Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
The mind is like…
an iceberg
conscious mind
The part we are aware of
What is most of our mind made up of?
The unconscious mind
Unconscious mind
Contains biological drives and instincts which influence our behaviour and personality
What does the unconscious mind contain?
Threatening/ disturbing memories which have been suppressed
Preconscious mind
Just under the surface
What does the preconscious mind contain?
Thoughts and feelings we might become aware of in dreams and slips of the tongue - parapraxes / Freudian slip
What is the personality
A tripartite
The Id
The primitive part of our personality which operates on the pleasure principle.
Which personality is present at birth?
The id - selfish - instant gratification
The ego
Works on the reality principle - the mediator between the the id and superego
What does the ego do?
Reduces conflict between the id and superego and employs defence mechanisms
What age does the ego dveelop?
Around age 2
The superego
Based on the morality principle
What does the superego represent?
moral standards of childrens same sex parent - punishes the ego for wrongdoing
What age does the supergo develop?
around 5
how many stages does child development occur in?
5
What are the 5 stages of child development?
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital
What must a child do at each stage of the psychosexual stages?
The child must resolve the conflict of each stage to progress successfully to the next
What happens if a psychosexual stage is left unresolved?
Leads to fixation - child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries out certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through adult life
what age is the Oral Stage?
0 - 1
What age is the anal stage?
1 - 3
What age is the phallic stage?
3 - 6
What age is the latency stage?
6 - 12
What age is the genital stage?
12+
What focus of libido is the anal stage?
Tongue, mouth, lips
What focus of libido is the anal stage?
anus
What focus of libido is the phallic stage?
genitals
What focus of libido is the latency stage?
none
What focus of libido is the genital stage?
genital
What is the major development in the oral stage?
Weaning off of breast feeding or formula
What is the major development in the anal stage?
Toilet training
What is the major development in the phallic stage?
Resolving oedipus/ electra complex
What is the major development in the latency stage?
Developing defence mechanisms
What is the major development in the genital stage?
Reaching full sexual maturity
Adult fixation example for oral stage
smoking, overeating
Adult fixation example for anal stage
orderliness, messiness
Adult fixation example for phallic stage
Deviancy, sexual dysfunction
Adult fixation example for latency stage
None
Adult fixation example for genital stage
If all stages completed successfully then the person should be sexually matured and mentally healthy
What happens to boys during the phallic stage?
Boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and murderous hatred towards their fathers
What do boys fear in the phallic stage?
Their fathers will castrate them
How do boys resolve the conflict during the Oedipus complex?
Repress feelings for their mother and identify with their father taking on his gender roles and moral values
What do girls experience in the phallic stage?
Penis envy
What do girls desire in the phallic stage
Their father and hate their mother
What happens over time to girls during the phallic stage?
They give up the desire for their father and replace desire for a penis with desire for a baby - identifying with their mother
Strengths of the psychodynamic approach
- Explanatory power - the psychodynamic approach has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena which gives the approach validity.
- Practical application - Freud created psychoanalysis
Psychodynamic limitations
- Untestable concepts - Popper said that the psychodynamic approach = falsifiable - you cannot test the approach due to most of the approach said to take place in the subconscious.
- Psychic determinism - No accidents, even freudian slips = driven by unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood - free will = an illusion
What are the three defence mechanisms?
Displacement
Repression
Denial
What is displacement?
When a negative impulse is forwarded onto something else.
What is repression?
When a person pushes down feelings they don’t want/like.
What is denial?
When a person ignore/ blocks certain events/ realities from their mind.
