Psychodynamic Flashcards
ASSUMPTION: behaviour is due to…
Unconscious motives
ASSUMPTION: focusses on what Experiences and what experiences specifically?
Past experiences especially the relationships with our parents and child conflict in creating behaviour and personality
ASSUMPTION: Our understanding of ourselves distorted by…
Defence mechanisms
The unconscious mind is part of the mind that contains information that we are not
Consciously aware of such as repressed memories
The unconscious protects our conscious self from
Anxiety or fears
The unconscious drives much of our behaviour such as our…
Personality and behaviour 
The conscious is the part of the mind that
We know about and are aware of-tip of the iceberg
The preconscious is the part of the mind just below the conscious mind and includes
Thoughts and ideas which you may become aware off during dreams or slips of the tongue-Freudian slip
The unconscious is the part of the mind that we are
Unaware of-biological drives and instincts and threatening and disturbing memories that the repressed all locked away and forgotten but continue to drive our behaviour
The personality is made up of three parts
Id, ego, superego
The personality is
Tripartite
The ID is also known as the principal
Pleasure principle
The ID is which part of the mind
Unconscious
The ID is only present at
Birth
Throughout life the IDs focus on what
On the self and expects immediate gratification
What happens if the IDs too overpowering
selfish personality
What is the ego known as
Reality principle and is the self
What part of the mind is the ego
The rational unconscious part of the mind the forms from 18 months to 3 years
What does the ego do
Balances the demands to reduce conflict between the ID and the superego by using defence mechanisms
What is the superego also known as
Morality principle
When does the superego form
Between three and six years
Where does the superego arise from
Identification with same-sex parents
What is the superego
Our internaI sense of right and wrong based on parental values
What happens if the superego was too overpowering
Anxious personality or feelings of guilt
What are defence mechanisms
Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the ID in the superego for example repression-forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
The ego has a difficult job balancing the conflicting demands of the what and what does it use
The ID and the superego uses defence mechanisms
What do the defence mechanisms do
Stop the ego from becoming overwhelmed with conflicts
What can defence mechanisms negatively do
Distort a persons reality and overuse can affect behaviour so they are not a long-term solution
What is repression
Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind to the unconscious for example forgetting the trauma of your favourite pet died
What is denial
Refusing to acknowledge and unpleasant aspect of reality for example continuing to turn up for work even though you’ve been sacked
What is displacement
Transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotion on to a less threatening substitute target for example slamming the door after a row with your mum
What are the three defence mechanisms
Repression denial displacement
The ID has what from the moment we are born
Innate sex energy that wants satisfaction
Children grow through five developmental stages known as the what
Psychosexual stages
What are the limitations of psychodynamic
Doesn’t use scientific methods and therefore lacks scientific rigour.
Freud’s theory was based off case studies of people in therapy 
Strength of psychodynamic approach
Practical applications. Behaviour caused by unconscious mind lead to psychoanalysis
