The Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What is the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

Human behaviours, particularly abnormal behaviours could be explained by unresolved unconscious conflicts

Question 2

Who and when was the psychodynamic approach developed?

Answer 2

Developed by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s

Question 3

What did Freud believe about the structure of the human mind?
(Feature 1)

Answer 3

According to Freud the human mind can be divided into three sections. Freud used the iceberg analogy to describe the human mind as most of it is ‘buried’ under the surface and that we are only aware of a small section of it. the preconscious holds things we are not currently aware of but can access if we desire to.

Question 4

What are the three sections of the human mind?

Answer 4

The conscious level
The preconscious level
The unconscious level

Question 5

What’s the conscious level?

Answer 5

A small section of the human mind that we are aware of.

Question 6

What’s the preconscious level?

Answer 6

A section of the mind that holds things we are not currently aware of but can access if we desire to.

Question 7

What’s the unconscious level?

Answer 7

The largest part of the mind but the section we are completely unaware of. it includes things that we have ‘repressed’ or buried due to embarrassment but also biological drives and instincts that influence behaviours.

Question 8

What did Freud believe about the structure of the personality/Psyche? (Feature 2)

Answer 8

He believed that our personality is comprised of three sections (the tripartite personality). each section should be balanced in a mentally health adult. if one section becomes dominant, abnormal or undesirable behaviour can result.

Question 9

What are the three sections of the personality?

Answer 9

The id
The ego
The superego

Question 10

What’s the id?

Answer 10

The first part of our personality developed, meaning babies are purely id. It’s located in the unconscious and is inherited. The id is motivated by instincts and as such is the selfish part of our personality.

Question 11

What principle does the id operate?

Answer 11

the ‘pleasure principle’

Question 12

How do people with a dominant id act?

Answer 12

They tend to be very selfish and uncaring, often engaging in risky and potentially dangerous behaviours.

Question 13

What’s the ego?

Answer 13

Develops from about 2 years of age to try to satisfy the id but within the constraints of the external world

Question 14

What principle does the ego operate?

Answer 14

The ‘reality principle’

Question 15

How do people with a dominant ego act?

Answer 15

They reduce the conflict between the id and the superego through the use of defence mechanisms.

Question 16

What’s the superego?

Answer 16

The last part of the personality to develop around 5 years old as a child is in the phallic stage of development. It develops once the child has internalised their same sex parent’s sense of morality.

Question 17

What principle does the superego operate?

Answer 17

The ‘morality principle’

Question 18

How do people with a dominant superego act?

Answer 18

Causes feelings of guilt to punish the ego for any wrongdoings>

Question 19

What did Freud believe about the Psychosexual stages?

Answer 19

He believed that children pass through a number of stages as they develop. In each stage, they gain pleasure from different parts of the body as the child matures. Each stage is underpinned by a ‘conflict’ that the child must overcome in order to develop ‘successfully’. if the conflict is not resolved, fixation may occur where they are stuck in a particular stage and behaviour may reflect these unresolved conflicts in adult life.

Question 20

What and when is the first stage?

Answer 20

The Oral stage
0-1 years

Question 21

What are the features of the oral stage?

Answer 21

In this stage pleasure is gained from the mouth and Mum’s breast is what can satisfy this.

Question 22

What’s the impact of unresolved conflict in the oral stage?

Answer 22

Oral fixation can cause the child to become a smoker in later life, a nail biter, be sarcastic and very critical.

Question 23

What and when is the second stage?

Answer 23

The Anal stage
1-3 years

Question 24

What are the features of the anal stage?

Answer 24

In this stage pleasure is gained from the anus whilst learning that they are able to control their bowel movements.

Question 25

What’s the impact of unresolved conflict in the anal stage?

Answer 25

Anally retentive- perfectionist, obsessive due to strict potty training.
Anally expulsive- quite messy and disorganised due to potty training being too lenient.

Question 26

What and when is the third stage?

Answer 26

The Phallic stage
3-5 years

Question 27

What are the features of the phallic stage?

Answer 27

In this stage pleasure is obtained from the genitals. It is in this stage the child goes through the Oedipal complex or Electra complex.

Question 28

What’s the impact of unresolved conflict in the phallic stage?

Answer 28

Phallic personality- display narcissistic personality and may be homosexual in later life.

Question 29

What and when is the fourth stage?

Answer 29

The Latency stage
5-11 years

Question 30

What are the features of the latency stage?

Answer 30

The latency stage is seen as a stage off. At this point, earlier conflicts are repressed in the unconscious mind.

Question 31

What’s the impact of unresolved conflict in the latency stage?

Answer 31

Fixation cannot happen here.

Question 32

What and when is the fifth stage?

Answer 32

The Genital stage
From puberty onwards.

Question 33

What are the features of the genital stage?

Answer 33

In this stage interest is shown in the opposite sex and pleasure is obtained from heterosexual relationships.

Question 34

What’s the impact of unresolved conflict in the genital stage?

Answer 34

May have difficulty in entering heterosexual relationships.

Question 35

What are the three defence mechanisms?

Answer 35

Repression
Denial
Displacement

Question 36

What is repression?

Answer 36

This is the act of ‘burying’ information in the unconscious mind as it is too traumatic/embarrassing/anxiety provoking to deal with. This makes us feel better as we are then unable to think about the thing that caused us anxiety. Repression is not something we consciously choose to do, it is something the ego does to protect us and happens below our conscious awareness.

Question 37

What is denial?

Answer 37

Not facing up to their problems, pretending that the current situation is not happening. In doing so they are alleviating the anxiety that would come from dealing with the problem directly.

Question 38

What is displacement?

Answer 38

When we’re unable to express our feelings to the person causing us distress so take out our feelings on another (safer) person instead.

Question 39

What are two limitations of the Psychodynamic approach?

Answer 39

1. It’s low in temporal validity as it was developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s in a sexually repressed society. Theories may not explain behaviour in today’s society where these beliefs are no longer held.
2. Its unfalsifiable. Most of Freud’s concepts are of abstract meaning and aren’t physical so cannot be measured in an objective way. therefore they can never be rigorously be tested.

Question 40

What are two strengths of the Psychodynamic approach?

Answer 40

1.It was very influential, the first approach to recognise the role of the mind in causing mental illness. Freud developed ‘talking therapy’ bringing the contents of our unconscious to our conscious awareness to tackle. still used to treat mental illness therefore it has practical benefits.
2. There’s some research support for some of the concepts. Anderson et al (2004) used fMRI scans to uncover brain structures involved in the suppression of unwanted memories. Which supports the concept of repression and highlights biological factors that might be responsible for this.