the psychodynamic approach Flashcards
key assumptions (5)
- unconscious forces in our mind determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviours
- our behaviour as adults is strongly influenced by our childhood experiences #
- abnormal behaviours is the result of mental conflict
- the mind can be divided into 3 levels of consciousness
- the unconscious mind, which is hidden below the surface, has the most influence on our personality
what is the structure of the psychodynamic personality ?
3 parts to our personality (tripartite model of mind )
- the way they develop affects the person we become
Id - age it forms ?
birth to 18 months
id- also known as ?
the pleasure principle
id - the role ?
to seek pleasure
id- brief description ?
it is the child like , selfish and hedonistic part of your personality, which focuses on the self
ego - age it forms ?
18 months - 3 years
ego - also known as ?
the reality principle
ego - role ?
delay the id’s drive for pleasure + keeps the balance of the influence between id and super ego
why should neither the id or super ego become dominant in a personality ?
because it can adversely affect behaviour and mental health of the individual so the role of the ego is to prevent this from happening
what is located in the ego ?
defence mechanisms
super ego - age it forms ?
3 years to 6 years old
super ego - also known as ?
morality principle
super ego - role ?
to act as an individuals conscience
super ego - brief description ?
- opposite of id
- feels guilt + holds someone back from behaving a certain way it is thought to be wrong
- helps personality form a moral code
what are defence mechanisms ?
defence mechanisms are methods we use unconsciously to reduce anxiety .
what are the 3 defence mechanisms ?
- repression
- denial
- displacement
description of repression ?
- an unpleasant memory is pushed into the unconscious mind where it is not accessible to the conscious mind so it cannot cause anxiety but still affects behaviour in the unconscious mind.
what is the repressions effect on behaviour ?
- there is no recall of the event or situation
description of denial ?
- refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation
- reduces anxiety caused by that situation
what is denials effect on behaviour ?
someone may believe that the situation is not negative and therefore it should not cause anxiety
- this is not positive thinking but merely a resistance to accept reality
displacements effect on behaviour ?
someone may exhibit very strong emotion but focus it into an uninvolved person or object
what kind of analogy is associated with the role of the unconscious ?
the ice berg analogy
what is the iceberg analogy ?
Freud said that the conscious mind is merely the tip of the ice berg
what is the role of the conscious ?
the part of our mind we can access
what is the role of the pre-conscious ?
just below the surface of our conscious
what is the role of the unconscious ?
it drives instincts that influence our behavior and personality
how many psychosexual stages are there ?
5
what happens in each stage
(apart from latency ) ?
each stage has a conflict that must be resolved to successfully progress to the next stage
what happens if any psychosexual stage is unresolved ?
it leads to fixation
what does fixation mean ?
fixation means that the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries certain behavior through to adult life
what did Freud believe ?
Freus also thought that humans progress through ‘psychosexual stages ‘, during the development of the psyche.
first psychosexual stage ?
oral
at what age does the oral stage occur ?
0-1 years
brief description of oral stage ?
- mouth is the main focus of pleasure during this stage
- child enjoys tasting and sucking
- mothers breast is the object of desire
successful completion of the oral stage is demonstrated by… ?
weaning
consequences of unresolved conflict in oral stage ?
oral fixation
- sarcastic, critical , sensitive to rejection , over eats , bites nails , smokes, drinks
what is the second psychosexual stage ?
anal
at what age does the anal stage occur ?
1-3 years
brief description of anal stage ?
- defecation is the main source of pleasure
successful completion of anal stage is marked by ?
potty training
consequences of unresolved conflict in the anal stage ?
- anally retentive
tidy , stubborn , perfectionist - anally expulsive
thoughtless messy
what is the third psychosexual stage ?
phallic stage
at what age does the phallic stage occur ?
3-5 years
brief description of phallic stage ?
- main pleasure is the genital area
what is meant as the oedipus complex in the phallic stage ?
- boys experience intense sexual feelings for their mother
the oedipus complex causes castration anxiety, what is meant by that ?
boys are worried that their father will castrate them as he may see them as a rival
how is the oedipus complex conflict resolved in the phallic stage ?
- boys identify with their father to reduce anxiety
- this is known as identification + resolves the conflict
what is meant by the electra complex in the phallic stage ?
girls experience intense feelings for their father so the mother is seen as a rival
what does it mean when girls develop penis envy due to the electra complex ?
girls believe their mother has removed their penis so they develop penis envy
how is the electra complex conflict resolved ?
girls identify with their mothers to reduce anxiety
- known as identification
what is the consequence of unresolved conflict in the phallic stage ?
a phallic personality
- narsacistic , reckless , possibly homosexual
what is the fourth psychosexual stage ?
latency
what is the latency stage also known as ?
the dormant stage
at what age does the latency stage occur ?
6 - puberty
brief description of the latency stage ?
- earlier conflicts are repressed to the unconscious
- sexual urges are sublimated into sports and other hobbies
- focus developing same sex friendships
- no particular requirement for successful completion
what is the 5th psychosexual stage ?
genital stage
at what age does the genital stage occur ?
puberty to adulthood
what is the main focus of the genital stage ?
focus on genitals but not to the extent as phallic stage does
what is the task in the genital stage that requires completion ? and when should this happen ?
task is to develop healthy adult relationships
- this should happen if earlier stages have been negotiated successfully
what is the consequence of unresolved conflict in the genital stage ?
difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
what case study did Freud believe supported his theory of psychosexual stages ?
Little Hans
especially which stage did little hans support ?
oedipus complex in the phallic stage
evaluation little Hans
- how many times did Freud met the boy ?
Freud only met the boy once in a therapeutic setting and the information was forwarded by his father , so the source may be potentially biased
Evaluation little Hans
- analysis
the analysis was seen as immoral and simply inaccurate
evaluation of little Hans
- Hans had seen a horse collapse in the street when he had been out walking one day when he was young
- this could have shocked him and thus classically conditioned him so this could have been the source of the phobia - disproving Freud’s analysis
Evaluation Little Hans
- his ideas about psychosexual stages were already published
- Little Hans’ father had previously read Freud’s theories prior to his analysis of little Hans and so possibly it could form a biased perspective
- he could have been looking for evidence to support his ideas rather than looking through unbiased eyes
