Psychodynamic Assumptions

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

Freud suggested that personality develops due to an interaction between our innate drives and early experiences

Question 2

Name of Assumption 1

Answer 2

THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

Question 3

Assumption 1 - INFLUENCES OF CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

Answer 3

• the psychodynamic approcah assumes that early childhood experiences can have an effect on later development
• ## many aspects of our behaviour and emotions as adults can be linked to particular stages and events in childhood

Question 4

Frustrations// overindulgence?

Answer 4

• frustrations or overindulgence at particular stages can be reflected in adult personality characteristics

Question 5

What is a frustration?

Answer 5

Too little experince in that stage

Question 6

What is an overindulgence?

Answer 6

Too much of what we need/ want in that stage

Question 7

Psychosexual stages and the Libido?

Answer 7

• during each stage Libido (life force) is attached to a part of the body
• 5 stages - 1,2 and 3 are most important in determining personality
• experiences during each stage result in distinct adult personality types
• overindulge or frustration lead to fixation-> personality characteristics

Question 8

What is a libido??

Answer 8

Drive within you that wants you to be happy and healthy

SURVIVE AND DRIVE THRIVE

Question 9

ORAL STAGE

Answer 9

0-2 years + libido centred around mouth

Frustrations: nail biting, chew constantly, over eating, smoking, personality = sarcasm, cynical jealous

Oral overindulgence: guilible, naive, easily manipulated, happy, optimistic

Question 10

ANAL STAGE

Answer 10

2-3 years - potty training- libido centered around anus

Potty training too strict- anal retention= tidy, controlling, OCD, tight with money (miserly)

Potty training too easy going- ANAL EXPULSION = ‘let it all hang out’ = reckless, messy, slob

Question 11

PHALLIC STAGE

Answer 11

• 3- 6 years old
• libido centered around genitals

Oedipus complex
Electra complex

Question 12

What is the oedipus complex?

Answer 12

• Boys
• desire mother
• hatred/ jealousy towards dad
• castration anxiety- repress fear + transfer affections towards dad -> follow in father’s footsteps -> develop gender identity + superego

Question 13

What is the electra complex?

Answer 13

• girls
• idolises dad- PENIS ENVY - realises her and mum have a lack of this - repress this negative emotion
• transfer affections to mum
• follow in mum’s footsteps
• develop gender identity and superego

Question 14

LATENCY STAGE

dormant

Answer 14

• 6 - puberty
• develop same sex friends
• libido dormant/ inactive
• development of gender identity

Question 15

GENITAL STAGE

Answer 15

Puberty-> rest of life

- interest in heterosexual relationships

Question 16

What happens if each stage is not resolved correctly??

Answer 16

• a child becomes fixated at that stage = a bit of the libido remains STUCK in that stage -> adults behave to satisfy needs of libido

Question 17

A person who is fixated in the Phallic stage =

Answer 17

Narcissistic (self absorbed) and have difficult maintaining and building relationships with other people

Question 18

Genital stage - fixations?

Answer 18

If a child has passed through previous stages with no fixations then they will be able to build normal relationships with people of the opposite sex.

Question 19

Name of assumption 2?

Answer 19

The unconscious mind

Question 20

Assumption 2 info

Answer 20

• Freud believed that the unconscious mind determines much of our behaviour
• like an iceberg, what goes on ‘underneath the surface’ of the mind has the greatest influence

Question 21

Conscious mind definition

Answer 21

Conscious- who we think we are, memories we can easily access

Question 22

Preconcious mind definition?

Answer 22

Dreams/ memories which weren’t stored in the consious mind but can be accessed

Question 23

Unconscious mind definition?

Answer 23

Troubling thoughts, memories, past experiences, conflicts from psychosexual stages, passion, hatred

Question 24

Preconcious or …

Answer 24

Subconcious

Question 25

Unconscious drives, and unresolved conflicts from childhood

Answer 25

- stored in our unconscious - drive much of our behaviour in later life - provoke anxiety - the ego, the concious part of the mind, defends itself from anxiety with various ego defence mechanisms

Question 26

Why we do we use ego defense mechanisms?

Answer 26

To protect us from being consciously aware of the troubling content in our unconscious mind

Question 27

Examples of defence mechanisms: repression

Answer 27

Pushing painful memories deep down into our unconcious mind. A.k.a motivated forgetting E.G: during the oedipus complex agressive thoughts about the same sex parent are repressed

Question 28

Examples of ego defense mechanisms: Displacements

Answer 28

Satisfying an impulse (e.g. aggression) with a substitute objects E.g. someone who is frustrated by their boss at work may go home and kick the Dog Displacement Dog

Question 29

Examples of ego defense mechanisms: projection

Answer 29

Undesirable thoughts are attributed to someone else E.g.: you might hate someone but your superego belives this is unacceptable and so you turn it into 'they hate me' Projection = paranoia

Question 30

Assumption 3 name

Answer 30

Tripartite personality

Question 31

Assumption 3 information

Answer 31

- Freud believed that adult personality is structured into 3 parts that develop at different stages in life - id- from birth - ego - from around 2 - superego - from around 4

Question 32

The ID

Answer 32

- The id is the part of the personality structure that includes a human's basic needs, instinctual; drives such as sex, hunger, aggressiveness. based on pleasure principal to avoid pain or displeasure and to obtain pleasure. INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Question 33

hedonistic =

Answer 33

pleasure seeking

Question 34

the ego

Answer 34

- develops around age of 2 = ANAL stage -conscious rational part of the mind - function is to work out realistic ways balancing the demands of the id in a socially acceptable way REALITY PRINCIPAL

Question 35

The Superego

Answer 35

- last part of the personality to develop around the age of 4 - it is the sense of right and wrong and contains our ideal self - learned primarily through identification with parents - governed by the morality principle - conscious mind - phallic stage

Question 36

..... and ...... are often in conflict

Answer 36

the id and superego are often in conflict - the ego acts as a referee to try and resolve the conflict - depending on the DYNAMICS of these 3 parts of our personality, we may display certain behaviour/ traits - dominant id- impulsive, selfish dominant superego - excessive guilt