Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Assumptions about the psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

States that events in our early childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality. Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious and cause problems as adults

Stresses the importance of relationships

That our mind is split into 3 distinct parts which often work against each other (tripartite Personality)

Behaviour is influenced by different levels of consciousness

Question 2

What is the part of the mind we know about called?

Answer 2

The conscious mind (tip of the iceberg)

Question 3

What is most of our mind made up of?

Answer 3

The Unconscience mind

Question 4

What does the unconscious mind contain?

Answer 4

Threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, or locked away and forgotten.

Question 5

The conscious mind

Answer 5

small amount of mental activity we know about

Question 6

The preconscious mind

Answer 6

Things we could be aware of if we wanted to or tried

Question 7

The unconscious mind

Answer 7

Things we are unaware of and contains biological instincts, drives an desires

Question 8

The id

Answer 8

Primitive part of the mind. It is present in new born infants and consists of basic biological impulses such as hunger and thirst. It works on the pleasure principle and part of the unconscious mind.

Question 9

The ego

Answer 9

Develops as the child grows. It aims to gratify the Ids impulses by considering the environment it is in. It works on the reality principle and it’s part of the conscious mind.

Question 10

The superego

Answer 10

Develops last. It judges whether actions are right or wrong. It is an internalised representation of the values and morals of society. Violating the superegos standards or even the impulse to do so causes anxiety. It works on the morality principle and is part of the conscious mind.

Question 11

What are the 3 defence mechanisms?

Answer 11

repression
Denial
Displacement

Question 12

Repression

Answer 12

Forcing a distressed memory out of the conscious mind.

Question 13

Denial

Answer 13

Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality

Question 14

Displacement

Answer 14

Transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotions onto a substitute target

Question 15

What are the psychosexual stages?

Answer 15

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

Question 16

Describe Oedipus complex?

Answer 16

Freud used a Greek myth to explain his ideas about the relationship between boys and their parents during the phallic stage. Freud concluded that boys has unconscious sexual feelings for their mother. This leads to feeling of guilt and fear of the father, whose place the boy wanted to take. The fear took the form of castration anxiety. To resolve this conflict the boy identifies with and becomes his father.

Question 17

Describe the Electra Complex

Answer 17

Girls realise that they don’t have a penis and develop penis envy. They know their father has a penis so they develop sexual feelings towards him. They start to see their mother and a rival and the girl blames the mother for her own lack of penis believing that her mother castrated her. Girls realise that they can posses their father by identifying with their mother. The girl replaces her penis envy with a desire for a baby.

Question 18

What age is the oral stage?

Answer 18

0-1 years

Question 19

What age is the anal stage ?

Answer 19

1-3 years

Question 20

What age is the phallic stage?

Answer 20

3-5 years