The Psychodynamic approach

Question 1

Overview of the Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 1

• Psychodynamic Approach: Originated by Sigmund Freud, this approach focuses on how unconscious processes, childhood experiences, and innate drives influence behavior.
• Key Idea: Behavior is determined by unconscious forces, such as repressed memories, desires, and unresolved conflicts, often stemming from early childhood.

Question 2

The Role of the Unconscious

Answer 2

• Unconscious Mind: The largest part of the mind, containing thoughts, memories, and desires that are hidden from conscious awareness but still influence behavior.
• Conscious: The small part of the mind we are aware of, involving thoughts and perceptions.
• Preconscious: Information that is not currently conscious but can be brought to awareness, like memories.

Question 3

The Structure of Personality

Answer 3

1. Id: The primitive, instinctive part of personality operating on the pleasure principle. It seeks immediate gratification of needs and desires (e.g., hunger, sexual urges).
2. Ego: Operates on the reality principle and mediates between the id and the superego. It balances demands in a socially acceptable way.
3. Superego: Represents the moral standards of society and parental values, acting as a conscience. It strives for perfection and judges the ego’s actions.

Question 4

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Answer 4

• Freud proposed five stages, with conflicts arising at each stage that must be resolved to avoid fixation, which can affect adult personality.
  1. Oral Stage (0-1 year): Focus on mouth (e.g., sucking). Fixation can lead to smoking or dependency in adulthood.
  2. Anal Stage (1-3 years): Focus on control of bowel movements. Fixation can lead to being either overly tidy (anal-retentive) or disorganized (anal-expulsive).
  3. Phallic Stage (3-6 years): Focus on genitals. This stage involves the Oedipus complex in boys and the Electra complex in girls. Fixation can lead to sexual dysfunction.
  4. Latency Stage (6-puberty): Sexual feelings are dormant, focusing on social interactions.
  5. Genital Stage (puberty onward): Maturation of sexual interests.

Question 5

Defense Mechanisms

Answer 5

• Defense Mechanisms are unconscious strategies the ego uses to protect itself from anxiety caused by conflicts between the id and the superego.
  1. Repression: Forcing distressing memories into the unconscious.
  2. Denial: Refusing to accept reality.
  3. Displacement: Transferring feelings from the true source of distress onto a substitute target.
  4. Projection: Attributing your own unacceptable feelings to someone else.

Question 6

Freud’s Case Study of Little Hans

Answer 6

• Little Hans: A 5-year-old boy with a phobia of horses. Freud interpreted this phobia as a displaced fear of his father (part of the Oedipus complex). Freud suggested Hans was afraid of horses because they symbolized his father, with whom he was in conflict during the phallic stage.

Question 7

Strengths of the Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 7

1. Influential: Freud’s ideas had a profound influence on psychology, particularly in understanding abnormal behavior and developing therapy.
2. Real-World Applications: Led to the development of psychoanalysis, a therapeutic approach focusing on uncovering repressed memories and unconscious conflicts.
3. Holistic Approach: Acknowledges the role of both nature and nurture, combining innate biological drives (e.g., the id) with childhood experiences.

Question 8

Limitations of the Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 8

1. Unscientific: Many of Freud’s concepts (e.g., the unconscious, Oedipus complex) cannot be tested scientifically or empirically, making the theory unfalsifiable.
2. Deterministic: Freud’s view that behavior is determined by unconscious forces limits the idea of free will.
3. Overemphasis on Childhood: While early experiences are important, the psychodynamic approach underplays the impact of adult life events and current situations on behavior.

Question 9

Neo-Freudians

Answer 9

• Neo-Freudians: Psychologists who followed Freud but modified some of his ideas.
  o Carl Jung: Focused on the collective unconscious, a shared reservoir of memories from human history.
  o Alfred Adler: Emphasized the importance of social forces and the striving for superiority.
  o Karen Horney: Argued that Freud’s theory was overly focused on male development and proposed basic anxiety as a key motivator.

Question 10

Applications to Psychopathology

Answer 10

• Psychoanalysis: A therapeutic method designed to make the unconscious conscious, often through techniques like free association, dream analysis, and transference.
• Psychodynamic Explanations of Mental Disorders: Suggest that unresolved unconscious conflicts (often stemming from childhood) can manifest as anxiety, depression, or phobias.

Question 11

Key Exam Points

Answer 11

• Define: The unconscious, psychosexual stages, id, ego, and superego.
• Application: Use Freud’s case studies like Little Hans to explain psychodynamic concepts.
• Evaluation: Balance the real-world applications of psychoanalysis with the criticisms of its unscientific and deterministic nature.