psychodynamic approach

Question 1

what are the 4 main assumptions?

Answer 1

• the mind is like an iceberg and the unconscious mind has a significant influence in behaviour
• early childhood experiences impact adult behaviour
• the personality consists of 3 components which determine behaviour: id, ego, superego
• children progress through psychosexual stages, if they become fixated at any stage it can affect later behaviour

Question 2

the unconscious

Answer 2

• uses an iceberg analogy, stating that the unconscious takes up a large part of the human mind even though we cant directly access it (the iceberg below the surface), and the conscious mind is a small part of the mind (the tip of the iceberg)
• traumatic memories are repressed to the unconscious to protect the mind, and these can be explored through psychoanalysis

Question 3

the personality

Answer 3

• id = pleasure principle, it consists of primal urges, seeking pleasure and instant gratification, it is present at birth
• ego = reality principle, balances the demands of the id and superego, arises in response to control by others
• superego = morality principle, characterised by the inner voice that tells us when we’ve crossed the line into unacceptable behaviour

Question 4

defence mechanisms

Answer 4

• used by the ego to cope with the conflicting demands of the id and superego
• repression is when traumatic memories are pushed out the conscious and into the unconscious mind
• denial is refusal to acknowledge the truth and reality of an event
• displacement is when emotions cant be expressed towards a target individual so are redirected to someone or something else

Question 5

psychosexual stages

Answer 5

• a series of stages that children go through as they develop
• driven by the oedipus complex where boys relinquish their attraction to their mothers and internalise their fear of castration from their fathers

Question 6

stage 1

Answer 6

• oral
• aged 0-2
• experience pleasure via their mouth
• an oral fixation can cause behaviours like smoking or nail biting

Question 7

stage 2

Answer 7

• anal
• aged 2-3
• become aware of the reality principle (ego) and must have potty training to control bowel movements
• fixation can cause either anal retentive (become an obsessive perfectionist) or anal expulsive (become messy + thoughtless)

Question 8

stage 3

Answer 8

• phallic
• aged 3-6
• main component is the oedipus complex, the superego develops
• fixation may cause narcissistic or reckless behaviour

Question 9

stage 4

Answer 9

• latent
• aged 6-puberty
• sexual energy becomes latent so people can focus on friendships and the world around them

Question 10

stage 5

Answer 10

• genital
• aged puberty +
• psychosexual energy goes to the genitals to form adult relationships
• fixation can cause struggles forming heterosexual relationships

Question 11

give a strength of the psychodynamic approach
1/2

Answer 11

real life applications: freud’s theory led to the development of psychoanalysis therapy, which aims to uncover repressed memories and help people with deep psychological issues, and it is still used today. this treatment also led to the development of other talking therapies, laying the foundation for modern day psychotherapies. The effectiveness of psychoanalysis is demonstrated in research, for example a psychologist found that at the end of psychoanalysis, 77% of patients showed clinical improvements.

Question 12

give a strength of the psychodynamic approach
2/2

Answer 12

the theory takes an intercationist approach, regonising the influences of both nature and nurture on behaviour. the approach takes into account the impact of our natural motivations and the primal urges that we are born with (nature), as well as the way we are raised and our environment (nurture). therefore providing a more complete understanding of behaviour

Question 13

give a limitation of the psychodynamic approach
1/3

Answer 13

psychic determinism: the approach focuses on unconscious drives and urges, as well as early childhood experiences that are repressed into the unconscious mind, and how these all influence behaviour. this implies that humans have no control or free will over our behaviour, and removes the chance of personal responsibility

Question 14

give a limitation of the psychodynamic approach
2/3

Answer 14

freud’s concepts are highly subjective and cannot be scientifically tested, for example the human mind cant be separated to reveal the different parts of the human personality. therefore the approach’s understanding of behaviour is based wholly on the subjective interpretation of the psychologist. the lack of scientific and empirical evidence means it lacks reliability and validity as it cannot be proven

Question 15

give a limitation of the psychodynamic approach
3/3

Answer 15

the theory is culturally biased. freud based his research on viennese middle class people, and he made universal ideas based on this unrepresentative sample. he referred to his therapy as the ‘talking cure’, however it could be argues that this may only be effective in cultures when talking about your problems is accepted. therefore this raises the question as to whether freud’s concepts can be applied with confidence to other cultures and social class, and it also casts doubt on the effectiveness of psychoanalytic theories globally