Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

the psychodynamic approach

3

Answer 1

emphasises change and development in the individual — people are dynamic and constantly changing as they develop

drive is a central concept in development

the best known psychodynamic theory is Freudian psychoanalysis, a personality theory and therapy associated with Sigmund Freud

Question 2

Freudian psychoanalysis

3

Answer 2

4 main features of Freud’s psychodynamic theory....
• the unconscious 
• structure of personality
• defence mechanisms
• psychosexual stages

Freud believed that behaviour is determined more by psychological factors than biological factors or environmental reinforcement

he claimed that people are born with basic instincts and needs, behaviour is largely controlled by the unconscious mind

Question 3

what is the unconscious?

1

Answer 3

unconscious = the part of the human mind that contains repressed ideas and memories as well as primitive desires and impulses that do not enter the conscious mind

Question 4

role of the unconscious

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Answer 4

Freud believed that this part of the mind was inaccessible to conscious thought

he used the metaphor of an iceberg to describe the mind — the tip of the iceberg (representing the conscious mind) is visible, but the much larger part (representing the unconscious) is hidden under water

most of our everyday actions and behaviours are not controlled consciously, they are actually the product of the unconscious mind, which reveals itself in slips of the tongue (Freudian slips), creativity and neurotic symptoms

the unconscious is believed to influence every part of our waking and sleeping lives

the mind actively prevents traumatic memories hidden in our unconscious reaching conscious awareness as these memories might cause anxiety — so the unconscious uses defence mechanisms to prevent a person becoming consciously aware of them

Question 5

structure of personality

2

Answer 5

Freud divided the mind into 3 structures….
• id
• ego
• superego

each of which demands gratification but is frequently in conflict with the others

Question 6

structure of personality: the id

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Answer 6

operates solely in the unconscious

contains the libido (the biological energy created by reproductive instincts)

operates according to the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification regardless of the circumstances

e.g. if a person is hungry, the id demands that they eat there and then

Question 7

structure of personality: the ego

3

Answer 7

mediates between the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the external world — this is known as the reality principle

for instance, it may delay gratifying the id until there is a more appropriate opportunity to satisfy its demands

must also compromise between the impulsive demands of the id and the moralistic demands of the superego

Question 8

structure of personality: the superego

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Answer 8

divided into the conscience and the ego-ideal

the conscience is the internalisation of societal rules and determines which behaviours are permissible, it causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken

the ego ideal is what a person strives towards and is usually determined by parental standards of good behaviour

Question 9

defence mechanisms

4

Answer 9

defence mechanisms = unconscious strategies that protect our conscious mind from anxiety, involves the distortion of reality in some way, enables us to better cope with a situation and reduces anxiety

usually triggered when an individual is faced with a situation that they are unable to deal with rationally

tend to operate unconsciously to stop ourselves from becoming aware of unpleasant thoughts and feelings associated with a traumatic event or situation

examples….
• repression
• denial
• displacement

Question 10

defence mechanisms: repression

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Answer 10

the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts and impulses

these repressed thoughts and impulses continue to influence behaviour without our awareness of the reasons behind our actions and behaviour

e.g. a child abused by a parent may have repressed those memories and possess no recollection of the events but has trouble forming relationships due to this repressed trauma

Question 11

defence mechanisms: denial

3

Answer 11

the refusal to accept reality in order to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings associated with that event

involves acting as if the traumatic event never happened, which seems quite strange to others

e.g. an alcoholic will often deny that they have a drinking problem, even after being arrested several times for being drunk and disorderly

Question 12

defence mechanisms: displacement

3

Answer 12

redirecting thoughts and feelings, which are usually hostile or negative, in situations where we feel unable to express them in the presence of the person they should be directed towards

a person may take out their anger and frustration on a helpless victim or object, thus giving hostile feelings a route for expression even though they are being misapplied

e.g. a person who is angry at their partner may punch a wall or kick a chair

Question 13

psychosexual stages

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Answer 13

the psychodynamic approach emphasises the idea that the most important driving force in development is the need to express sexual energy (libido)

Freud believed that personality develops through a sequence of 5 stages, known as psychosexual stages

we experience tension due to the build-up of sexual energy and pleasure comes from its discharge

too much or too little pleasure during any stage results in a fixation on that stage which causes a certain personality type to develop

at each stage, sexual energy is expressed in different ways and through different parts of the body

Question 14

psychosexual stages: what are the 5 stages?

5

Answer 14

oral

anal

phallic

latent

genital

Question 15

psychosexual stages: ORAL

3

Answer 15

0 - 2 years old

the mouth is the focal point of sensation and the way in which a child expresses sexual energy

e.g. sucking and biting

Question 16

psychosexual stages: ANAL

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Answer 16

2 - 3 years old

beginnings of ego development

the child becomes aware of the demands of reality and the need to conform to the demands of others

the major issue at this stage is toilet training as the child learns to control the expulsion of bodily waste

Question 17

psychosexual stages: PHALLIC

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Answer 17

3 - 6 years old

sexual energy is focused on the genitals

the major conflict of this stage is the Oedipus complex (a male child unconsciously wishes to possess their mother and get rid of their father)

as a result of this desire boys experience as well as castration anxiety (punishment from the father), in an attempt to resolve this problem they identify with their father and grow up to adopt his personality traits

Question 18

psychosexual stages: LATENT

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Answer 18

6 - 12 years old

the child develops mastery of the world around them

conflicts and issues of the previous stages are repressed and the child is, therefore, unable to remember much of their early years

Question 19

psychosexual stages: GENITAL

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Answer 19

12+ years old

a culmination of psychosexual development and the fixing of sexual energy on the genitals eventually directs an individual towards sexual intercourse and the beginnings of adult life

Question 20

x4 evaluation points

Answer 20

a pioneering approach

scientific support

gender biased

culturally biased

Question 21

evaluation
A PIONEERING APPROACH

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Answer 21

the development of psychoanalysis as an explanation of human behaviour represented a huge shift is psychological thinking

it suggested new methodological procedures for gaining empirical evidence in the form of case studies and was based on observations of behaviour rather than introspection

from such observations, Freud and his followers were the first to demonstrate the potential of psychological, rather than biological, treatments for mental disorders like depression

the approach consequently led to the development of successful psychotherapies and treatments

Maat et al’s large scale review of psychotherapy studies concluded that psychoanalysis produced significant improvements in symptoms and these improvements were maintained years after treatment

Question 22

evaluation
SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT

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Answer 22

critics of the psychodynamic approach often claim that there is no scientific evidence in support of psychoanalysis

however, many aspects of psychoanalysis have been tested and many of them have been confirmed using scientific methods

for example, Fisher and Greenberg (1996) summarised 2500 studies supporting the psychodynamic approach and concluded that these studies compare well with studies relevant to any other major area of psychology

in particular, they found support for the existence of unconscious motivation in human behaviour as well as for the defence mechanisms of repression, denial and displacement

Question 23

evaluation
GENDER BIASED

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Answer 23

Freud’s views of women and female sexuality were much less developed than his view on male sexuality

despite focusing on sexual development and seeking to apply this to all human behaviour, his theories remained ignorant of female sexuality and how it may differ to male sexuality

for example, the Oedipus complex describes male children only - the female equivalent, known as the Electra complex, was only considered later by Carl Jung

this led psychoanalysts such as Karen Horney to criticise the Freudian theory, particularly his views (or lack of views) on female development

dismissing women in such a way is problematic and means that the approach cannot be accurately applied to both genders as it is so male-dominated

this was a real issue as Freud treated many women and his theories are still influential today

Question 24

evaluation
CULTURALLY BIASED

5

Answer 24

Sue and Sue (2008) argue that psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic approach has very little relevance for people from non-Western cultures

psychoanalysts believe that mental disorders are the result of traumatic memories being repressed in the unconscious and that freeing them through therapy allows people to deal with them in a supportive environment

but many cultural groups do not value such insight in the same way that Western cultures do

for example, in China, a depressed or anxious person avoids thoughts that cause distress rather than discussing them openly

this contrasts to the Western value of open discussion and insight being vital in therapy