psychodynamic, humanistic Flashcards
APPROACHES
what is the psychodynamic approach?
a perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behavior and experience
what is the unconscious part of the mind?
the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behavior
what is the id part of the mind?
entirely unconscious, the id is made up of entirely selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
what is the ego part of the mind?
the ‘reality check’ that balances the conflicting demands of the id and the superego
what is the superego part of the mind?
the moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self: how we ought to be
what are defense mechanisms?
unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and the superego
what are the psychosexual stages and who created them?
Freud
5 developmental stages that all children pass through. at most stages there is a specific conflict, the outcome of which determines future development
what are the 5 psychosexual stages and at what ages do they occur?
oral (0-1 years) anal (1-3 years) phallic (3-5 years) latency genital (around puberty)
what is a description of each of the 5 psychosexual stages?
oral- focus of pleasure is the mouth, mother’s breast is the object of desire
anal- focus of pleasure is the anus. child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces
phallic- focus of pleasure is the genital area. child experiences the Oedipus or Electra complex
latency- earlier conflicts are repressed
genital- sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty
what is the consequences of unresolved conflict in each of the 5 psychosexual stages?
- oral fixation- smoking, biting nails, sarcastic, critical
- anal retentive- perfectionist, obsessive
anal expulsive- thoughtless, messy - phallic personality- narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual
- genital- difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
what does Freud suggest the conscious mind is?
the ‘tip of the iceberg’
what are the 3 defense mechanisms and definitions?
repression- forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
denial- refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
displacement- transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotions onto a substitute target
how can threatening or disturbing memories be accessed from the unconscious mind?
during dreams
through slips of the tongue- ‘parapraxes’
what is an example of a parapraxe according to Freud?
calling a female teacher ‘mum’ instead of ‘miss’
where is the preconscious and what does it contain?
the preconscious is just under the surface of our conscious mind
contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious awareness but we can access if desired
what did Freud describe the personality as?
tripartite
what part of the personality is the only part present at birth?
the id
what principle are the id, ego, and superego based on?
id- pleasure principle
ego- reality principle
superego- morality principle
what age does the ego develop?
2 years
what does the ego use to manage the conflict between the id and the superego?
defense mechanism
at what age does the superego form?
around 5 years, at the end of the phallic stage
what parent does the superego represent the moral standards of?
the same-sex parent
how does the superego punish the ego for its wrongdoings?
through guilt
how is each stage of the psychosexual stages marked (apart from latency)?
a different conflict that must be resolved in order to progress successfully to the next stage
what happens if there is unresolved conflict at any one of the stages?
it leads to fixation where the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries certain behaviors and conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life
what is the Oedipus complex and when does it occur?
in the phallic stage, young boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mothers and a murderous hatred for their rival in love- their father. fearing that their father will castrate them, boys repress their feelings for their mother and identify with their father, taking on his gender role and moral values
what is the Electra complex and when does it occur?
in the phallic stage, girls experience penis envy- they desire their father- as the penis is the primary love object- and hate their mother. Freud believes that girls give up their desire for their father over time and replace it with a desire for a baby, identifying with their mother in the process
which process was Freud less clear on?
the Electra complex