psychodynamic

Question 1

what psychosexual stage do children develop their gender identity according to Freud

Answer 1

phallic stage

Question 2

before gender identity what did Freud describe children as being

Answer 2

bisexual

Question 3

what ages does the phallic stage occur between

Answer 3

3-6 years

Question 4

what does the child’s libido focus on during the phallic stage

Answer 4

genitals and the development of gender identity

Question 5

what complex do boys experience

Answer 5

the Oedipus complex

Question 6

explain the Oedipus complex

Answer 6

• boys have a sexual desire for their mother and see their fathers as a rival for the mothers love
• which results in murderous hatred for their father
• the boy fears if the father finds out about his love for his mother then he will castrate him (this is called castration anxiety)
• the boy resolves the conflict by identification with the father and wanting to be like him
• he internalises his father and takes on a male gender identity

Question 7

what complex do girls experience

Answer 7

Electra complex

Question 8

explain the electra complex

Answer 8

• starts with the realisation that they have no penis as they think they have been castrated
• mother castrated her and herself
• they have penis envy for their father ( as with no penis the girl sees herself as powerless)
• she then starts to desire her father and become hostile to her mother
• she identifies with her mother so develops a superego and a female gender identity
• she represses her desire for a penis and replaces it with a desire for a baby

Question 9

finish the sentence

children …….. and ……….. with their same sex parent

Answer 9

children IDENTIFY and INTERNALISE with their same sex parent

Question 10

define identification

Answer 10

a desire to be associated with a particular person or group as they possess desirable characteristics

Question 11

define internalisation

Answer 11

children then take on board the gender identity of the same gender parent

Question 12

explain the case study of Little Hans

Answer 12

went through Oedipus complex

Little Hans was afraid of horses after he had saw one collapse on the street. He had displaced his fear of castration onto horses

Question 13

AO3 why is Freud’s theory criticised?

Answer 13

it is pseudoscientific

most of his theories occur in the unconscious mind therefore they are untestable