Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What are the four parts of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

• The role of the unconscious
• The structure of personality
• Psychsexual phases
• Defence mechanisms

Question 2

What is the role of the unconscious?

Answer 2

Most of our mind is unconscious, can also contain repressed traumatic memories our memory aims to block out. These can be accessed during dreams. Our preconscious contains thoughts and memories just under the surface which hasn’t come to our consciousness yet.

Question 3

What is the structure of personality? (PD approach)

Answer 3

• The ID the pleasure principle of our brain, selfish and demands instant gratification which it gets
• The ego works on the reality principle and is the mediator between the other to parts of personality, develops at the age of 2 years and reduces conflict by deploying defence mechanisms.
• The superego is formed at the end of the phallic stage, around 5 and it is our internalised values of what is right and what is wrong based upon morality principle. Punishes ego for wrongdoing through guilt.

Question 4

What are the psychosexual stages?

Answer 4

Any psychological conflict unresolved that may lead to a fixation the child become stuck and carries on certain behaviours through to adulthood.

E.G- Oral (0-1) focus of pleasure is on mouth, through breastfeeding, a consequence could be biting nails or smoking

Question 5

What are the defence mechanisms of PD?

Answer 5

The ego has a difficult job balancing conflicting demands of ID and superego but it has help through DM, to prevent us from being overwhelmed from traumas- however they provide a distortion of reality and long term are bad.

Question 6

Brief evaluation of the PD approach?

Answer 6

• RWA however may be innapopriate
• Explanatory power for human behaviour
• Untestable concepts

Question 7

What are the strengths of the PSD?

Answer 7

RWA- introduced the idea of psychotherapy and Freud brought psychoanalysis designed to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. The therapy aimed to access conscious and bring repressed emotions into conscious. Psychoanalysis catalysed “talking therapies” such as counselling, showing value of PSDA in creating new approach to treatment.
HOWEVER, psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate and harmful for those with serious mental disorders (schizophrenia) symptoms of this mean they cannot articulate their thoughts Freudian therapy doesn’t apply to all MD.

Ability to explain human behaviour (explanatory power), huge influence of psychology and contemporary thought it remained a key force and has been shed to explain things such as personality development,and connection between relationship with parents and later development. Positive impact of psychology.

Question 8

What is the weakness of the PSDA?

Answer 8

Untestable concepts- Popper argued PSDA does not meet scientific criterion of falsification as it is not open to empirical testing (can be disproved) as they occur at an unconscious level. His ideas based of subjective study of single individuals difficult to make nomothetic claims. Freuds theory was pseudoscientific rather than established fact

Question 9

What are three defense mechanisms

Answer 9

Denial, repression, displacement