psychodynamic theory (y13)

Question 1

Assumptions of psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

1. role of unconscious
2. structure of personality
3. defence mechanism
4. psychosexual stages

Question 2

role of unconscious

Answer 2

• driving force behind our behaviour

- vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts

Question 3

How much time is spent in the unconscious mind

Answer 3

80%, influences all behaviour and conscious mind

Question 4

Does the unconscious mind protect the conscious

Answer 4

Yes, protects conscious self from trauma, anxiety and if it didn’t protect the conscious mind, it could lead to depression or OCD

Question 5

What is the pre-conscious mind

Answer 5

things we could be aware of if we wanted to or tried for example, slips of the tongue

Question 6

Psychic determinism

Answer 6

The force of unconscious mind and determines all behaviour

Question 7

what is the tripartite made up of

Answer 7

ID, ego, superego

Question 8

what is the ID, superego and ego (our personality according to psychodynamic approach)

Answer 8

ID- Pleasure principle, primitive, selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs
Ego- Reality principle, balances between reality and superego
Superego- Morality principle, presents moral standards and this forms at 5 years old

Question 9

What happens if you are missing one of the tripartite or overindulge one

Answer 9

Personality is then impacted such as psychological disorders

Question 10

defender mechanisms and meaning

Answer 10

• denial- refusing to believe because it’s too painful to acknowledge reality
• repression- forcing a distressing memory from conscious to unconscious
• displacement- Transferring feelings from the source of distressing emotions onto a substitute target such as a person

Used by ego to protect itself from the unconscious mind

Question 11

psychosexual stages

Answer 11

1. oral (0-1), focus of pleasure is mouth, the consequence/fixation can lead to smoking, EDs, sarcastic remarks if not successful in this stage
2. anal (1-3), focus of pleasure on anus (holding in poo, expelling poo), consequence/fixation would be ANALLY RETENTIVE (OCD, obsessive) or ANALLY EXPULSIVE (hoarder/ careless)
3. phallic (3-5), genital pleasure, oedipus complex (boys) and electra complex (girls), consequence/ fixation is homosexual, reckless, narcissistic
4. latency (6-puberty), consequence would be struggle forming relationships
5. genital (puberty +), sexually becomes conscious, consequence would be difficulty forming hetero relationships

Question 12

a strength of psychodynamic approach

Answer 12

• explanatory power
• Has had a huge influence in psychology and modern day thinking, for example this approach has drawn connections between early child experiences and later adult personality which has been demonstrated by Bowlby

-practical applications,
we can access our unconscious mind through dream analysis so helps those suffering from minor mental illnesses HOWEVER, deemed as inappropriate as you must be in touch with reality so it is harmful for those suffering with serious mental disorders like schizophrenia so the practical use is very limited

Question 13

weakness of psychodynamic approach

Answer 13

Case study method, Freud used case studies are idiographic as they focus on subjective and unique experiences of the individual so you cannot generalise to everyone, so lacks external validity

-Because these theories are based on is subjective interpretation is it’s been criticised as it cannot be tested

Question 14

role of defence mechanism

Answer 14

• help the ego manage the conflict between superego and Id
• provide a strategy to reduce anxiety (which weakens the ego)
• through the use of displacement, denial, refusal