psychodynamic approach Flashcards
what is the driving force behind behaviour + personality?
the unconscious
in our unconscious, what drives behaviour?
traumatic (repressed) memories
what is the role of the unconscious?
protects the conscious self from anxiety/fear/trauma/conflict
name 2 ways of accessing the unconscious mind
dream interpretation
hypnosis
rorschach test
free association
true or false? the structure of personality is a tripartite model.
true
what is the id motivated by?
unconscious drives + instincts
what does the id operate on?
pleasure principle - it gets what it wants
where is the id stored?
the unconscious
what is the role of the ego?
mediates between other parts of personality to reduce demands of id + superego (uses defence mechanisms to manage the conflict)
what does the ego operate on?
reality principle - it is rational
where is the ego stored?
the conscious
what is the role of the superego?
a conscience/moral guide - punishes the ego for wrong-doing through guilt
what does the superego operate on?
morality principle - represents moral standards of same-sex parent + society
where is the superego stored?
the unconscious
what is denial? - give an example of this
refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality - e.g. smokers may refuse to admit that smoking is bad for their health
what is displacement? - give an example of this
transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target - e.g. someone who is annoyed at their boss may go home + kick the dog
what is repression? - give an example of this
forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind - e.g. during the Oedipus complex, aggressive thoughts about the same-sex parent are repressed
what age is the oral stage?
0-1 years
what is the focus of pleasure during the oral stage?
mouth (e.g. milk bottle/mother’s breast)
what is the fixation for the oral stage?
oral fixation (e.g. smoking, being critical, nail-biting)
what age is the anal stage?
1-3 years
what is the focus of pleasure during the anal stage?
anus (pleasure from bowel movements)
what are the fixations for the anal stage?
anal retentive (perfectionist, obsessive)
anal expulsive (thoughtless, messy)
what age is the phallic stage?
3-6 years
what is the focus of pleasure during the phallic stage?
genital area
what is the fixation for the phallic stage?
phallic personality (narcissistic, reckless)
what age is the latent stage?
7-11 years
what happens during the latent stage?
earlier conflicts are repressed
what age is the genital stage?
from puberty onwards
what happens during the genital stage?
sexual desires become present alongside the onset of puberty
what is a consequence of the genital stage?
difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
give a strength of this approach - why is this a strength?
real world application - introduced the idea of psychotherapy
psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern talking therapies (e.g. counselling) that have been established - this shows the value of the psychodynamic approach to creating new treatments
what is a counterpoint to the strength?
Freudian therapy may not apply to all disorders - e.g. psychoanalysis is regarded as harmful for people experiencing more serious mental disorders
give a limitation of this approach - why is this a limitation?
untestable concepts - many of Freud’s concepts occur at an unconscious level, making them difficult/impossible to test
furthermore, Freud’s ideas were based on subjective study of individuals (e.g. Little Hans) which makes it difficult to make universal claims about behaviour
it’s also not open to empirical testing, doesn’t meet the scientific criteria of falsification, and isn’t open to the possibility of being disproved
why is ‘psychic determinism’ a limitation?
it is an extreme view that dismisses any influence of free will
true or false? this approach involves gender bias
true - sees women as inferior (e.g. penis envy)
give another strength of this approach (within issues + debates)
takes both nature + nurture into account
