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psychology - approaches > The Psychodynamic Approach > Flashcards

The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

Who created the psychodynamic approach?

A

Sigmund Freud

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2
Q

What aspect of the mind did Freud focus on?

A

The role of the unconscious mind in determining our behaviour.

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3
Q

List the 3 ways in which Freud explained the psychodynamic approach.

A
  1. Tripartite System
  2. Psychosexual Stages
  3. Defence Mechanisms
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4
Q

List the 3 levels that Freud divided the mind into.

A
  1. The Conscious Mind
  2. The Preconscious
  3. The Unconscious
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5
Q

Define our ‘conscious mind’.

A

Our waking thoughts, awareness an memories.

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6
Q

Define our ‘preconscious mind’.

A

We are not aware of this - but may recall some info with the right cue.

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7
Q

Define our ‘unconscious mind’.

A

The info can only be accessed through hypnosis/dreams - conflict from childhood/repressed memories are stored here + can cause problems if not retrieved.

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8
Q

Which mind does the tripartite system fall under?

A

Unconscious

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9
Q

List the 3 parts of the tripartite system.

A
  1. Id
  2. Ego
  3. Superego
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10
Q

Summarise the ‘id’.

A
  • Born with it.
  • ‘Pleasure Principle’.
  • Focus is to get what it wants.
  • In constant conflict with the superego.
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11
Q

Summarise the ‘ego’.

A
  • Developed at the age of 2.
  • ‘Reality Principle’.
  • Mediates between the id and superego.
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12
Q
  • Summarise the ‘superego’.
A
  • Develops at the age of 5.
  • ‘Morality Principle’.
  • Focus is to do the right thing.
  • In constant conflict with the id.
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13
Q

Outline the key points of a ‘dominant id’.

A
  • Impulsive behaviour.
  • Lack of regard for consequences.
  • High levels of aggression.
  • Cannot cope with stress, childishness + selfishness.
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14
Q

Outline the key points of a ‘dominant superego’.

A
  • Anxiety about not being good enough.
  • Obsessive attention to detail.
  • Extremely self judgemental.
  • Can lead to OCD + panic attacks.
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15
Q

When is conflict most likely to be the most damaging? Why?

A

During childhood - the ego is not yet developed enough to mediate successfully.

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16
Q

Where are traumatic/confusing events pushed to?

A

The unconscious.

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17
Q

What happens if the ego cannot cope with the conflict between the id and the sueprego?

A

It uses defence mechanisms to protect itself.

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18
Q

List the 3 types of defence mechanisms.

A
  1. Repression
  2. Displacement
  3. Denial
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19
Q

Define ‘repression’.

A

Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind.

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20
Q

Define ‘displacement’.

A

Transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotion to a substitute target.

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21
Q

Define ‘denial’.

A

Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality.

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22
Q

How many stages of ‘psychosexual development’ did Freud propose?

A

5

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23
Q

What does the term ‘libido’ mean?

A

Physical/sexual energy.

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24
Q

What happens at each stage of psychosexual development in regards to the libido?

A

The libido is located at a different part of the body - stimulating this results in physical pleasure/gratification.

25
Q

What happens if too much/too little libido gratification is recieved during a stage?

A

Fixation occurs - libidinal energy stays ‘stuck’ and the individual cannot develop in a normal, healthy way.

26
Q

List the 5 psychosexual stages.

A
  1. Oral
  2. Anal
  3. Phallic
  4. Latent
  5. Genital
27
Q

At what age does the ‘oral’ stage occur?

A

0 -2 years

28
Q

At what age does the ‘anal’ stage occur?

A

2- 3 years

29
Q

At what age does the ‘phallic’ stage occur?

A

3 -6 years

30
Q

At what age does the ‘latent’ stage occur?

A

6 - 12 years

31
Q

At what age does the ‘genital’ stage occur?

A

12 +

32
Q

What is the focus of pleasure at the ‘oral’ stage?

A

Mouth

33
Q

What is the object of desire at the ‘oral’ stage?

A

Mother’s breast

34
Q

Describe the consequence of unresolved conflict at the ‘oral stage’.

A

Oral fixation - smoking, nail biting, sarcastic, critical.

35
Q

What is the focus of pleasure at the ‘anal’ stage?

A

Anus

36
Q

How does the child gain pleasure at the ‘anal’ stage?

A

Withholding + expelling faeces.

37
Q

Name the two different types of consequences of unresolved conflict at the ‘anal’ stage.

A
  1. Anal retentive - perfectionist, obsessive.
  2. Anal expulsive - thoughtless, messy.
38
Q

What is the focus of pleasure at the ‘phallic’ stage?

A

Genital area

39
Q

What does a child experience at the ‘phallic stage’?

A

Oedipus or electra complex.

40
Q

Describe the consequence of unresolved conflict at the ‘phallic’ stage.

A

Phallic personality - narcisistic, reckless, possibly hetrosexual.

41
Q

‘Young boys are attracted to their mothers, they feel jealous of their father and want them dead so they can marry their mother - at the same time, boys fear their father will find out and will castrate them as a punishment.’

Which complex is this?

A

Oedipus

42
Q

How do boys resolve the conflict of the oedipus complex?

A

Identifying with their father.

43
Q

‘Young girls are attracted to their father and resent their mother, they experience penis envy and blame their mother for their lack of a penis.’

Wich complex is this?

A

Electra

44
Q

What are the 2 ways that girls resolve the conflict of the electra complex?

A
  1. Replacing their desire for a penis with a desire for a baby.
  2. Identify with their mother.
45
Q

Describe the ‘latent’ stage.

A

Earlier conflicts are repressed.

46
Q

What happens at the ‘genital’ stage?

A

Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty.

47
Q

Outline the consequence of unresolved conflict at the ‘genital’ stage.

A

Difficulty forming hetrosexual relationships.

48
Q

What is Freud’s most prominent method of investigation?

A

Case Studies

49
Q

What was the name of the case study that supported the ‘Oedipus Conflict Theory’?

A

Little Hans

50
Q

‘Aims to understand human behaviour through individual cases.’

Idiographic or nomothetic?

A

Idiographic approach

51
Q

‘Involves statistical analyses of large samples to produce general laws about behaviour.’

Idiographic or nomothetic?

A

Nomothetic approach.

52
Q

List the 3 strengths of Freud’s psychodynamic approach.

A
  1. Developments/advancements in psychological thinking.
  2. Scientific/empirical evidence.
  3. Comprehensive theory.
53
Q

Summarise the evaluation point ‘developments/advancements in psychological thinking’.

A
  • Psychoanalysis has suggested a new method of collecting data; case studies.
  • Led to the growth of psychological explanations of mental disorders/rise in talking therapies.
  • Psychoanalysis; shown to give long-term relief from symptoms.
  • Allowed expansion/developments in psychology + new methods of treatment (valuable).
54
Q

Summarise the evaluation point ‘comprehensive theory’.

A
  • Psychoanalysis has been used to understand aspects of human behaviour and a mode of cultural/literacy criticism.
  • Given critics a new way of gaining insight into a range of literary texts.
  • Allows for greater comprehension of human behaviour and in other disciplines e.g literature.
55
Q

List the 3 limitations of Freud’s psychodynamic approach.

A
  1. Use of Case Studies
  2. Gender Bias
  3. Cultural Bias
56
Q

Summarise the evaluation point ‘use of case studies’.

A
  • Uses idiographic methods of investigation but attempts to apply them nomothetically to large populations.
  • Little Hans; Freud assumes all children will go through this complex, despite having only studied one individual that cannot be generalised to the whole population.
  • Not possible to know whether the theory is accurate for all individuals or only applies to Little Hans.
57
Q

Summarise what is meant by the evaluation point ‘gender bia’.

A
  • Freud’s views were based on observations of men; views about women were less developed.
  • Ignores the extent to which female sexuality differed from males; ignorant about women/their sexual life.
  • Critics have found a feminist psychoanalysis which is beneficial to many psychoanalytical female patients.
  • Freud’s theory doesn’t generalise wel to women and can arguably only be applied to men.
58
Q

Summarise the evaluation point ‘cultural bias’.

A
  • Sue + Sue; psychoanalysis is not relevent to those in non-Western cultures.
  • Psychoanalysts believe that mental disorders are the result of repressed material being ‘locked’ in the unconscious and that freeing this material in a supportive environment is the key to understadning the material/recovering from the disorder.
  • However, non-Western cultures may not value insight. In China/Japan, it is thought to be more beneficial to avoid thoughts which bring distress/people are not willing to discuss them openly.
  • Theory cannot be applied to all cultures.

psychology - approaches (7 decks)

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