psychodynamic approach:

Question 1

Assumptions (AO1)

Answer 1

The main assumption of the psychodynamic approach is that all behavior can be explained in terms of the inner conflicts of the mind.
Freud highlights the role of the unconscious mind, the structure of personality, and the influence that childhood experiences have on later life.
Freud believed that the unconscious mind determines most of our behaviour and that we are motivated by unconscious emotional drives.

Question 2

Id:

Answer 2

it is the biological part (instincts and drives) of the personality. It is present at birth. The Id is motivated by the pleasure principle; it demands instant gratification of its needs.

Question 3

Ego:

Answer 3

develops from 1 – 3 years. It is motivated by the reality principle. It mediates the conflicts between the ID and superego. It uses defense mechanisms to achieve this

Question 4

Superego

Answer 4

develops from 3 – 5 years. It is motivated by the morality principle. It punishes the ego with guilt for “wrongdoing.”

Question 5

The conscious:

Answer 5

this is the part we are aware of and can access without any effort. It contains part of the ego.

Question 6

The preconscious:

Answer 6

this is a part of the mind that we cannot access without effort. It contains the ego and some of the superego.

Question 7

The unconscious:

Answer 7

this part of the mind cannot be accessed without the help of a trained psychoanalyst. It contains the superego and the Id.

Question 8

Defense Mechanisms (AO1)
Repression

Answer 8

Is used by the ego to keep disturbing memories out of the conscious mind and in the unconscious mind where they cannot be accessed, e.g., sexual or aggressive urges or painful childhood memories.

Question 9

Defense Mechanisms (AO1)
Displacement:

Answer 9

An impulse may be redirected from its original target onto a more acceptable one, e.g., being angry with your father and shouting at your little sister.

Question 10

Defense Mechanisms (AO1)
Denial

Answer 10

the existence of unpleasant internal or external realities is denied and kept out of conscious awareness, e.g., having lost your job, and yet you go to work every day.

Question 11

Psychosexual Stages of Development (AO1)
oral (0-1year)

Answer 11

Mouth – sucking, swallowing, etc. If forceful feeding, deprivation, or early weaning occur, then fixation could lead to oral activities (e.g., smoking), dependency, and aggression.

Question 12

Psychosexual Stages of Development (AO1)
Anal (1-3 years)

Answer 12

The anus – withholding or expelling feces. If toilet training is too harsh or too lax, then fixation could lead to obsessiveness, tidiness, meanness, or to untidiness and generosity.

Question 13

Psychosexual Stages of Development (AO1)
Phallic (3-5 years)

Answer 13

The penis or clitoris – masturbation. If an abnormal family set-up leads to an unusual relationship with the mother/father, then fixation could lead to Vanity, self-obsession, sexual anxiety, inadequacy, Inferiority, envy,

Question 14

Psychosexual Stages of Development (AO1)
Latent (5-puberty)

Answer 14

Sexual drives are repressed. Fixation does not happen at this stage.

Question 15

Psychosexual Stages of Development (AO1)
Genital (puberty-death)

Answer 15

The genitals. The adult derives pleasure from masturbation and sexual intercourse. Fixation at this stage should occur in a mentally healthy adult.

Question 16

Evaluation (AO3)

Answer 16

The concepts of Id, ego and superego are very abstract and difficult to test experimentally, so the evidence is obtained from case studies (Little Hans and Anna O). However, the sample used in these case studies is mainly Austrian, so it lacks population validity.
These case studies used mainly unstructured interviews, so they yielded qualitative data. The need for interpretation of the material gathered means that it is biased on the part of the researchers as they tend to interpret the data in a way that supports their theory.
Furthermore, the fact that two different researchers can reach completely different interpretations of the same case suggests that the methods lack objectivity.
The theory is not falsifiable; if people behave in the way predicted by the theory, it is viewed as support; if they don’t, it is argued that they are using defense mechanisms.
The individual is not seen as responsible for their disorders; however, as the conflicts which lead to the disorder are unconscious, there is nothing they can do about it without an analyst; they are disempowered.
It cannot explain the biological symptoms observed in some disorders, such as enlarged ventricles in schizophrenics.
It has given rise to one of the first “talking cures,” psychoanalysis, on which many psychological therapies are now based. Psychoanalysis is rarely used now in its original form, but it is still used in a shorter version in some cases.
It could be argued that Freud was the first person to highlight the importance of childhood in mental health, and this is an idea extensively used today.
The psychodynamic approach is determinist as it rejects the idea of free will. A person’s behavior is determined by their unconscious motives, which are shaped by their biological drives and their early experiences.
It recognizes the influence of social and cultural factors as it proposes that we are driven by innate, biological instincts (nature) but that the way they are expressed is shaped by our social environment (nurture).
Real-world application – Psychoanalysis has been used as a form of literary criticism in literature such as Hamlet, where repressed messages are hidden beneath the surface of the text. Interpretation allows us to delve into the character’s mind – It can be used to explain behavior outside psychology.