The Psychodynamic Approach (Paper 2) Flashcards
How does Freud’s Psychodynamics explain behaviour
Via the unconscious mind
What does Psycho mean
Mind
What does Dynamic mean
Change
What is psychodynamics
The study of the unconscious mind and the unconscious mental drives that develop in childhood, their intentions and how these forces influence behaviour, personality and mental states.
What are the 3 distinct parts of the psych
The conscious, the preconscious and the unconscious
What is the conscious mind
The thoughts we are aware of and can talk about, including ideas, decisions and emotions.
What is the preconscious mind
Thoughts that are not immediately accessible but can be brought into conscious awareness.
What is the unconscious mind
Largest part of the mind, holding thoughts and memories that are not accessible to awareness but influence our behaviours and feelings. Contains desires, impulses, and repressed memories.
What are behaviours shaped by according to psychic determinism
Unresolved unconscious conflicts among different parts of our personality, as well as by experiences in early developmental stages.
What can problems during psychosexual stages result in
Fixation, where an individual remains stuck in a particular stage, expressing certain negative personality traits.
What can the unconscious mind protect the conscious mind from
Potentially harmful thoughts, such as traumatic memories, fears and intense desires. By protecting the conscious mind this reduces anxiety.
What makes up Freud’s tripartite model of personality
The id, Ego and Superego
What part of the tripartite model does a newborn babies psych solely consist of
The id
What is the id
A selfish aspect of the mind focused only on satisfying personal needs and desires. It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification for what it wants, explaining why it’s linked with hedonism.
Where is the id located throughout life
The unconscious mind
When does the Ego begin to form
Around 18 months
Where is the ego primarily located throughout life
The conscious mind
What does the Ego do
Uses rational thinking to manage the id’s demands, acting as a mediator between the id and the emerging third part of the personality structure. Allows individual to interact with the world in a more balanced and realistic manner.
When does the superego begin to develop
By age 3
Where is the superego primarily located throughout life
The Unconscious mind
What is the superego
A ‘morality principle’ , causing the child to internalise the values and norms of their parents and society; it influences behaviour by inducing guilt when an individuals actions conflict with its strict standards, moderating behaviour according to moral and societal expectations.
What did Freud believe shaped the structure of personality
Early childhood experiences
What did Freud suggest criminal behaviour could be a result of
An imbalance in the superegos strength relative to the id: a superego that is too weak allows the id’s desires to dominate, or a deviant superego adopts the criminal values of parents.
What can fixation as a result of an unresolved conflict during a psychosexual stage cause
Mental disorders called neuroses