Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Freuds beliefs

Answer 1

Freud believed childhood was extremely important and that most behaviour is rooted from early experiences and that everyone is born with basic drives and instincts and that behaviour is controlled by the unconscious mind

Question 2

The psychosexual stages of development

Answer 2

Oral stage (0-1) explore using the mouth

Anal stage (1-3) control of impulses

Phallic stage (3-5) gender differences and the Oedipus complex

Latent stage (5-puberty) mastery of words

Genital stage (puberty- death) genitals

Question 3

The unconscious mind

Answer 3

The unconscious mind are memories we are unaware of

Shameful memories

Traumatic experience

Repressed memories

Question 4

The psyche

Answer 4

The Ego- the decision maker which is in charge - conscious

The superego- morality principle in the conscious mind which knows right from wrong

The Id- is our instincts and the deepest thoughts that are in the unconscious mind

Question 5

The Ego defends mechanisms

Answer 5

Tactics to reduce anxiety

Repression- following a traumatic event the memories are pushed into the unconscious mind

Denial- refusing to believe something

Displacement- unable to express yourself so you move it onto another object

Question 6

Evaluation of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 6

Positives- influence in psychology as he was the first psychologist to help treat patients

2500 studies by fisher found they support the existence of the unconscious mind and the defence mechanisms

Negatives:
Gender bias- freuds view on women is less developed reducing the overall validity

Culture bias- done in western countries so can’t be generalised to non western countries