Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Define Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 1

Theory that emphasises change and development in the individual.

Question 2

What are the Basic Assumptions?

Answer 2

• human behaviour has unconscious causes that we are unaware of
• humans have needs to fulfil biological motives (e.g. sleep and hunger)
• childhood experiences are extremely influential on human behaviour

Question 3

Define Conscious Mind

Answer 3

This is what we are aware of at any given time e.g what we can hear and see.

Question 4

Define Preconscious Mind

Answer 4

Made up of memories we can recall when we want to e.g. phone numbers, what we did at the weekend.

Question 5

Define Unconscious Mind

Answer 5

Made up of memories, desires and fears that cause us extreme anxiety and have therefore been repressed.
We cannot directly access this part of our mind but it influences our behaviours.

Question 6

Define the ID

Answer 6

The basic animal-like part of our personality that contains our innate, aggressive and sexual instincts; it wants to be satisfied by whatever means possible. (Appears at birth)

Question 7

Define Superego

Answer 7

Takes our morals into consideration and is involved in making us feel guilty; present in both conscious and preconscious mind and develops 4-5 years after birth.

Question 8

Define Ego

Answer 8

.Acts as a rational part of the mind and balances the other parts of the personality; develops within the first 3 years.

Question 9

Why can the parts of the personality cause anxiety?

Answer 9

The ID demands satisfaction but the Superego tries to impose morals so individuals can feel anxious if the Ego doesn’t help to mediate them.

Question 10

Define Defence Mechanisms

Answer 10

Unconscious coping mechanisms that reduce anxiety generated by threats (sometimes from unacceptable impulses).

Question 11

Define Repression

Answer 11

Involves the ego stopping unwanted and possibly inappropriate thoughts from becoming conscious.

Question 12

Define Denial

Answer 12

Where a threatening event or unwanted reality is simply ignored and blocked from our conscious awareness.

Question 13

Define Displacement

Answer 13

When a negative impulse is redirected onto something or someone else.

Question 14

Define Psychosexual Stages Of Development

Answer 14

Stages of development that focus on gaining lelasure through different parts of the body.

Question 15

What is the Oral Stage?

Answer 15

• point of pleasure is cantered around the mouth

- e.g. sucking dummy

Question 16

What is the Anal Stage?

Answer 16

• focuses on the explosion or retention of faeces

Question 17

What is the Phallic Stage?

Answer 17

• point of pleasure focuses on genital fixation

- begin to identify with same sex parent

Question 18

What is the Latent Stage?

Answer 18

• repression of sexual urges

- fixation of making same sex friendships

Question 19

What is the Genital Stage?

Answer 19

• sexual urges are awakened and becomes the fixation

Question 20

Define Fixation

Answer 20

If a child doesn’t receive enough or too much pleasure, they become fixated on that stage of development e.g. not enough pleasure in oral stage leads to chewing pens.

Question 21

General Strengths of Approach

Answer 21

• first theory to focus on psychological causes of disorders
• offers methods of therapy to solve psychological issues
• emphasis on childhood experience affecting later behaviours became basis for other theories

Question 22

General Weaknesses of Approach

Answer 22

• claims are based on subjective interpretations
• focuses on patients past rather than what they are currently suffering
• case studies on people in distress so cannot be generalised to wider population