The Psychodynamic Approach - Key Terms Flashcards
1
Q
Unconscious mind
A
- the part of the mind that cannot be accessed and is hidden away yet is the main cause of our behaviour
- contains repressed, traumatic memories and disturbing urges and desires
- contains our Eros (life instinct) and Thanatos (death and destruction instinct) drives and the id
2
Q
Conscious mind
A
- part of the mind we’re immediately aware of
- anything within the conscious mind is easily accessible
- this part of the mind has little influence on our behaviour
3
Q
Preconscious mind
A
- just below the surface (the conscious mind)
- not instantly accessible but can be accessed relatively easily
4
Q
Id
A
- part of the personality that demands instant gratification of its sexual and aggressive urges
- it is impulsive and is governed by the pleasure principle
- it is present from birth and is in the unconscious mind
5
Q
Superego
A
- the moral part of the personality
- it tells the id what it can and can’t do
- is acquired through identification with the same sex parents at about 4 years old
- it is governed by the mortality principle
- it is in constant conflict with the id
6
Q
Ego
A
- the conscious, rational part of the personality
- it acts as the mediator between the id and superego
- attempts to find compromises that will satisfy both in a socially acceptable way
- it is governed by the reality principle
7
Q
Repression
A
- an ego defence mechanism
- pushes traumatic memories out of the conscious mind into the unconscious
- can cause no further pain or trauma in the unconscious mind
8
Q
Displacement
A
- an ego defence mechanism
- transferring your feelings from their true target to a safer, less threatening target
9
Q
Denial
A
- an ego defence mechanism
- refusing to accept some aspect of reality
10
Q
Psychosexual stages of development
A
- 5 stages that all children go through (OAPLG)
- beginning at birth, ending at puberty
- the libido (sex instinct) is focused on different parts of the body at different ages
- the libido is satisfied through stimulation of the associated body part
- if libido experiences too much or too little pleasure, fixation can occur and will affect adult personality
11
Q
Fixation
A
- being attached to a particular stage of development
- due to too much or too little satisfaction
12
Q
Oedipus complex
A
- during the phallic stage
- boy has passionate feelings towards his mother
- sees his father as a rival
- fears his father
- experiences castration anxiety
13
Q
Electra complex
A
- during the phallic stage
- girl has passionate feelings towards her father
- sees her mother as a rival
- experiences penis envy
14
Q
Wish fulfilment
A
- one of the purposes of dreaming
- dreams are a way of satisfying the id’s demands while the conscious mind is out of action (ie sleeping)
15
Q
Manifest content
A
- what you dream about
16
Q
Latent content
A
- the deeper, hidden real meaning of the dream
17
Q
Dreamwork
A
- the process used by the mind
- to convert the latent content into the manifest content
18
Q
Condensation
A
- the combining of several unconscious thoughts into one image
19
Q
Displacement
A
- the emotion towards someone or something is transferred onto a safer, less threatening target
20
Q
Symbolism
A
- abstract concepts are represented in concrete forms
21
Q
Secondary revision
A
- the unconscious mind collects all the different images
- ties them together to form a logical storyline
22
Q
Subjective
A
- open to interpretation
23
Q
Psychic determinism
A
- all behaviour is caused by the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences
- our behaviour is therefore beyond our control
24
Q
Unscientific
A
- not objective
- untestable
- not open to interpretation
25
Q
Interactionist
A
- acknowledges that both nature and nurture work together to cause behaviour
26
Q
Maternal deprivation
A
- an extended period of time spent away from the mother
27
Q
Affectionless psychopathy
A
- a child characterised by a lack of normal affection, shame or sense of responsibility
28
Q
Case study
A
- an in depth, detailed analysis of one person over a long period of time
- uses a variety of data collection methods such as interviews, questionnaires, school records etc.