Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Who is the main theorist for the psychodynamic approach ?

Answer 1

Freud

Question 2

What are the main assumptions of the psychodynamic approach ?

Answer 2

• all behaviour can be explained in terms of the inner conflicts of the mind.

Question 3

What is the tripartite personality system ?

Answer 3

According to Freud the personality is compose of three parts.

Question 4

Define the id + when it happens +what it functions upon

Answer 4

• Is the biological part (instincts and drives) of the personality.
• it is present at birth
  -motivated by pleasure principle ; demands instant gratification of its needs.

Question 5

Define the ego + when it happens + what it functions upon

Answer 5

-mediates the conflicts between the id and the superego by using defence mechanisms to achieve this.
-develops from 1-3 years
-it is motivated by reality principal

Question 6

Define the superego + when it happens + what it functions upon

Answer 6

• it punishes the geo with guilt for wrongdoing.
• develops 3-5 years
• motivated by morality principle

Question 7

What 3 parts is the mind divided into ?

Answer 7

• the conscious
• the preconscious
• the unconscious

Question 8

Define the conscious and what personality type does it contain ?

Answer 8

• part where we are aware of and can access without effort
• contains part of the ego

Question 9

Define the preconscious and what personality type does it contain ?

Answer 9

• this is the part of the mind that we cannot access without effort.
• ego + superego

Question 10

Define the unconscious and what personality type does it contain ?

Answer 10

• this part of the mind cannot be accessed without the help of a trained psychoanalyst
• superego + id

Question 11

When are defence mechanisms used ?

Answer 11

When the unconscious conflicts between the id and the superego and cannot be resolved by the ego, they create anxiety - thus defence mechanisms are used.

Question 12

What are the defence mechanisms ?

Answer 12

• repression
• displacement
• denial

Question 13

Define repression + example

Answer 13

• used by the ego to keep disturbing memories out of the conscious mind and in the unconscious mind where they cannot be accessed
• e.g., sexual or aggressive urges or painful childhood memories.

Question 14

Define displacement + example

Answer 14

• an impulse may be redirected from it’s original target onto a more acceptable. (Inferior)
  -e.g., being angry with your father and shouting at your little sister.

Question 15

Define denial + example

Answer 15

• the existence of unpleasant internal or external realities is denied and kept out of conscious awareness,
  -e.g., having lost your job, and yet you go to work every day.

Question 16

What are the psychosexual stages of development ?

Answer 16

• oral
• anal
• phallic
• latent
• genital

Question 17

Oral - age + source of pleasure + outcome

Answer 17

• 0-1 years
• mouth - sucking swallowing
• If forceful feeding, deprivation, or early weaning occur, then fixation could lead to oral activities (e.g., smoking), dependency, and aggression.

Question 18

Anal - age + source of pleasure + outcome

Answer 18

• 1-3 years
• the anus - withholding expelling faeces
• If toilet training is too harsh or too lax, then fixation could lead to obsessiveness, tidiness, meanness, or to untidiness and generosity.
• anal retentiveness or anal expulsive

Question 19

Phallic -age + source of pleasure + outcome

Answer 19

• 3-5 years
• The penis or clitoris – masturbation.
• If an abnormal family set-up leads to an unusual relationship with the mother/father, then fixation could lead to Vanity, self-obsession, sexual anxiety, inadequacy, Inferiority, envy

Question 20

Latent -age + source of pleasure + outcome

Answer 20

• 5-puberty
• sexual drives are repressed
• fixation doesn’t happen at this age

Question 21

Genital -age + source of pleasure + outcome

Answer 21

• puberty - death
• The genitals. The adult derives pleasure from masturbation and sexual intercourse.
• Fixation at this stage should occur in a mentally healthy adult.