The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
Key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach
1 Internal processes of which we are unaware determine behaviour
2 There are 3 parts of the personality - the id the ego and the superego
3 Our live experiences determine adult personality through the role of the unconscious mind
What are the three parts of the mind
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
Describe the conscious part of the mind
Consists of all of the mental processes we are aware of and this as seen as the tip of the iceberg
Describe the preconscious part of the mind
Contains thoughts and feelings a person may not currently be aware of but they can be easily accessed and brought to consciousness if needed.
Describe the unconscious part of the mind
Refers to the part of the psyche that contains repressed ideas and images as well as desires and impulses that have never been allowed to enter the conscious mind and are kept hidden from us.
What is the tripartite personality
ID
Ego
Superego
What is the ID
Develops birth - 18 months
Pleasure principle, irrational, impulsive, selfish part
What is the Ego
Develops 18 months to 3 years
Reality principle, decision maker, healthy psyche (in charge), conscious self, rational and mediator between the ID and the superego
What is the Superego
Develops 3 to 6 years
Moral principle, right and wrong, judgemental, punishes ego from wrong doing through guilt
What are ego defence mechanisms
Unconscious strategies to manage conflict between the ID and the Superego
What is repression
The ego forces unacceptable thoughts and feelings out of the consciousness and into the unconscious. The process is not voluntary and happens without our awareness
What is displacement
Diverting emotions onto someone or something else because the emotions cannot be expressed or because accepting our faults will cause anxiety
What is denial
Blocking external events from awareness consciously. If some situation is too much to handle the person voluntarily just chooses to refuse to experience it
What are the psychosexual stages and explain them
Oral ( 0-1) pleasure comes from sucking or biting as children explore the world with their mouth. Breastfeeding is an important influence.
Anal (2-3) pleasure comes from retaining or expulsion of faeces reinforced through potty training
Phallic (3-5) fixation on the phallus important influences are the Oedipus and Elektra complex
Latency (6-11) spending more time in the same sex interactions with the same sex peers sexual impulses are repressed
Genital (12+) fixation on the genitals post puberty, attraction to opposite sex, peers, such as being in sexual relationships
What is the Oedipus complex according to Freud
Boy starts to develop a sexual desire for his mother
The boy becomes jealous of his father. He fears castration if he finds out about his desires
The boy is in a state of conflict but deals with this by identifying with his father and internalising characteristics
The boy substitutes his desire for mother with a desire for other women and the Oedipus complex is resolved
What is the Elektra complex according to Freud
Girl starts to develop sexual desire for her father
The girl realises that she does not have a penis and develops penis envy, and she is also jealous of her mother
The girl is in a state of conflict, and she realises she can neither have her father or a penis and deals with this by identifying with her mother.
The girl substitutes her desire for penis with a desire for a baby, and her desire for her father, with a desire for other men
Case study - LITTLE HANS
At 3 years old Hans developed a fear of white bourse as he thought they would bite him, in particular he didn’t like horses with things over their eyes or around there mouths. The letters describe Hans playing a game where he married his mother and had children. He wanted to swap his penis for a bigger one to be more powerful ans keep his mother. He wants to kill his father and displaces this fear of the father onto the horse because of blinkers and whiskers ( dad has glasses and moustache) and fear of being bitten represents castration anxiety. Therefore proving the phalkic state and Oedipus complex
Evaluation of Little Hans case study
STRENGTHS
case study - in depth
proves Oedipus complex
secondary research is cost and time efficient
WEAKNESSES
caste study. - unique can’t generalise
researcher bias
what about Elektra complex
secondary research is less valid
Top 3 evaluative points for psychodynamic approach
1 - LIMITATION - unscientific and subjective - cannot see the mind etc
2 - STRENGTH - case study evidence - Little Hans
3 STRENGTH - given rise to psychoanalysis ans development of therapy, dream analysis
