The psychodynamic approach

Question 1

The psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

describe the diff forces(dynamics) most of which are unconsious that operate on mind & direct human behaviour & experiences
freud-most of our mind is made up of the unconcious-storehouse of biological drives & instincts that influence our behaviour & personality
the unconscious contains threatening & disturbing memories that have been repressed or forgotten

Question 2

The structure of personality

Answer 2

Freud described personality as (composed of 3 parts)
* The ID
* The EGO
* THE SUPEREGO

Question 3

What is the role of the ID

The structure of personality

Answer 3

The ID operates on pleasure principle -the id gets what it wants
Its a mass of unconscious drives & instincts
The ID is present at birth, is selfish and demands instant gratification

Question 4

What is role of the EGO

The structure of personality

Answer 4

Works on the reality principle
The ego develops around the age of 2
its role is to reduce the conflict between the demands of ID & superego
it manages this by employing range of defence mechanisms

Question 5

What is the role of superego

The structure of personality

Answer 5

Is formed at the end of the phalilic stage around 5
its our internalised sense of right & wrong
based on the morality principle it represents the moral standards of childs same sex parents & punishes ego for wrong doing

Question 6

outline the defense mechanisms

Answer 6

Defence mechanisms are used by ego to help it balance conflicting demands of the Id & Superego
These mechanisms are unconscious & ensure ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary traumas and/or threats
defence mechanisms:
Displacement
The focus of a strong emotion is expressed onto a neutral person or object, which reduces anxiety as it allows the expression of that strong emotion e.g. I shout at my husband because I cannot shout at my boss
Repression
Unpleasant memories are pushed down into the unconscious mind and so are unable to cause anxiety e.g. I have ‘locked down’ my memories of being bullied so that they do not have the power to harm me
Denial
Refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation, which stops the situation from causing anxiety e.g. I am sure that my partner loves me even though she frequently stays out all night

Question 7

Describe psychosexual stages as outlined in the psychodynamic approach

Answer 7

there are five developmental stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital)
* oral (0–1yr) – focus of pleasure is the mouth and the mother’s breast is the focus of desire
* anal (1–3yrs) – focus of pleasure is the anus and child focuses on withholding and expelling faeces
* phallic (3–5yrs) – focus of pleasure is genitals and children experience the Oedipus/Electra complex
* latency (6–12yrs) – previous conflicts are resolved/repressed and early years are largely forgotten
* genital (12yrs/puberty-adulthood) – sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty
* there is an unconscious conflict at each stage which must be resolved before the next stage is
reached.

Question 8

A03

Real world application-psychodynamic approach introduced idea of psychotherapy

strength

Answer 8

Freud brought world new form of therapy -psychoanalysis
this was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather then physically
Psychoanalysis employed techniques to access the unconscious such as dream analysis
psychoanalysis claims to help clients by bringing their repressed emotions into conscious mind so they can deal with it
shows value of psychodynamic approach in creating new treatment

Question 9

A03

Psychodynamic approach has untestable concepts-Popper

Answer 9

Popper-psychodynamic approach does not meet criteria for falsification, its not open to empirical testing ( & possibility of being disproved)
Freuds concepts like ( ID & oedipus complex) said to occur at an unconscious level making them impossible to test thus making psych approach a pseudoscience.

Question 10

Psychic Determinism

Answer 10

Freud suggested all behaviour is the product of unconscious, internal conflicts (between the Id & superego, whilst being mediated by the ego) over which we have no control.
* means that every action, even ‘accidental’ slips of the tongue, has some meaning & can give us insight into our unconscious.
* However, these views are subjective & not in line with scientific methods of investigating behaviour.
This contrast to hard determinism approach used by behaviourism, reciprocal determinism used by SLT , soft determinism used by cognitive approach &
biological determinism used by the biological approach