The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
What are the four basic assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?
Every individual is unique - idiographic
Free will
Holistic
Non-scientific
What is free will the opposite of?
Determinism
What does humanism acknowledge in terms of free will?
That we still have constraints on our behaviour e.g morals and social rules, however ultimately the decision is still our choice, there are just less options.
Why should people be viewed holistically?
Because viewing them as elements means that much of what is important is lost.
Why is science not an appropriate method to measure behaviour?
Because is is objective and human behaviour is subjective
What does free will mean in terms of the legal system?
That a crime is always a persons fault, they always take responsibility because it was their choice
What is self actualisation?
A peak state of existence that any individual can attain
What is the feeling of self-actualisation?
An intensely strong feeling of satisfaction and completeness
Do all people self actualise?
No
Do all people have the ability to self actualise?
Yes
Who carried out research into self actualisation?
Sheffield et al (1995)
What did Sheffield et all find?
They used 185 undergraduate college students and using the personal orientation inventory, they found a positive correlation between level of self actualisation and psychological health
What is flow theory?
Flow is a state when someone is completely caught up in a task so that they become totally focused on it
What does flow increase?
Personal growth, because a person is in a state where they are driven to improve their performance. They are more likely to reach self actualisation.
What do factors can increase self actualisation?
Flow and attitude
How can attitude affect self actualisation?
It can increase it if you have an outward positive attitude. However if you have a negative experience like a break up, then you will blame yourself and the negative experience will affect self confidence and potentially stop future relationships from forming
How did Maslow say we can reach self actualisation?
Though his hierarchy of needs
What are Maslow/s hierarchy of needs?
Physiological needs, safety, belonging (love), self esteem and self actualisation
Is self actualisation permanent?
No
What happens if you get stuck on one of the levels of the hierarchy?
You cannot reach the next level
How could self actualisation be ruined?
For example if you are hungry
In Western cultures, what stage of Maslow’s hierarchy do people get stuck on?
The self esteem stage
How did Carl Rogers believe we reach self actualisation?
Congruence
What is congruence?
When our self-concept, ideal-self and real-self are all the same as each other
What is self-concept
How we see ourselves
What is ideal-self?
How we wish to be
What is real-self
How we really are
What did Rogers believe is an important part of congruence?
Unconditional positive regard
What is unconditional positive regard?
At some point in our lives being loved for who we are, without proviso, e.g. by a family member, friend or partner
What has been a positive outcome of the humanistic approach?
Carl Rogers client centred therapy, where the therapist develops a strong relationship with the patient in order for them to feel unconditional positive regard
