Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What is the role of unconscious?

Answer 1

-part of the mind that we are unaware of but directs much of our behaviour
-contains disturbing memories that have been repressed
-can be accessed by dreams or ‘slip of the tongue’

Question 2

What does the unconscious store?

Answer 2

-biological drives and instincts

Question 3

Freud’s structure of personality

Answer 3

-‘Tripartite’ - has 3 parts
-Id, ego + superego

Question 4

What is the Id?

Answer 4

-entirely unconscious
-innate part of our personality - made up of selfish aggressive instincts
-demands immediate gratification
-operates on pleasure principle - it gets what it wants

Question 5

What is the ego?

Answer 5

-formed during first 3 yrs of life
-‘reality check’ principle
-balances conflicting demands of the ID + superego
-employs defence mechanisms

Question 6

What is the superego?

Answer 6

-moralistic part of our personality
-contains the child’s internalised sense of right + wrong
-represents the ideal self of how we ought to be
-in constant conflict with the Id

Question 7

What are the psychosexual stages?

Answer 7

-he claimed that child development occurs in 5 stages
-each stage a child must resolve the conflict to progress
-any unresolved - leads to fixation + conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life

Question 8

The 5 stages

Answer 8

1. Oral
2. Anal
3. Phallic
4. Latency
5. Genital

Question 9

What is repression?

Answer 9

-forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind

Question 10

What is denial?

Answer 10

-refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality

Question 11

What is displacement?

Answer 11

-transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target

Question 12

What are defence mechanisms?

Answer 12

-unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage conflit between Id + superego

Question 13

Practical applications of psychodynamic approach

Answer 13

-psychotherapy + psychoanalysis
-FECT produced a greater focus on client-therapist relationship
-focusing on clients problematic cognitions about therapist adds to efficacy
-approach has made a long-lasting contribution towards treatment of various mental disorders

Question 14

Negatives - psychic determinism

Answer 14

-he suggested all behaviour is the product of unconscious internal conflicts
-meaning that every action has some kind of meaning - can give insight into uncon
-not in line with scientific methods
-all in contrast to behaviourist approach + cognitive approach

Question 15

Positives - more real world application

Answer 15

-treating mental disorders psychologically rather than physically
-helps by bringing repressed emotions into conscious