PSY2205 Lecture 2: The Psychoanalytic Approach

Question 1

What is the key assumption of the psychoanalytical theory “unconscious instinctual urges”

Answer 1

People are driven by unconscious instinctual urges.

Question 2

What is the key assumption of the psychoanalytical theory “psychic determinism”

Answer 2

everything in a persons mind/ everything a person do has a specific cause

Question 3

What is the key assumption of the psychoanalytical theory “structure of mind”

Answer 3

mind made up of Id, Ego and Superego.

Id is the irrational “pleasure principle”

Superego is the the moral compass, and an embodiment of parental and societal values.

Ego is the rational realistic principle, and negotiates compromise between the Id and the Superego.

Question 4

What is the key assumption of the psychoanalytical theory “psychic conflict”

Answer 4

When the Id and the Superego oppose each other. Causes anxiety. Personality is determined by how a person resolves unconscious conflict.

Question 5

What does psychoanalytic therapy aim to do?

Answer 5

Relieve psychic conflict.

Question 6

Give a bit of information about when Freud was first treating neurotic women with physical symptoms.

Answer 6

He figured out that they tended to bring up childhood sexual abuse. But this was Victorian times- he was stopped in his tracks! But was on the right track..

Question 7

How can fixation occur during the psychosexual stages of development?

Answer 7

When a child experiences early childhood trauma during any of the stages, energy gets left behind at that stage and fixation ot that stage occurs.
Then, when the person is stressed they regress back to that stage and can display the characteristics o fthat stage.
Early childhood trauma is particularly bad because the child at that age has nowhere to go and cannot rescue themselves.

Question 8

Give information about the oral stage of psychosexual development.

Answer 8

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Question 9

Give information about the anal stage of psychosexual development.

Answer 9

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Question 10

Give information about the phallic stage of psychosexual development.

Answer 10

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Question 11

Give information about the latency stage of psychosexual development.

Answer 11

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Question 12

Give information about the genital stage of psychosexual development.

Answer 12

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Question 13

What are 4 ego defence mechanisms

Answer 13

denial
repression
regression
reaction formation

Question 14

What are 3 displays of the unconscious?

Answer 14

Parapraxes (Freudian slips)
Humour: a controlled leak
Dreams: “royal road to the unconscious”. Consists of manifest content (what we see/remember) and latent content (what’s actually being said)

Question 15

What are some strengths of Freudian theory?

Answer 15

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Question 16

What are some weaknesses of Freudian theory?

Answer 16

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