Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

what are the 4 key assumptions of the PA

Answer 1

1. unconscious processes influence our behaviour
2. we have a constant psychodynamic conflict between the id ego and superego which influences our behaviour
3. sexual and aggressive drives motivate our behaviour
4. our personality is shaped by relationships and childhood experiences

Question 2

what idea did Freud put forward to explain the structure of our personality

Answer 2

the tripartite personality (our personality is made up of 3 parts; the id, the ego, the superego)

Question 3

when is the id present

Answer 3

at birth, and is dominant until around 2 years old

Question 4

describe the id

Answer 4

operates according to the pleasure principle (is unconscious) and demands immediate gratification from its urges

Question 5

describe the ego

Answer 5

operates according to the reality principle and tries to satisfy the demands of both the id and superego

the rules of society are learnt during this stage and defence mechanisms are employed to protect the mind

Question 6

when does the ego emerge

Answer 6

around 2-3 years old

Question 7

when does the superego develop

Answer 7

around 3-6 years old

Question 8

describe the superego

Answer 8

operates according to the morality principle

a sense of right and wrong is developed and societal rules are internalised. this means that a sense of pride is felt for acting correctly, or guilt is felt if acting incorrectly

Question 9

what is libido

Answer 9

built up sexual energy

Question 10

what triggers defence mechanisms

Answer 10

if an individual is faced with a situation that they are unable to deal with rationally

Question 11

true or false: defence mechanisms work unconsciously

Answer 11

true

Question 12

how do defence mechanisms work

Answer 12

they distort reality to reduce anxiety

Question 13

what are the 4 main defence mechanisms

Answer 13

1. repression
2. denial
3. displacement
4. projection

Question 14

what is repression

Answer 14

when the unconscious mind blocks ‘unacceptable’ thoughts and impulses, which means that the individual’s behaviour is influenced by these repressed thoughts, without them being aware of this

Question 15

give an example of repression

Answer 15

an abused child may have no recollection of their childhood memories, but struggle to form and maintain relationships because of their past

Question 16

what is denial as a defence mechanism

Answer 16

the refusal to accept reality as a way to avoid feeling any painful feelings that may be associated with a traumatic event (the person will act as if the event has not happened)

Question 17

give an example of denial as a defence mechanism

Answer 17

an alcoholic will deny they have a drinking problem even after multiple arrests

Question 18

what is displacement as a defence mechanism

Answer 18

when a person directs their emotions, thoughts, and feelings towards am often innocent third party instead of at the person who caused them

Question 19

give an example of displacement as a defence mechanism

Answer 19

shouting at a younger sibling after having a bad day at school

Question 20

what is projection as a defence mechanism

Answer 20

when an individual allocates their own undesirable feelings to others which alleviates blame

Question 21

give an example of projection as a defence mechanism

Answer 21

someone with built-up rage shouting ‘what’s your problem pal, looking for a fight?’ to an innocent stranger

Question 22

what model of the mind did freud develop

Answer 22

a topographical model

Question 23

what analogy did freud use to describe the unconscious mind

Answer 23

an iceberg

Question 24

what were the 3 levels of the mind in freuds diagram

Answer 24

1. conscious
2. preconscious
3. unconscious

Question 25

describe the conscious level of the mind

Answer 25

the 'tip' of the iceberg which holds mental processes that we are fully aware of (easily recalled memories etc.)

Question 26

describe the preconscious level of the mind

Answer 26

holds memories that can become conscious if we want to or if we are under particular circumstances (memories etc.)

Question 27

describe the unconscious level of the mind

Answer 27

stores inner drives, unconscious struggles, repressed experiences and anxieties. these mental processes are difficult to recall, but shape the largest part of our personality

Question 28

what were freuds 2 key assumptions regarding the stages of psychosexual development

Answer 28

1. there are 5 stages and at each stage a person needs to resolve/satisfy a specific conflict before progressing to the next stage 2. if a person does not satisfy this demand and therefore progress, a fixation may occur which will affect their behaviour later in their life

Question 29

give an example of what would happen to someone who is fixated in the oral stage

Answer 29

they may become overdependent on others and seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating

Question 30

what are the 5 psychosexual stages

Answer 30

1. oral stage 2. anal stage 3. phallic stage 4. latency stage 5. genital stage

Question 31

describe the oral stage

Answer 31

the libido is focused on the mouth so children feel satisfaction from dummies and bottles

Question 32

what could a fixation in the oral stage lead to

Answer 32

nail-biting, smoking, gum-chewing, excessive drinking

Question 33

describe the anal stage

Answer 33

libido is centered on the anus and the child feels satisfaction from defecating

Question 34

what could a fixation in the anal stage lead to

Answer 34

obsession with tidiness or very messy and disorganised

Question 35

describe the phallic stage

Answer 35

libido is focused on genitalia and the child becomes aware of sexual anatomy

Question 36

what could a fixation in the phallic stage lead to

Answer 36

somebody being overly vain and sexually aggressive

Question 37

describe the latency stage

Answer 37

the libido is dormant so the child takes a break from seeking sexual pleasure and instead gains pleasure from spending time with friends, for example

Question 38

what could a fixation in the latency stage lead to

Answer 38

lifelong immaturity or the inability to maintain happy, healthy relationships

Question 39

describe the genital stage

Answer 39

the libido resurfaces and the child goes through a time of adolescent sexual experimentation

Question 40

what could a fixation in the genital stage lead to

Answer 40

an inability to progress to romantic love

Question 41

what age does each psychosexual stage link to

Answer 41

oral - birth to 1.5 years anal - 1.5 to 3 years phallic - 3 to 6 years latency - 6 - puberty genital - puberty onwards

Question 42

give 2 strengths of the PA

Answer 42

helps to normalise irrational behaviour (e.g. Little Hans) which helps to ease parental worries, and gives credibility to approach (supporting evidence) takes both nature and nurture into account to give a more detailed understanding of human development to match the complexity of human behaviour

Question 43

give 2 weaknesses of the PA

Answer 43

not generalisable because it does not explain personality development for children growing up in non-traditional families (Green found evidence to oppose the approach) meaning that the approach has limited applicability due to its lack of population and temporal validity the assumptions cannot be scientifically measured which makes the theory incredibly difficult to be seen as valid, reducing the theory's credibility