The psychodynamic approach

Question 1

Role of the unconscious

Answer 1

• unconscious mind is the primary source of behaviour.
• our feelings, motives and decisions are powerfully influenced by memories of our past experiences which are stored in the unconscious.
• The unconscious also contains repressed ideas and memories too disturbing to be in the conscious mind.

Question 2

Role of the preconscious

Answer 2

Contains thoughts and feelings a person is not currently aware of but can easity be bright to consciousness

• exists just below the level of consciousness
• mental waiting room in which thoughts remain until they ‘succeed in attracting the eye of the conscious.’

Question 3

What is the ID

Answer 3

Drives us to satisfy selfish urges. exists from birth

Question 4

What is the Ego

Answer 4

Acts rationally. Balances the ID and the superego. Develops 2-4.

Question 5

What is the superego

Answer 5

Keeps moral norms. Attempts to control a powerful ID with feelings of guilt. Develops 4-5.

Question 6

What are defence mechanisms

Answer 6

Used by the ego to help deal with conflicting, upsetting and disturbing thoughts from ID or superego. Often distorts reality.
Uses repression, denial and displacement.

Question 7

What is repression

Answer 7

Unconscious mechanism. The ego keeps disturbing thoughts from becoming conscious.

Question 8

What is denial

Answer 8

Blocking external events from awareness. If some situation is too much to handle, the person just refuses to experiment.

Question 9

What is displacement

Answer 9

Satisfying an impulse with a substitute object.

Question 10

What are the psychosexual stages by Freud

Answer 10

• child development occurs in 5 stages which are defined by a conflict that must be resolved to move on.
• If the conflict isn’t resolved they become fixated at this stage.
• This has a negative effect on the development of personality and mental wellbeing.

Question 11

Oedipus complex

Answer 11

• Freudian concept
• Child’s sexual desire for parent of opposite sex and rivalry for parent of same sex
• Boys attraction to mothers and rivalry with fathers
• Boy’s experience castration anxiety

Question 12

Electra complexes

Answer 12

• Non-freudian concept
• girls adoration for fathers and hatred for mothers
• girls experience penis envy

Question 13

Strengths of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 13

Emphasis on the role of childhood in adult mental health

Has practical applications- influence psychoanalysis which was the first talking treatment for mental illness

Question 14

Weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 14

Unscientific- not testable theories as we cannot observe the unconscious mind.
Overreliance on case studies- We cannot establish an obvious cause+ effect as there are lots of confounding variables.