Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What are the three assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

The importance of the unconscious mind, instincts and drives motivate our behaviour and early childhood experiences are pivotal in making us who we are

Question 2

What is most of our mind made up of?

Answer 2

The unconscious mind

Question 3

What is the role of the unconscious mind?

Answer 3

To contain threatening and disturbing memories that have been locked away. We do this to protect ourselves

Question 4

What are the three parts of our personality?

Answer 4

ID, ego and superego

Question 5

What is the ID?

Answer 5

This forms from birth to 18 months and it is referred to as the pleasure principal. It is the selfish and self indulgent part of your personality

Question 6

What is the ego?

Answer 6

This forms from the age of 18 months to 3 years and is referred to as the reality principal. It acts as the mediator and reduces the conflict between the id and superego

Question 7

What is the superego?

Answer 7

This forms between the ages of 3 and 6 years. This is the morality principal and it feels guilt. It is the internalised sense of right and wrong

Question 8

What are defence mechanisms?

Answer 8

Methods we use unconsciously to reduce anxiety

Question 9

What is a problem with defence mechanism?

Answer 9

They form a distortion of reality and as a long term solution they are psychologically unhealthy and undesirable

Question 10

What are the three defence mechanisms?

Answer 10

Repression, denial and displacement

Question 11

What is repression and how does it effect behaviour?

Answer 11

An unpleasant memory is pushed into the unconscious mind where it is not accessible to the conscious mind. Therefore there is no recall of the situation

Question 12

What is denial and how does it effect behaviour?

Answer 12

The refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation. Therefore they believe the situation was not negative

Question 13

What is displacement and how does it effect behaviour?

Answer 13

The focus of a strong emotion is expressed onto a neutral person or object. Therefore someone may exhibit very strong emotion onto an uninvolved person or object

Question 14

What are the psychosexual stages of development?

Answer 14

A series of stages every individual goes through from birth to an adult. In each stage the child must resolve a conflict in order to progress to the next stage

Question 15

What does any unresolved psychosexual conflict lead to?

Answer 15

Fixation

Question 16

What is the first stage and what age does it occur?

Answer 16

Oral and between the age of 0-1 years

Question 17

What happens at the oral stage?

Answer 17

The focus of pleasure is in the mouth. The child gets pleasure from breastfeeding

Question 18

How can a child become fixated at the oral stage?

Answer 18

If a child is weaned off its mothers milk too late or too early

Question 19

What are the consequences of becoming fixated at the oral stage?

Answer 19

Smoking, biting nails and being sarcastic

Question 20

What is the second stage and what age does it occur?

Answer 20

Anal and between the ages of 1-3 years

Question 21

What happens at the anal stage?

Answer 21

Pleasure is gained from defecating. This is when the child is potty training

Question 22

How can a child become fixated at the anal stage?

Answer 22

If a child loves using the potty they can become anally expulsive. If they are anxious of using the potty they can become anally retentive

Question 23

What is the consequence of anal expulsive?

Answer 23

Messy and have a temper

Question 24

What are the consequences of anal retentive?

Answer 24

Perfectionist, obsessive and organised

Question 25

What is the third stage and what age does it occur?

Answer 25

Phallic and between the ages of 3-5 years

Question 26

What happens at the phallic stage?

Answer 26

The pleasure moves to the genitals. Boys experience the Oedipus complex when they have intense sexual feelings to their mum. Girls experience the Electra complex when they realise they don’t have a penis and they desire their father

Question 27

How can boys become fixated at the phallic stage?

Answer 27

If there is no father figure to identify with

Question 28

How can girls become fixated at the phallic stage?

Answer 28

If there is no mother figure to identify with

Question 29

What happens if they become fixated at the phallic stage?

Answer 29

Homosexuality, reckless and jealously

Question 30

What is the fourth stage and what age does it occur?

Answer 30

Latency and between the ages of 6-11 years

Question 31

What happens at the latency stage?

Answer 31

Sexual energy is displaced throughout the body but the child concentrates on being a child

Question 32

What is the fifth stage and what age does it occur?

Answer 32

It focuses on the genitals and it is at this stage that the child becomes an adult

Question 33

What are two strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 33

It highlights how important childhood experience is to later development and Freuds ideas are used to treat mental health issues

Question 34

What are two limitations of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 34

Freuds ideas are difficult to test reliability and the case studies cannot be generalised to the general population