Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

The psychodynamic approach in a few words

Answer 1

Ego,ID, Superego and psychosexual stages.

Question 2

What is the role of the unconscious?

Answer 2

storing biological instincts and using defence mechanisms to protect the conscious from anxiety and trauma.

Question 3

What is the Id?

Answer 3

It acts on the pleasure principle so it is selfish and holds unconscious instincts. The id is present from birth.

Question 4

What is the ego?

Answer 4

It acts on the reality principle and it’s both conscious and unconscious. Uses defence mechanisms to control superego and Id.

Question 5

What is the superego?

Answer 5

It acts on the morality principle, is unconscious and present from age 5. It uses guilt to punish wrong-doings.

Question 6

Name the 3 defence mechanisms

Answer 6

Repression, denial and displacement

Question 7

what is repression?

Answer 7

forcing a distressing memory from conscious to unconscious.

Question 8

what is denial?

Answer 8

refusing to believe something because it’s too painful

Question 9

what is displacement?

Answer 9

transferring feelings from the true source of distress to a substitute target.

Question 10

What is stage 1 called and when is it?

Answer 10

the oral stage from 0-1 years

Question 11

what is stage 2 called and when is it?

Answer 11

the anal stage from 1-3 years

Question 12

what is stage 3 called and when is it?

Answer 12

the phallic stage from 3-5 years

Question 13

what is stage 4 called?

Answer 13

latency

Question 14

what is stage 5 called?

Answer 14

genital

Question 15

describe the oral stage

Answer 15

the focus of pleasure (FOP) is the mouth and child desires mother’s breast.

Question 16

describe the anal stage

Answer 16

FOP is the anus and child gains pleasure from holding and expelling faeces.

Question 17

describe the phallic stage

Answer 17

FOP is the genital area and the child has the Oedipus or Electra complex.

Question 18

what is the latency stage?

Answer 18

when earlier conflicts are repressed.

Question 19

describe the genital stage

Answer 19

sexual desires become conscious with puberty

Question 20

what is the consequence for the oral stage?

Answer 20

an oral fixation like smoking or nail biting

Question 21

what is the consequence for the anal stage?

Answer 21

anal retentive=perfectionist, obsessive

anal expulsive=messy, thoughtless

Question 22

what is the consequence for the phallic stage?

Answer 22

being narcissistic and reckless

Question 23

what is the consequence for the genital stage?

Answer 23

difficulty forming straight relationships.

Question 24

strength-influence on psychology

Answer 24

Freud’s theory had a huge influence on Western thought and has been used to explain moral development. Also, it draws together childhood experience and development.

Question 25

weakness-untestable

Answer 25

unconscious things like Id cant be tested and it uses an idiographic approach in case studies so universal laws can’t be made.

Question 26

weakness-psychic determinism

Answer 26

blames unconscious childhood conflicts for behaviour so there’s no free will. Freud’s views are extreme and he thought even a slip of the tongue was driven by unconscious forces.