Psychodynamic approach

Question 1

What does the psychodynamic approach suggest about behaviour?

Answer 1

Most of our mind is unconscious that directs behaviour.

Question 2

What is the psychodynamics approach to the structure of personality?

Answer 2

The id
The ego
The superego

Question 3

What is the id?

Answer 3

The id:

• operates on the pleasure principle
• mass of unconscious drives and instincts
• throughout life the id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs.

Question 4

What is the ego?

Answer 4

• operates on the reality principle
• mediator between the 2 other types of personality
• role is to reduce conflict between the demands of the id and the superego
• manages this by employing defence mechanisms

Question 5

What is the superego?

Answer 5

• operates on the morality principle
• internalised sense of right and wrong
• punishes ego for wrongdoing (through guilt)

Question 6

What are the 3 defence mechanisms?

Answer 6

• Repression: forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
• Denial: refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
• Displacement: transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target

Question 7

What are the 5 psychosexual stages?

Answer 7

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

Question 8

Describe the oral stage.

Answer 8

• 0-1 years
• focus of pleasure is the mouth (mothers breast is the object of desire)
• oral fixation - smoking, biting nails.

Question 9

Describe the anal stage.

Answer 9

• 1-3 years
• focus of pleasure is anus (child gains pleasure from withholding or expelling faeces)
• anal fixation - anal retentive (perfectionist) anal expulsive (messy)

Question 10

Describe the phallic stage.

Answer 10

• 3-5 years
• focus of pleasure is genital area
• oedipus and electra complex

Question 11

Describe the latency stage.

Answer 11

Earlier conflicts are repressed.

Question 12

Describe the genital stage.

Answer 12

• Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty.

Question 13

States 3 negatives of the psychodynamic approach.

Answer 13

The case study method:
- Little Hans
- although details were careful recorded it is not possible to make such universal claims about human behaviour based on a small number of individuals
- highly subjective - Hans clearly had an alternative explanation
Untestable concepts:
- doesn’t meet scientific criteria of falsification
- id, oedipus complex all unconscious so can’t test
- pseudoscience
Psychic determinism:
- suggests free will is an illusion