psychodynamic approach Flashcards
explain the role of the unconscious
- freud suggests the concious mind is only the beginning
- most of the mind is the unconscious mind
- also contains disturbing memories that have been repressed
what are the structures of personality ‘triparte’
- ID
- EGO
- SUPEREGO
explain the ID
-primative
-operates on pleasure principle=selfish
-present at birth
DEVIL
explain the EGO
-reality principle
develops 2+
-reduces conflict between iD+Superego w/ defence mechanisms
explain the SUPEREGO
-end of phallic stage
-develops 5+
-based on morality and sense of right and wrong
ANGEL
what are the psychosexual stages
- oral 0-1
- anal 1-3
- phallic 3-5
- latency
- genital
explain oral in psychosexual stages
- focus on pleasure in mouth
- mothers breasts
- smoking, nail biting
explain anal in psychosexual stages
- pleasure on anus
- pleasure from withholding poo
- perfectionist+obsessive
explain phallic in psychosexual stages
- pleasure in genitals
- possibly gay
explain latency in psychosexual stages
- earlier conflicts repressed
- no fixations
explain genital in psychosexual stages
- sexual desire becomes conscious with puberty
- difficulty forming relationships
evaluate explanatory power in this approach
STRENGTH
- feuds theory is controversial
- big influence in psychology
- used to explain personality disorder
- also explains childhood experience+later developments
evaluate case studies within this approach
WEAKNESS
- theory is based on a case study
- cannot be generalised due to the small number of individuals who are abnormal
- conclusions were subjective
- lacks external validity
evaluate the theory that this approach untestable
WEAKNESS
- approach doesn’t meet scientific criteria for falsification
- isn’t open to empirical testing and hard to test
- not real science
explain repression as a defence mechanism
-desires that are upsetting and locked away in unconscious mind
