psychodynamic perspective

Question 1

Defining principles

Answer 1

Unconscious processes- your behaviour is driven by your unconscious mind
Emotional drives- behaviour is motivated by sexual and aggressive drives
Psychodynamic conflict- your behaviour is often caused by different parts of the mind being in conflict
Development- behaviour is shaped by experiences such as relationships and conflicts

Question 2

Concept 1-levels of consciousness

Answer 2

Conscious- immediate awareness
Preconscious- accessible memories
Unconscious- no awareness

Question 3

How does the unconscious reveal itself?

Answer 3

Free association- laying in the couch and speaking whatever comes to mind until the unconscious starts to reach the surface
Projective Tests- you give people ink blot images and ask them to reveal what they immediately see
Slips of tongue- when you say something but meant to say something else

Question 4

Concept 2- Instinctual drives

Answer 4

Eros- the life instinct
Thanatos- the death instinct

Question 5

Concept 3- parts of the personality

Answer 5

Superego- your moral principle
Ego- your reality principle
ID- your impulsive principle

Question 6

Two strengths of the psychodynamic perspective

Answer 6

-Research is useful in explaining why people develop mental health disorders
-Research is useful in developing treatments for mental health disorders

Question 7

Two weaknesses of psychodynamic perspective

Answer 7

Research is often not very scientific as focusing on the unconscious mind. It his means research is often not falsifiable (able to be proven wrong)
-using small groups of people stops us from establishing a consistent effect