Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

assumption of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

several dynamics, mosly the unconsious, operate on the mind and direct behaviour

Question 2

3 parts of the mind

Answer 2

consious
preconsious
unconsioius

Question 3

3 parts of the personality

Answer 3

ego
supergo
id

Question 4

conscious

Answer 4

thoughts and perceptions we are aware of

Question 5

preconscious

Answer 5

memories and stored knowledge we aren’t aware of but could be, if we wanted to, made aware of through dreams and slips of the tongue

Question 6

unconscious

Answer 6

unacceptable thoughts we are not, and cannot be, aware of
storehouse of drives and instincts containing threatening or disturbing repressed memories

Question 6

age of development, features, part of mind and principle

ego

Answer 6

• develops around 2
• in conscious
• works on the reality principle, mediating b/w id and superego to reduce conflict b/w their demands, using defence mechanisms

Question 6

denial

Answer 6

refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality

Question 6

age of development, features, part of mind and principle

id

Answer 6

• present from birth
• in unconsious
• primitive part of personality operating on pleasure principle
• mass of unconscious drives and instincts that is selfish and demands instant gratification

Question 6

age of development, features, part of mind and principle

superego

Answer 6

• develops end of phallic stage, around 5
• in preconscious
• based on morality principle, internalised moral standards from same sex parent
• punishes i=ego for wrongdoing through guilt

Question 6

defense mechanisms

Answer 6

unconscious mechanisms used by the ego to prevent us being overwhelmed by temporry threats/traumas
often involing distortion or denial of reality

Question 6

3 defence mechanisms

Answer 6

1. repression
2. denial
3. displacement

Question 7

repression

Answer 7

distressing memory kept from conscious mind

Question 7

displacement

Answer 7

transferring unpleasant feelings from source of distress onto a substitute target - usually a safe person or object

Question 8

what occurs when a psychosexual conflict is unresolved?

Answer 8

fixation, where a child becomes ‘stuck’, carrying behaviours related to that stage to adulthood

Question 9

5 psychosexual stages

Answer 9

1. oral
2. anal
3. phallic
4. latency
5. genital

Question 10

age, description, consequence

oral stage

Answer 10

• 0-1 years
• focus of pleasure = mouth and mother’s breast = object of desire
• oral fixation - smoking, nail biting, sarcasm, criticism

Question 11

age, description, consequence

anal stage

Answer 11

• 1-3 years
• focus of pleasure in anus and pleasure gained from witholding and expelling faeces
• anal retentive - perfectionist and obsessive
• anal expulsive - thoughtless and messy

Question 12

age, description, consequence

phallic stage

Answer 12

• 3-5 years
• focus on genital area and child experiences oedipus or electra complex
• phallic personality - narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual, sexual anxiety and envy

Question 13

latency

Answer 13

earlier conflicts are resolved

Question 14

age, description, consequence

genital stage

Answer 14

• from puberty
• sexual desires become consciousand focus of pleasure is genitals
• difficulty forming hetersexual relationships

Question 15

oedipus complex

Answer 15

• at end of phallic stage, boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother
• hate father and fear he will castrate them if they find out, so repress these feelings, ientifying father and taking on his gender role and moral feelings

Question 16

electra complex

Answer 16

• at end of phallic stage, girls develop incestuous feelings for father and hatred of mother, because experience penis envy
• afraid mother will stop loving her if she finds out
• over time, give up desire for father, replacing it with desire for a baby

Question 17

psychodynamic approach evaluation phrase

Answer 17

false appeal explains case of Hans’ psyche

Question 18

outline case of Little Hans (3 points)

Answer 18

1. phobia of horses after seeing accident with carriage
2. became afraid his dad woould castrate him after mum threatened to castrate him
3. had dreams interpreted by Freud as signs he was in love with his mother and hated his father

Question 19

practical applications of psychodynamic approach

Answer 19

• psychoanalysis using range of techniques to access the unconscious to help patients with neurosis

Question 20

psychic determinism

Answer 20

everything we do, even accidentaly, is determined by the unconscious and preconscious which are out of our control

Question 21

falsifiability

Answer 21

ability of a scientific theory to be proved true or false and be empirically tested

Question 22

intuitive appeal of psychodynamic approach

Answer 22

most people can relate to defence mechanisms of repression, denial and displacement

Question 23

explanatory power of psychodynamic approach (2 points)

Answer 23

• has drawn attention to connection between experiences and childhood, e.g. relationship with parent and later development
• has been used to explain many phenomena including gendeer and personality development