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Pyschology A-Level > Psychodynamic Approach > Flashcards

Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards

1
Q

What is involved when using the psychodynamic approach?

A

Role of the unconscious
Structure of personality (ID, Ego and Superego)
Defence mechanisms including repression, denial and displacement
Psychosexual stages

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2
Q

What is psychodynamics?

A

Perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience

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3
Q

Name the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach

A

States that unconscious forces in our mind determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviour (dynamic=ongoing movement of these forces)
Our behaviour as adults = strongly influenced by childhood experiences
Abnormal behaviour is result of mental conflict
Mind can be divided in 3 levels of consciousness which can illustrated by iceberg analogy

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4
Q

What is the iceberg analogy that shows the 3 levels of consciousness?

A

The conscious
The preconscious
The unconscious

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5
Q

What layer of the iceberg analogy has the most influence on our personality?

A

The unconscious mind (hidden below the surface)

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6
Q

Describe the conscious

A

Small amount of mental activity we know about
Thoughts
Perceptions

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7
Q

Describe the preconscious

A

Things we could be aware of if we wanted or tried
Memories
Stored knowledge

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8
Q

The unconscious

A

Things we are unaware of and can not become aware of
Instincts
Deeply buried memories
Fears
Unacceptable sexual desires
Violent motives
Irrational wishes
Immoral urges
Selfish needs
Shameful experiences
Traumatic experiences

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9
Q

What are the 3 characters we all have?

A

Superego, Ego and ID

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10
Q

Describe the Superego

A

Conscious, Preconscious and Unconscious
Called the ‘Other I’
Formed around 5 years old
Our internalised sense of right and wrong
Represents the moral standards of the child’s same-sex parent
Punishes ego for wrongdoing through guilt

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11
Q

Describe the Ego

A

Conscious and Preconscious
The ‘I’
Develops around 2 years old
Works on reality principle and is mediator between ID and Superego
Makes person aware of other people’s feelings (empathy) and that cannot always have it own way
Role is to reduce conflict between ID and Superego demands
Manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms

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12
Q

Describe the ID

A

Unconscious
The ‘It’
Primitive part of our personality
Operates on pleasure principle (gets what it wants)
Mass of unconscious drives and instincts
Only ID is present at birth

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13
Q

What happens if ID, Ego and Superego do not work together?

A

Ego too weak = allows ID and Superego to dominate
ID too strong = selfish, out of control, could become psychopathic
Superego too strong = strict, anxious, obsessive - depression, anxiety, OCD

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14
Q

Describe a healthy psyche

A

Ego = “I’m in charge. Anything you want has to go through me”
ID = “Ok”
Superego = “Ok”

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15
Q

Describe a neurotic psyche

A

Superego = “I’m in charge, and you are not here to enjoy yourselves. Get ready for a double-size portion of anxiety with a side order of guilt!”
ID = “No fun”
Ego = >whimper<

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16
Q

Describe a psychotic psyche

A

ID = “SEX! FOOD! DRINK! DRUGS! NOW!”
Ego and Superego = “Who turned out the lights?!”

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17
Q

Describe a psychopathic psyche

A

ID = “First, gimme food. Then I want sex - lots of it and I don’t particularly care whether it’s with a willing partner. Then I want to hurt people. Badly. Probably be hungry again after that so…”
Ego = “Ok then. Let’s go.”

18
Q

Briefly describe the idea of psychosexual stages

A

Freud believed all kids born with a libido (sexual/pleasure urge)
Number of stages of childhood, during which child seeks pleasure from a different ‘object’
to be psychologically healthy, we must successfully complete each stage
Mental abnormality can occur if stage not completed successfully (person becomes ‘fixated’)

19
Q

Describe the oral stage

A

Mouth main focus of pleasure
Child enjoys tasting/sucking
Object of desire = mother’s breast
Successful completion = weaning (eating independently)

20
Q

What is the consequence of unresolved conflict in the oral stage?

A

Oral fixation - sarcastic, critical, sensitive to rejection - overeats and drinks, bite nails, may smoke

21
Q

Describe the anal stage

A

18 months - 3 years
Defecation is main source of pleasure (da poop poops)
Successful completion = potty training

22
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict during the anal stage?

A

Either
Anally retentive - very tidy, stubborn, likes order and being in control, perfectionist, obsessive
Anally expulsive - thoughtless, messy

23
Q

Describe the phallic stage

A

3-5 years of age
Form of pleasure = genital area
Oedipus complex - boy wants mother as ‘primary love object’ and wants father out of way
Electra complex - girls experience penis envy; desire their father, as penis is primary love object and hate mother

24
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the phallic stage?

A

Phallic personality - narcissistic`, reckless, possibly homosexual

25
Q

Describe the latency stage

A

Age 5 to puberty
Earlier conflicts are repressed
Sexual urges sublimated into sports and other hobbies
Focus on developing same sex friendships
No particular requirements for successful completion
Lull before storm of puberty

26
Q

Describe the genital stage

A

Puberty into adulthood
Focus on genitals but not to same extent as phallic stage
Task is to develop healthy adult relationships
Should happen if earlier stages have been negotiated successfully

27
Q

What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the genital stage?

A

Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

28
Q

What are defence mechanisms?

A

Constant disagreements between ID, Ego and Superego can lead to a lot of anxiety
So mind develops various methods of defending itself

29
Q

What is denial?

A

Completely reject thought or feeling and completely refuse to acknowledge some aspect of reality
Unwanted reality if ignored and blocked from conscious awareness

30
Q

What is repression?

A

Forcing distressing memory out of conscious mind
Ego stops unwanted and painful thoughts from becoming conscious

31
Q

What is displacement?

A

Transfer feelings from true sources of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
Negative impulse is redirected

32
Q

What are psychological disorders?

A

Defence mechanisms against repressed emotional problems and impulses
Symptoms of disorder have hidden meaning that can be decoded

33
Q

Oi hello read through Little Hans case study on Showbie

A

Do it or I’m coming for your kneecaps

34
Q

Give proof of the unconscious

A

Called a Freudian slip (or parapraxis)
Error in speech, memory, or physical action that occurs due to interference of an unconscious subdued wish or internal train of thought

35
Q

What is a positive evaluation on Freud’s psychodynamic approach?

A

Explanatory power
He has had a huge influence on psychology, such as
-Personality disorders
-Abnormalities
-Moral development
-Gender
-Attachment (experiences as children and our parents and later development)

36
Q

What is a negative evaluation on Freud’s psychodynamic approach?

A

Case study method
Can we make universal claims about human nature based on studies about individuals with psychological abnormalities?
Highly subjective
Lacks scientific rigour (not thorough and careful)

37
Q

What is another negative evaluation on the psychodynamic approach?

A

Untestable concepts
Karl Popper - psychodynamic approach doesn’t meet scientific criterion of falsification as it is not open to empirical testing and possibility of disproval
Unconscious is difficult to test
Pseudoscience (beliefs mistaken as scientific method)

38
Q

Another positive evaluation on psychodynamic appraoch

A

Psychoanalysis - range of techniques used to access unconscious
Dream analysis and hypnosis
Useful therapeutic tool for neuroses
HOWEVER
Unable to treat more severe mental health disorders such as schizophrenia

39
Q

Another negative evaluation on this approach I’m sorry there’s so many

A

No such thing as accident (unconscious Freudian slip)
Slip of tongue is driven by unconscious forces and has deep symbolic meaning (no accident)
Free will is an illusion - conflict from childhood

40
Q

How is gender bias negatively shown with Freud?

A

Gender bias = alpha bias
Femininity = failed masculinity (we can never believe that 2 sexes are equal in position/worth)
Horney broke away from Freudian theory and criticised the approach
Dismissing women and their sexuality in such a way is problematic = psychoanalysis is still influential today and many female patients are treated by it
With such clear bias is inappropriate for approach to be applied to both sexes

Pyschology A-Level (59 decks)

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