Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Why is the psychodynamic approach subjective?
Because it uses case study methods which doesn’t use representative samples
What is the psychodynamic approach
It is a perspective that describes the different dynamics ,most that are unconscious, that operates on the mind and direct human behaviour and experiences
What is the unconscious
The part of the mind that we are unaware of but it directs a lot of our behaviour
What is the role of the unconscious
The role of the unconscious is to store repressing memories and parapraxes
What is a parapraxe
A slip of the tongue
How can the bad memories be accessed
Through nightmares and parapraxes
What is the structure of personality called
Tripartite
What is the tripartite composed of
Id, ego and superego
What is the Id
The primitive structure of our personality that operates on the pleasure principle
What is the Id made up of
Selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
Is the Id present at birth?
Yes and it is the only one of the three parts that is presented ta birth
What is the ego
The ‘reality check’ that balances the conflicting demands of the Id and the superego
When does the ego typically develop
2
What is the role of the ego
To reduce the conflict between the demands of the id and superego
How does the eg employ its role
By employing defence mechanisms
What are defence mechanisms
The unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between Id and th Superego
What are the 3 types of defence mechanisms
Repression,denial and displacement
What is a negative of defence mechanisms
They can distort reality and can cause the person o become psychologically unhealthy and undesirable
What do defence mechanisms help people fro being overwhelmed by
They help us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas
What is repression
Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
What is denial
Refusing to acknowledge certain aspects of reality
What is displacement
Transferring feeling from a true source of distress and putting it onto another target
What is the superego
It is our internalised sense of right and wrong and can be based on the morality principle
What is the link between the morality principle and the superego
That in terms of the morality principle, the superego represents the moral standards of the child’s same gender parent and punishes the ego for its wrongdoing through guilt
When is he superego usually formed
At the end of the phallic stage at around the age of 5
What are the psychosexual stages
They are the 5 development stages that all children pass through
What does each of the psychosexual stages consist of
A different conflict, the outcome of this conflict which determines their future development
How many psychosexual stages are there
5
What are the names of the 5 psychosexual stages
Oral, anal, phallic,latency and genital
What is the age for the oral stage
0-1 years old
What is the focus of pleasure for the oral stage
The mouth (a example is that a mothers breast can be an object of desire)
What are the possible consequences of the oral stage conflict
Due to the focus point being the mouth, there are more acts of sucking which may lead to future habits of smoking and biting nails and these are known as oral fixation
What is the age range for the anal stage
1-3 years
What is the focus point of the anal stage
The pleasure point is the anus and this is mainly due to the pleasure a child gains from withholding and expelling faeces
What are the consequences of the unresolved conflict from the anal stage
Personalities being either anal retentive or anal expulsive
What type of a personality is expressed if anal retentive
Being a perfectionist or obsessive
What type of personality is expressed if anal expulsive
Being thoughtless and messy
What age range is the phallic stage
3-8
What is the area of pleasure for the phallic stage
The genital area
What is a consequence of unresolved conflicts for the phallic stage
Phallic personality which means they are quite narcissistic and reckless
What is the age range for the latency stage
6-starting of puberty
Is there any focus points for the latency stage
No
What is the latency stage
When the earlier conflicts are repressed
What is the age for the genital stage
Puberty period
What is the description for the genital stage
That sexual desired become conscious alongside the onset of puberty
What is the consequence of the unresolved conflict for the genital stage
There may be difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
What is the main strength of the psychodynamic approach
That there is real world application as it introduced the idea of psychotherapy (psychoanalysis) and this was the first attempt interacting mental disorders psychologically rather than physically
How does psychotherapy work and help with the treatments of mental disorders
They have many techniques to access the unconscious and bring their repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can be dealt with. There is also counselling therapy.
What is a counterpoint of the real work application strength
Psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate and can even be harmful for those with serious mental conditions and this can suggest that Freuds therapy and theory may not apply to all disorders
What is the seconds strength of the psychodynamic approach
There is strong explanatory power and this is due to its ability to explain human behaviour despite it being controversial. It has been used to explain many phenomena’s like moral and personality development and disorders and gender identity.
What is the limitation of of the psychodynamic approach
It is an untestable concept and is argued to not meet the scientific criteria of falsification. It isn’t open to empirical testing, is very difficult test because a lot of the concepts occur at an unconscious level. They were also based on subjective studies of single individuals so it can’t be universally claimed
What is empirical testing
It is a study that is based on observation, investigation, or experiment rather than on abstract reasoning, theoretical analysis, or speculation
What is the oedipus complex
The theory that boys develop sexual feelings towards their mother in the phallic stage. However, the mother is with the father and so the boy has hatred for the father (and the less common one is that girls develop penis envy)
