psychodynamic approach

Question 1

freud

Answer 1

believed behaviour was determined more by psychological factors

assumed people are born with basic instincts and needs and that behaviour is largely controlled by unconscious mind

Question 2

role of the unconscious

Answer 2

freud believed in existence of unconscious mind that was inaccessible to conscious thought

believed most everday actions and behaviours are not controlled consciously but are products of the unconscious mind

Question 3

structure of personality

Answer 3

id - operates solely in the unconscious, operates according to pleasure principle - demands immediate gratification

ego - mediates between id and superego, operates on reality principle

superego - based on morality principle - represents moral standards of child’s same sex parent and punishes ego for wrongdoing through guilt

Question 4

defence mechanisms

Answer 4

repression - unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts and impulses. repressed thoughts continue to influence behaviour unconsciously

denial - refusal to accept reality so avoiding dealing with any painful feelings associated with the event

displacement - redirecting of thoughts from true source of distressing emotion to substitute target

Question 5

psychosexual stages

Answer 5

oral - 0-2yrs
anal - 2-3yrs 
phallic - 3-6yrs
latent - 6-12yrs
genital - 12+

Question 6

evaluation - gender biased

Answer 6

freud’s views of women and female sexuality were less developed than his views on male sexuality

despite his theories being focused on sexual development, freud seemed content to remain ignorant of female sexuality and how it may differ from male sexuality

dismissing women and their sexuality is problematic as his theories still influence society today

Question 7

evaluation - scientific support for psychoanalytic approach

Answer 7

critics of psychoanalytics claim there’s no scientific evidence for psychoanalysis so its claims are unfalsifiable

however, many claims of psychoanalysis have been tested and have been confirmed using scientific methodology

fisher and greenberg - summarised 2500 of these studies, concluding experimental studies of psychoanalysis compare well with studies relevant to any other major area of psych. their support for existence of unconscious motivation in human behaviour adds scientific credibility to psychodynamic explanation of behaviour

Question 8

evaluation - culture biased

Answer 8

sue and sue - psychoanalysis has little relevance for people from non western cultures

psychoanalysists believe mental disorders are result of traumatic memories being locked in the unconscious and that freeing them through therapy gives individual the chance to deal with them in supportive therapeutic environment. however, they claim many cultural groups don’t value insight the same way western cultures do

china - depressed person avoids distressing thoughts rather than being willing to discuss them openly