banishes anxious thoughts & feelings from consciousness
• denial = refusal to acknowledge reality
• regression = retreating to an earlier stage of development
• reaction formation = making unacceptable impulses look like their opposites
• projection = unacknowledged feelings are attributed to others
• rationalisation = self-justifying explanations to hide from ourselves the real reasons for behaviour
• displacement = diverting unacceptable sexual/aggressive impulse towards another more acceptable target
• sublimation = unacceptable feelings are converted into soically accepted/valued actions
• intellectualisation = unacceptable emotions are avoided by focusing on the intellectual aspects rather than personal impact
• passive aggresion = socially unacceptable anger expressed via lack of cooperation

Question 12

Criticisms of Psychodynamic Conception

Answer 12

• small sample size
• age stages are restrictive
• outdated