the psychodynamic approach Flashcards
define the psychodynamic approach
a perspective that describes the different forces most of which are unconscious that operate on the mind and direct humane behaviour and experience.
what did freud suggest the MIND IS MADE UP OFF
1) The conscious mind – what we are aware of
2) The preconscious mind – thoughts we may become aware of through dreams and ‘slips of the tongue’.
3) The unconscious mind – a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that influence our behaviour and personality.
what did freud suggest for the role of the unconscious.
that most of our mind is made up of the unconscious and the unconscious mind has an important influence on behaviour.
what is the mind made up off - the structure of personality.
the ID, the EGO and the SUPEREGO.
define the ID
the primitive part of the personality that operates on the pleasure principle – the Id gets what is wants.
a mass of unconscious drives and instincts.
the Id is present at birth.
Id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs.
define the EGO
works on the reality principle
the mediator between the Id and the Superego.
develops around the age of two years and its role is to reduce conflict- does this by employing a number of defence mechanisms
define the SUPEREGO
is our internalised sense of right and wrong
the morality principle, it punishes the Ego for wrongdoing (through guilt). It appears around age 5.
what is each stage of the psychodynamic approach five sexual stages marked by.
a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress to the next stage.
what happened when something is unresolved.
leads to fixation where the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries behaviours associated with that stage through to adult life.
what are the 5 sexual stages.
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital
define the Oedipus complex
a psychosexual conflict at the phallic stage.
In the phallic stage, little boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and a murderous hatred for their father.
Later boys repress their feelings for their mother and identify with their father.
define defence mechanism
unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage conflict between the ID and superego.
they often involve some form of distortion of reality and as a long-term solution they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable.
what are the three defence mechanisms
Repression – forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind.
Denial – refusing to acknowledge reality.
Displacement – transferring feelings from their true source onto a substitute target.
One strength of the psychodynamic approach
introduced psychotherapy.
Freud’s psychoanalysis was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically.
One limitation
includes untestable concepts.
Karl Popper (philosopher of science) argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification, in the sense that it cannot be disproved.
