Psychodynamic explanation

Question 1

how many stages of psychosexual development are there?

Answer 1

5 stages

Question 2

at what stage does gender develop?

Answer 2

the phallic stage, before this children have no concept of gender identity

Question 3

what do boys experience?

Answer 3

the oedipus complex

Question 4

what do girls experience?

Answer 4

the electra complex

Question 5

what is the oediupus complex?

Answer 5

boys develop feelings for their mother and have a hatred for their father
the boy realises the father has more power so develops castration anxiety.
to resolve this the boy gives up his love for his mother and identifies with his father

Question 6

what is the electra complex?

Answer 6

girls experience penis envy seeing themselves and their mother competing for their fathers love
girls resent their mothers for being with their dad but also blame their mothers for not having a penis

Question 7

what is identification?

Answer 7

identification with a same sex parent is means of resolving their complexes.
boys adopt attitudes of their fathers and girls of mothers

Question 8

evidence of the oedipus complex (little hans)

Answer 8

freuds evidence of the oedipus complex comes from little hans who had a fear of horses and associated that feeling with castration anxiety
freud suggested he displaced his fear onto his father

Question 9

evaluation point (oedipus) `

Answer 9

many have criticized Oedipus and little hans.
freud suggested sons of harsh fathers should develop a more robust gender identity - in reality reverse is true and boys with more liberal fathers are more secure in gender identity

Question 10

evaluation point (female development)

Answer 10

inadequate account of female development

freud admitted females were a mystery to him

Question 11

evaluation point (non-nuclear families)

Answer 11

freuds ideas were based upon a nuclear family

Question 12

golombeck et al (non-nuclear)

Answer 12

demonstrated how children from single parent families went on to develop normal gender identity

Question 13

Green 1978 (non nuclear )

Answer 13

studied 37 children who were raised by gay or transgender parents. found only one went on to develop gender that was non-typical

Question 14

evaluation point (|acks scientific rigour)

Answer 14

the unconscious nature of the theory are untestable. this contrasts with other theories which derive from lab studies

Question 15

evaluation point (disagreement with gender identity)

Answer 15

freud suggested gender identity was formed at the end of the phallic stage
kholberg would suggest gender identity occurs gradually over a series of stages in line with their cognitive capacity