psychodynamic approach

Question 1

give the 4 main assumptions of this approach

Answer 1

• much of our behaviour is driven by unconscious motives
• childhood is a critical period in development
• mental disorders can arise from unconscious conflicts originating in childhood
• Freud uses case studies to research

Question 2

briefly explain Freud’s Tripartite Personality (ID, ego, superego)

Answer 2

ID: innate part of personality. present from birth, operates on pleasure principle, if ID comes to dominate the personality this would result in childlike behaviour

ego: child becomes aware other people have feelings so they can’t always get their own way. Formed during the first 3 years of life, and operates on the reality principle. it helps to resolve the conflict between the id and the superego through the use of defence mechanisms.

superego: This contains the child’s internalised sense of right and wrong, passed on from parents. Formed at the end of the phallic stage, and operates on the morality principle. The superego is in constant conflict with the Id as Id wants immediate gratification

Question 3

briefly explain the 5 psychosexual stages by Freud (a series of
developmental stages through which all children progress)
- give the names, age of the stage, principal task of the stage, result in adults due to fixation of the stage

Answer 3

1) oral stage: birth-18months. weaning. fixation results in obsessive eating, smoking, drinking.
2) anal stage: 18months-3/4 years. toliet training. fixation results in obsession with cleanliness and sexual anxiety.
3) phallic stage: 3/4yrs-5/7yrs. developing sexual identity. fixation results in difficulty with intimacy.
4) latency stage: 5/7yrs- puberty. learning gender roles. no fixation occurs
5) genital stage: puberty onwards. genital intercourse. if all stages were successfully completed then the person should be sexually matured and mentally healthy

Question 4

what are the 3 defence mechanisms (unconscious and used on a daily basis) suggested by Freud?

Answer 4

repression: forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind

denial: refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality

displacement: transferring feelings from the source of distressing emotion onto a substituted target

Question 5

give 2 limitations of Freuds psychodynamic approach

Answer 5

gender/alpha bias: Freuds idea that females are inferior to males and suffer penis envy has been largely discredited

subjective: Freud used subjective methods such as case studies, which aren’t scientific and lack reliability