Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
The psychodynamic approach in a few words
Ego,ID, Superego and psychosexual stages.
What is the role of the unconscious?
storing biological instincts and using defence mechanisms to protect the conscious from anxiety and trauma.
What is the Id?
It acts on the pleasure principle so it is selfish and holds unconscious instincts. The id is present from birth.
What is the ego?
It acts on the reality principle and it’s both conscious and unconscious. Uses defence mechanisms to control superego and Id.
What is the superego?
It acts on the morality principle, is unconscious and present from age 5. It uses guilt to punish wrong-doings.
Name the 3 defence mechanisms
Repression, denial and displacement
what is repression?
forcing a distressing memory from conscious to unconscious.
what is denial?
refusing to believe something because it’s too painful
what is displacement?
transferring feelings from the true source of distress to a substitute target.
What is stage 1 called and when is it?
the oral stage from 0-1 years
what is stage 2 called and when is it?
the anal stage from 1-3 years
what is stage 3 called and when is it?
the phallic stage from 3-5 years
what is stage 4 called?
latency
what is stage 5 called?
genital
describe the oral stage
the focus of pleasure (FOP) is the mouth and child desires mother’s breast.
describe the anal stage
FOP is the anus and child gains pleasure from holding and expelling faeces.
describe the phallic stage
FOP is the genital area and the child has the Oedipus or Electra complex.
what is the latency stage?
when earlier conflicts are repressed.
describe the genital stage
sexual desires become conscious with puberty
what is the consequence for the oral stage?
an oral fixation like smoking or nail biting
what is the consequence for the anal stage?
anal retentive=perfectionist, obsessive
anal expulsive=messy, thoughtless
what is the consequence for the phallic stage?
being narcissistic and reckless
what is the consequence for the genital stage?
difficulty forming straight relationships.
strength-influence on psychology
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.
weakness-untestable
unconscious things like Id cant be tested and it uses an idiographic approach in case studies so universal laws can’t be made.
weakness-psychic determinism
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.
