the psychodynamic approach

Question 1

what is the psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

a perspective that descries the different forces, most of which unconscious, that operate on the mind and influence human behaviour

Question 2

what is the conscious mind

Answer 2

what we are aware of

Question 3

what is the unconscious mind

Answer 3

thoughts and memories that we are not consciously aware of but can be accessed

Question 4

what is the psyche made up of

Answer 4

the id, the superego, the ego

Question 5

what is the id

Answer 5

the instinctive part of us, only part at birth, operates of the pleasure principle, the id says “i want it and i want it now”

Question 6

what is the superego

Answer 6

the conscience part of the psyche, operates on the moral principle

Question 7

what is the ego

Answer 7

id and superego are at constant conflict- the ego radiates between them, operates on the reality principle, sometimes known as our inner adult

Question 8

what are the three defence mechanisms

Answer 8

denial, repression, displacement

Question 9

what is denial

Answer 9

reality is too unpleasant so i choose not to acknowledge it

Question 10

what is repression

Answer 10

reality is too distressing so i push it out of my conscious mind

Question 11

what is displacement

Answer 11

im distressed but it is easier to take that distress out verbally or physically on someone or something else

Question 12

what are the other less common mechanisms

Answer 12

regression= behaving as you did at a younger/ less stressful time
projection= im not comfortable with this so im going to accuse you of it instead

Question 13

what is the oedipus complex

Answer 13

-boy wants his mother as his primary love object
-wants his father out of the way
-fears that his father knows and will castrate him as punishment
-resolution= boy represses feelings for mother and identifies with morals and values of father

Question 14

what is the electra complex

Answer 14

-a girl realises she doesnt have a penis like her father, develops penis envy
-becomes hostile towards her mother because she believes that her mother has castrated her
-resolution= desire for father is repressed with desire for a baby, identifying them with their mother

Question 15

strengths of psychodynamic approach

Answer 15

-had a huge influence on psychology and western contemporary thought
-a new form of therapy was created, psychoanalysis

Question 16

limitations of the psychodynamic approach

Answer 16

-it relies on case studies, freuds methods lack scientific rigour and were highly subjective
-does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification (cannot be proved wrong)

Question 17

fixation point, age, consequence of unresolved conflict in the oral stage

Answer 17

-mouth, mothers breast
-0 to 1 years
-oral fixation= smoking, biting nails, sarcastic

Question 18

fixation point, age, consequence of unresolved conflict in the anal stage

Answer 18

-anus= withholding or expelling faeces
-1 to 3 years
-anal retentive= perfectionist obsessive, anal expulsive= thoughtless messy

Question 19

fixation point, age, consequence of unresolved conflict in the phallic stage

Answer 19

-genitals= oedipus/ electra complex
-3 to 5 years
-phallic personality= narcissistic, reckless, potentially homosexual

Question 20

fixation point, age, consequence of unresolved conflict in the latent stage

Answer 20

-none
-5 to 11 years
-no fixation or effects on adult personality early traumas repressed

Question 21

fixation point, age, consequence of unresolved conflict in the genital stage

Answer 21

-conscious sexual desires
-12 years
-difficulty forming heterosexual relationships