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AS psychology unit 1 > Psychodynamic approach > Flashcards

Psychodynamic approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 3 Assumptions?

A

Influence of childhood experiences
The unconscious mind
tripartite personality

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2
Q

Assumption 1?

A

Influence of childhood experiences?

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3
Q

Influence of childhood experiences?

A

Freud ( 1880-1930)
he believed that childhood shapes the adult personality
he proposed the psychological development in childhood takes place in a series of stages
This is known as psychosexual stages
Each stage represents the fixation of libido

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4
Q

libido def?

A

sex drive or instinct on different area of the body

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5
Q

How many psychosexual stages are there?

A

5

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6
Q

What are the 5 psychosexual stages are there?

A

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

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7
Q

What happens if a child is fixated on a specific stage?

A

may have a long lasting effect on personality

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8
Q

What is Frustration?

A

If the child remains in any of the stages, the stage has not been resolved and their needs have not been met

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9
Q

What is overindulgence?

A

when the needs of the child have been oversatisfied and a child is too comfortable and reluctant to move onto the next stage

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10
Q

How long is the oral stage?

A

(0-18 months)

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11
Q

What is the origin of the labido/source of pleasure

A

Mouth: sucking, chewing, swallowing, biting

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12
Q

Key events?

A

breast feeding
weaning
( changing from milk to solid food)

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13
Q

Outcome of fixation?

A

Frustration:3 personality traits, Pessimism, envy and sarcasm

Overindulgence : 3 personality traits
Optimisim
Gullibity
Neediness

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14
Q

How long is the Anal stage?

A

(18 months to 3 years)

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15
Q

What is the (Origin of Labido/Source of pleasure)

A

Anus: this is withholding, expelling, and playing with faeces.

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16
Q

What is the key events?

A

Potty training

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17
Q

What is the outcome of fixation?

A

Frustration: stubborn, possessive, overily tidy, overindulgence, messy, disorganised, reckless

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18
Q

How long is the Phallic stage?

A

3-5 years

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19
Q

What is the Origin of Labido
Source of pleasure?

A

Genitals

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20
Q

Key events?

A

Oedipus complex, leads to superego and gender identity

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21
Q

Outcome of Fixation?

A

Frustration:
Problems with sexuality and maintaining relationships
Overindulgence: productive heterosexual relationships

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22
Q

How long is the Latency stage?

A

( 5 years to puberty

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23
Q

What is the Origin of Labido
Source of pleasure

A

None

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24
Q

What is the Key events?

A

Aquiring knowledge and understanding of the world and other people

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25
Q

What is the outcome of fixation?

A

No frustration and no overindulgence

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26
Q

How long is the genital stage?

A

Puberty onwards

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27
Q

Origin of Labido
Source of pleasure

A

Heterosexual intercourse

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28
Q

Key events?

A

First relationships

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29
Q

Outcome of fixation?

A

Frustration
Homosexuality
Overindulgence
Well-developed
Adult personality

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30
Q

oepidus complex definition?

A

the attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, creates envy and aggressive feelings towards the parent of the same sex.

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31
Q

Why are these feelings repressed?

A

because of fear of punishment by the parent of the same sex

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32
Q

Assumption 2?

A

The unconscious mind

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33
Q

What is the unconscious mind?

A

Freud proposed that the mind is like an iceberg; much of what goes on inside the mind, lies under the surface.

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34
Q

Freud’s iceburg theory

A

The conscious mind is logical.
The unconscious mind is not logical and is ruled by pleasure seeking.
The unconscious mind can not be accessed but expresses itself through dreams.
Freud believed that the unconscious mind determines our behaviour
We are motivated by unconscious emotional drives.
He also believed that the unconscious mind contains unresolved conflict.
He argued that conflicts appear in dreams but can be disguised in the form of shapes and symbols.

35
Q

What is the unconscious mind related to?

A

ego defence mechanism

36
Q

What creates anxiety?

A

Conflicts between the Id, Ego and superego create anxiety

37
Q

Definition of Id?

A

selfish desire - devil

38
Q

Definition of Super-ego?

A

angel

39
Q

Ego?

A

balance between the 2

40
Q

what are the 3 ego defences?

A

displacement - transfer of impulses from 1 person to another
projection - undesirable thoughts are attributed to someone else
repression - put painful memories deep into the unconscious mind, so they appear forgotten.

41
Q

Assumption 3: tripartite personality?

A

consists of 3 parts : ID, EGO, SUPERGO

42
Q

Freud believed that the adult personality is structured into 3 parts?

A

Id, ego and superego

43
Q

ID?

A

the impulsive unconscious part of the personality, that is present at birth; it demands immediate satisfaction ( feeding a baby).
This is known as the pleasure principle, and the main aim of the id is to gain pleasure and gratification at any cost.

44
Q

Ego?

A

the conscious rational part of the mind that develops at the age of 2; it works out realistic ways of balancing the id in a socially acceptable way. It’s known as the reality principles.

45
Q

superego?

A

the last part of the personality to develop, forms at the age of 4. The child develops a sense of right and wrong, and the superego seeks to perfect behaviour.
this is learnt through identification with parents and members of society

46
Q

What is constantly in conflict?

A

The id and the superego are constantly in conflict
ego must act as the referee
and resolve the conflict

47
Q

Relationship formation?

A

The psychodynamic approach posits that psychosexual development affects adult relationships.
Overindulgence in the oral stage can lead to dependency in relationships. Fixation in the phallic stage impacts the development of the superego, ego, and conscious, potentially resulting in difficulties in loving or sustaining relationships.

In boys, the unresolved Oedipus complex involves a desire for the mother and rivalry with the father. This anxiety is resolved when the boy identifies with his father, allowing for healthy friendships and heterosexual relationships. Failure to resolve this complex may lead to relationship issues and potential homosexuality.

48
Q

Defence mechanisms?

A

Forming adult relationships can trigger past unpleasant emotions, leading individuals to use ego defenses to avoid anxiety. For example, someone in denial about their sexuality might pursue relationships inconsistent with their true feelings, such as a person with homosexual feelings trying to maintain a heterosexual relationship. This often results in dysfunction and eventual breakdown of the relationship, potentially leading to dishonesty and affairs. The individual may rationalize their guilt through projection, blaming their partner, such as saying, “My partner doesn’t pay me any attention.”

49
Q

Explaining parent-child relationships?

A

Bowlby (11944) developed a hypothesis called the maternal deprivation hypothesis. This explained the importance of developing social relationships in adulthood.
Social relationships can only be developed if the child forms a warm, continuous relationship with their mother during the first 2 years of life.
If this relationship is impaired, their relationships as adults become unstable.

50
Q

What is the case study?

A

Genie - feral child
born in 1957
learn it thoroughly
written on paper

51
Q

What is psychoanalysis?

A

is a form of therapy that makes the unconscious conscious so people gain insight and can be cured

52
Q

Dream analysis therapy?

A

Psychoanalysis evaluates whether defense mechanisms, such as displacement, projection, or repression, contribute to psychological illness.
One technique proposed by Freud is dream analysis, which aims to uncover unconscious thoughts that are disguised in dreams by decoding their meanings.

53
Q

The second assumption of the psychodynamic approach relates to the influence of childhood experience

A

Traumatic memories may be buried in the unconscious mind and can surface during dreams as a way of processing past events. The third assumption of a tripartite personality aims to balance the id, ego, and superego. Dreams serve to act out wishes and desires acceptably, as the ego’s defenses are lowered during sleep, allowing the id to express itself.

54
Q

Main components of dream analysis?

A

Freud (1900) described dreams as “the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious mind,” proposing that the unconscious expresses itself through dreams, revealing hidden content. Dream analysis seeks to attach meaning to dreams, which Freud believed are unconscious wish fulfillments. Dreams protect the sleeper and allow expression of buried urges.

He distinguished between latent content (the true meaning) and manifest content (the transformed, surface meaning). Symbols in dreams may have specific meanings, such as a penis represented by a snake or gun, and a vagina by a tunnel or cave. While dreams are open to interpretation, Freud rejected the notion of dream dictionaries, noting that sometimes “a cigar is just a cigar.” Transforming latent content into manifest content involves a process called dream work, which reworks repressed wishes into dream form.

55
Q

What are the 5 types of dreamwork process

A

condensation
displacment
replacement
symbolism
secondary elaboration

56
Q

Condensation?

A

Drream thoughts are rich in detail and content but they are condensed into brie images in a dream
in a dream, one image may represent many different ideas or associations with people

57
Q

Displacement?

A

Dreams have an emotional significance, but the dream object may be separate from the real object.
The content attached to the dream may be entirely different from the object that caused the dream.
Freud stated that this was a form of censorship to protect the person against disturbing thoughts that could harm the conscious mind.

58
Q

Representation?

A

A single thought in real life may be translated into many visual images in a dream.

59
Q

Symbolism?

A

In a dream, symbols replace a action, people and ideas

60
Q

Secondary elaboration?

A

The unconscious mind collects many different images and collects them together to try and form a logical story.
This disguises the latent content ( real meaning )
The actual dream may be a collection of recent events in a person’s waking life.

61
Q

The role of a dream therapist?

A

The therapist’s primary role is to reverse the dreamwork process by decoding the manifest content back into latent content. Rather than providing a single interpretation, the therapist should offer multiple interpretations based on the patient’s life experiences and circumstances. Ultimately, the patient chooses the interpretation that resonates most with them.

62
Q

Evaluating dream analsysis?

A

Solms (2000) used PET scans to identify active brain regions during dreaming, finding that the rational part of the brain is inactive during REM sleep, while areas related to memory and motivation are highly active.
Freud suggested that the ego is suspended in dreams, allowing the id to dominate. Hopfield (1983) conducted research on neural networks through computer simulations, demonstrating that these networks condense overloaded memories, supporting Freud’s concept of dreamwork condensation.

63
Q

methodological issues ?

A

Most research on dreaming is conducted in sleep labs, which may lack mundane realism and ecological validity, as participants are wired with electrodes rather than in normal conditions. Some studies examine the effects of sleep deprivation on humans or animals, which raises ethical concerns by violating the British Psychological Society’s ethical code (1974) regarding protection from harm and deception. Additionally, disrupting REM sleep can affect biological functions like hormone and neurotransmitter secretion, but these effects vary among individuals, potentially introducing confounding variables.

64
Q

Subjective interpretation?

A

Interpretating manifest content and analysing latent content relies on subjective judgment by a therapist
The therapist may not know a client well so their interpretation may be misinformed
This subverts the objective scientific aims of psychology

65
Q

Evaluation of ethical issues?

A

The psychodynamic approach has faced ethical criticism regarding the therapist-client relationship.
Therapists are viewed as experts providing insight into the unconscious, which can lead to patients becoming overly dependent on them. This power imbalance is particularly evident in individuals with depression, who may rely heavily on those they perceive as more knowledgeable.

66
Q

False memory syndrome ( FMS)?

A

This condition involves a person’s identity and relationships being influenced by false memories of a traumatic event. During psychoanalysis, these memories may resurface as the therapist claims to uncover past trauma. Patients often accept the therapist’s claims due to their perception of the therapist as an authority figure.

67
Q

Toon ( 1996)?

A

Therapist could induce a false memory, so the therapy takes longer, and they gain financially

68
Q

Emotional harm?

A

During dream analysis, a therapist may lead a client to an interpretation that is emotionally distressing, which, while potentially necessary for recovery, might overwhelm the client. The therapist should warn the client that they may feel worse after the session than before.

69
Q

Classic evidence: Main study Bowlby

A

about him - richard bowlby’’s upbringing
skeels and dye
methodology bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves : IV and the DV
control group
mothers
procedures
therapy
findings
affectionless character
derek b
kenneth w
other factors
conclusion
treatment

70
Q

Evaluation: classic evidence?
no causal findings

A

It is tempting to conclude that prolonged separation caused the emotional problems of the thieves; however, the separation was variable and not manipulated, meaning that while a relationship may exist between the variables, causation cannot be established. Family circumstances might have led to prolonged separation and the affectionless character, or the affectionless character itself could have caused the separation, making placement in care more likely. Therefore, no causal conclusions can be drawn.

71
Q

Biased data?

A

Bowlby gathered extensive qualitative data on each participant through interviews with the children and their families, producing a 25-page report detailing the case histories of the 44 thieves. This offered insights into the events leading to the children’s problems. However, the data is limited as it reflects only the perspectives of the social worker and psychologist, potentially introducing bias from Bowlby’s own beliefs and upbringing. Additionally, the case histories relied on parents’ recollections, which may be influenced by social desirability bias and limited memory.

72
Q

Sample?

A

All 88 children in the study were emotionally disturbed, which limits the generalizability of the sample, as there may be delinquents without emotional disturbances.
Bowlby suggested examining a sample of children appearing in court for stealing to determine if all cases share a similar explanation.

73
Q

Alternative evidence?

A

Separation alone may not cause long-lasting damage if a child receives good substitute emotional care. Rutter (2010) noted a sensitive period in development, where a lack of emotional care before 6 months allows for potential recovery.

In 1966, under dictator Ceaușescu, the Romanian government encouraged large families and banned abortion, leading to many babies being abandoned. After the regime collapsed in 1989, over 100,000 orphans were found in 600 orphanages. Research showed that early separation negatively affected their emotional development, leading to physical underdevelopment, intellectual problems, and difficulties forming relationships. Rutter compared Romanian orphans adopted before and after 6 months, finding that those adopted later experienced greater intellectual impairment and lagged behind a UK control group in physical, cognitive, and social development.

74
Q

Evaluation of ethical and social implications?
confidendality and privacy?

A

The study’s participants were not guaranteed confidentiality, as their first names and initials were listed in the report, allowing for easy identification of the children and their families. It is unclear whether the families were aware that their information would be published. The data collected from interviews was part of their treatment, and participants may have preferred to omit certain details if they had known the information would be shared publicly.

75
Q

Valid consent?

A

When children are involved in a study, it is essential to obtain valid consent from both parents and the child. Following the introduction of ethics in 1974, researchers must inform participants about the study’s true aims and whether results will be published. In this case, data collected during routine clinic appointments from 1936 to 1939 was only used retrospectively in 1946, after the children had been treated and left the clinic, preventing Bowlby from obtaining informed consent. Today, researchers must present their plans to an ethical committee, which evaluates the study’s costs and benefits to determine its acceptability.

76
Q

Evaluation of the psychodynamic approach?

A

Strengths

77
Q

Nature vs nurture?

A

One strength of the psychodynamic approach is its consideration of both nature and nurture in personality development. Freud argued that adult personality results from innate drives (nature) and childhood experiences (nurture). He described the ID as the instinctual, biological component of personality, driven by Eros (the life drive) and Thanatos (the death drive, motivating antisocial behaviors). The role of nurture is evident in the psychosexual stages, where frustration or overindulgence can lead to fixation, influencing adult personality. This interactionist perspective enhances the psychodynamic approach’s strength.

78
Q

Usefulness?

A

Freud emphasized that childhood is a critical period for development, shaping identity through experiences. His theories have influenced therapeutic approaches for mental disorders, as he was the first to connect psychological factors with physical symptoms, particularly paralysis. Freud developed psychoanalysis to bring unconscious feelings and thoughts into conscious awareness for resolution. This approach has been valuable in understanding mental health issues linked to childhood trauma or unconscious conflict. One technique, free association, encourages patients to express unfiltered thoughts in response to keywords, allowing therapists to help interpret and address areas of conflict.

79
Q

Complexity?

A

One criticism of Freud is that he simplifies behavior, despite acknowledging its complexity. He argues for a holistic approach to understanding individuals. The psychodynamic approach is seen as stronger than behaviorism, as it suggests recovery from mental disorders involves relearning and understanding their causes, while behaviorism only addresses symptoms. Freud’s psychoanalysis aims to uncover deeper meanings, recognizing that understanding behavior is a complex process.

80
Q

Weaknesses of psychodynamic?

A

The psychodynamic approach is criticized for oversimplifying behavior by reducing it to the concepts of the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO. Freud’s reductionist view, based on psychosexual stages, neglects the role of genetics and biological influences. In the 1950s, he attributed autism to the “refrigerator mother” concept, suggesting that distant mothers led to social withdrawal. This perspective has been criticized for oversimplifying autism and ignoring biological and emotional factors that may contribute to the condition.

81
Q

Deterministic?

A

Freud posited that infant behavior is driven by innate forces, while adult behavior stems from childhood experiences. He rejected the concept of free will, arguing that behavior is predetermined. A criticism of this view is that it undermines the possibility of behavioral change; if individuals cannot change their behavior, it could serve as a justification for criminal acts.

82
Q

Black swan?

A

Popper (1934): stated that “falsification is the only way to be certain; no amount of observations of a white swan can allow the conclusions that all swans are white but the observation of a single black swan is sufficient to refute the conclusion”

83
Q

Freud’s predictions are difficult to falsify?

A

Freud’s assertion that all men have repressed homosexual tendencies is challenging to disprove; even those denying such tendencies could be perceived as lying due to social stigma. Additionally, his theories often lack testable hypotheses. For instance, he predicted an inverse relationship between guilt and wrongdoing, but found that individuals who cheated on a test expressed less guilt overall compared to non-cheaters.

AS psychology unit 1 (6 decks)

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