Psychodynamic Appproach Flashcards
Psychodynamic approach
Behaviour is determined by unconscious forces that we cannot control
Who is the main psychologist associated with the psychodynamic approach
Freud
The role of the unconscious
The conscious mind is the ‘tip of the iceberg’
What are the 3 structures of personality
ID
EGO
SUPER EGO
ID
pleasure principle (devil)
EGO
reality principle (mediator)
SUPEREGO
age 5, morality principle, right and wrong (Angel)
Psychosexual stages
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital
Oral stage
- 0-1 years
- Focus of pleasure is the mouth
- Consequence- oral fixation (biting nails/sarcatic)
Anal stage
- 1-3 years
- Focus of pleasure is the anus
- Consequence- Anal retentive (perfectionist) or Anal expulsive (messy)
Phallic stage
- 3-6 years
- Focus of pleasure is the genital area
- Consequence- Phallic personality (narcissistic)
Latency stage
- Earlier conflicts are repressed
Genital stage
- Sexual desires become conscious alongside
- Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
Defence mechanisms
Repression
Denial
Displacement
Repression
Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
Denial
Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
Displacement
Transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
Who was the psychodynamic approach research based on
Case study of Little Hans
Psychodynamic approach evaluation points- Real world application
STRENGTH
New form of psychoanalysis therapy- ‘talking therapies’
Psychodynamic approach evaluation points- Not suitable to all mental disorders
LIMITATION
Not suitable for all metal disorders such as schizophrenia
Psychodynamic approach evaluation points- Explanatory power
STRENGTH
Influential theories about personality, moral development and gender identity
Psychodynamic approach evaluation points- Untestable concepts
LIMITATION
Much of the is unfalsifiable, and based on case studies, thus pseudoscientific
