Psychodynamic Theory Flashcards
Slips of the tongue and accidents have an?
Unconscious explanation
Large parts of our mental life operates at?
Unconscious level
Thoughts are held in the unconscious mind by?
A defence mechanism called repression.
Behaviour is determined by?
Unconscious mental processes
Early childhood experiences are important in the development of?
Adult personality
Childhood development up to teenage years takes place through what?
Psychosexual stages
What are the names of the psychosexual stages?
Oral, anal, phallic, latency & genital
What age does the oral stage take place?
0-6 months
What age does the anal stage take place?
6months - 3years
What age does the phallic stage take place?
3-5years old
What age does the latency stage take place?
5years old+
What age does the genital stage take place?
12years
What is the oral psychosexual stage about?
Pleasure though the mouth. over indulgence or frustration.
- passive: sucking > smoker/gullible
- active: biting > nail biting, sarcasm.
What is the anal psychosexual stage about?
Pleasure through expelling or with plodding faeces.
retentive > clean,order,mean with money.
expulsive > free with money & messy.
What is the phallic psychosexual stage about?
Where Oedipus/Electra complex needs resolved > fixation lies behind most adult neuroses.
Gender role learned > homosexuality.
Superego developed > weak morals.
What’s is the latency psychosexual stage about?
Relatively calm.
Libido is diffused through the whole body > problems forming adult relationships.
What is the genital psychosexual stage about?
Hormones lead to reemergence of the libido. Adult sexual feelings and attitudes.
What are the 3 components of personality?
Id , ego & superego
What is id?
Pleasure principle.
True unconscious. Innate primate part of personality.
What is ego?
Reality principle.
Balances out Id and superego.
What is superego?
Morality principle.
Learned sense of right and wrong.
Why does ego use defence mechanisms?
To protects itself from harm and unpleasant unconscious thoughts.
Psychoanalysis as a therapy can uncover what?
Unconscious thoughts through analysis of dreams
Unconscious mental processes are mostly for understanding what?
How we think, feel and behave.
Very early childhood experiences are vital importance for what?
Mental functioning as an adult.
What happens in the Oedipus complex? (Male)
Child sees mum as first love, he becomes very passionate, jealous of dad, possesses his mum, wants dad dead but dad is bigger & starts to get scared of castration.
What is Oedipus complex’ resolution? (Male)
Child represses desire for mum, identification with dad occurs, gets to keep male organ, gets to have mum vicariously & learns what dad has meaning he learns sex behaviour.
What happens in the Electra complex? (Female)
Child sees mum as first love, child believes it’s been castrated, suffers penis envy, substitutes wish for a baby, turns to dad as love object.
What is the resolution for the Electra complex? (Female)
Fears loss of mum, internalises image of mum, leads to identification with mother, learns female sex role behaviour.
What are the 7 defence mechanisms? (D, R, R, R, P, D & RF)
Denial, repression, regression, rationalisation, projection, displacement & reaction formation
What is the denial defence mechanism?
Refusing to acknowledge that something is too painful, depressing or threatening so they refuse to accept you have a serious illness.
What is the repression defence mechanism?
Forcing something out of your conscious mind into unconscious because it is too dangerous or threatening because you have forgot getting hit as a child.
What is the regression defence mechanism?
Engaging in a behaviour characteristic by talking to your bed when upset.
What is the rationalisation defence mechanism?
Finding an acceptable excuse by being cruel to be kind.
What is the projection defence mechanism?
Displace your own unwanted feelings. Saying someone else is lazy when in fact it’s you who is.
What is the displacement defence mechanism?
Choosing a substitute object to express your feelings on - being annoyed with your boss and kicking the cat.
What is the reaction formation defence mechanism?
Thinking and feeling the opposite of what you feel. Being very polite to someone you dislike.
2 strengths?
- it identifies the importance of childhood psychological experience for adult personality and how adults function in life has stimulate a great deal of research.
- Freuds theory has made a monumental contribution to our understanding of the human personality.
2 limitations?
- it’s very male orientated and regards the female as inferior as she as a weak ego compared to male.
- Eysenck & Wilson says Freuds theory is vague and difficult to verify.
Freud did psychodynamic what is his theory?
- he developed psychoanalysis.
- about the different forces operated in the mind, and at times causes inner mental conflict and may be painful to the person.
What is little hans Oedipus complex demonstration?
Fear of being bitten by a horse = fear of castration of father.
Fear of large white horses = dad is white.
Fear of blinkers = dads glasses.
Scared of horse with muzzle = dads beard.
