The Psychodynamic Approach (Paper 2)

Question 1

How does Freud’s Psychodynamics explain behaviour

Answer 1

Via the unconscious mind

Question 2

What does Psycho mean

Answer 2

Mind

Question 3

What does Dynamic mean

Answer 3

Change

Question 4

What is psychodynamics

Answer 4

The study of the unconscious mind ands the unconscious mental drives that develop in childhood, their intentions and how these forces influence behaviour, personality and mental states.

Question 5

What are the 3 distinct parts of the psych

Answer 5

The conscious, the preconscious and the unconscious

Question 6

What is the conscious mind

Answer 6

The thoughts we are aware of and can talk about, including ideas, decisions and emotions.

Question 7

What is the preconscious mind

Answer 7

Thoughts that are not immediately accessible but can be Brough into conscious awareness.

Question 8

What is the unconscious mind

Answer 8

Longest 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.

Question 9

What are behaviours shaped by according to psychic determinism

Answer 9

Unresolved unconscious conflicts among different parts of our personality, as well as by experiences in early developmental stages.

Question 10

What can problems during psychosexual stages result in

Answer 10

Fixation, where an individual remains stuck in a particular stage, expressing certain negative personality traits.

Question 11

What can the unconscious mind protect the conscious mind from

Answer 11

Potentially harmful thoughts, such as traumatic memories, fears and intense desires. By protecting the conscious mind this reduces anxiety.

Question 12

What makes up Freud’s tripartite model of personality

Answer 12

The id, Ego and Superego

Question 13

What part of the tripartite model does a newborn babies psych solely consist of

Answer 13

The id

Question 14

What is the id

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Where is the id located throughout life

Answer 15

The unconscious mind

Question 16

When does the Ego begin to form

Answer 16

Around 18 months

Question 17

Where is the ego primarily located throughout life

Answer 17

The conscious mind

Question 18

What does the Ego do

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

When does the superego begin to develop

Answer 19

By age 3

Question 20

Where is the superego primarily located throughout life

Answer 20

The Unconscious mind

Question 21

What is the superego

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

What did Freud believe shaped the structure of personality

Answer 22

Early childhood experiences

Question 23

What did Freud suggest criminal behaviour could be a result of

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

What can fixation as a result of an unresolved conflict during a psychosexual stage cause

Answer 24

Mental disorders called neuroses

Question 25

What did freud suggest moves around the body during the 5 stages

Answer 25

A sexual drive called a libido moves around the body, and pleasure comes from that part of the body

Question 26

What is the first psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in

Answer 26

Oral Stage: 0-1y

Question 27

What is the second psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in

Answer 27

Anal Stage: 1-3y

Question 28

What is the third psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in

Answer 28

Phallic Stage: 3-5y

Question 29

What is the fourth psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in

Answer 29

Latency Stage: 6-12y

Question 30

What is the fifth psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in

Answer 30

Genital Stage: 12y+

Question 31

What occurs during the oral stage

Answer 31

The baby receives pleasure from their mouth during breastfeeding. During weaning (introduction to solid foods), the infant learns it does not control the environment and develops delayed gratification (ability to resist temptation of immediate reward). Fixation results in an immature personality.

Question 32

What occurs during the Anal stage

Answer 32

The child gets pleasure from holding onto and expelling faeces. If the parents are too strict when punishing potty training mistakes, this can result in fixation (anal retentive - excessively orderly and fussy) becoming an overly organised and fussy adult.

Question 33

What occurs during the phallic stage

Answer 33

The libido is now focused on the genitals.
Boys experience the oedipus complex: a sexual desire for their mother, castration anxiety is the fear that the father will find out and remove the boys genitals.
The boy eventually realises he cannot compete with his father and instead identifies with him, imitating his behaviour, and so develops a male gender identity.

Question 34

What occurs during the latency stage

Answer 34

The libido is dispersed across the body, and previous conflicts, desires and memories from early childhood are repressed into the unconscious.

Question 35

What occurs during the genital stage

Answer 35

This is the point of puberty, sexual desire is now conscious and in the adult form.

Question 36

How do you remember the 5 stages

Answer 36

Old, Age, Pensioners, Love, Guinness

Question 37

Explain the case study of little Hans

Answer 37

Hans was a five year old boy who developed a phobia of horses after seeing one collapse in the street. Freud suggested that Hans phobia was a form of displacement in which his repressed fear of his father was displaced onto horses. Thus horses were merely an symbolic representation of Hans’ real unconscious fear, the fear of castration.

Question 38

What are ego defence mechanisms

Answer 38

Strategies involving the unconscious mind that the ego can use to manage unresolvable conflicts. These mechanisms reduce the anxiety felt by the conflict between the id and superego.

Question 39

What is denial

Answer 39

A refusal to accept the reality of a situation

Question 40

What is displacement

Answer 40

When a strong emotion is moved from the source of that emotion and placed onto a suitable target, generally, this is a weaker target.

Question 41

What is repression

Answer 41

An unpleasant memory or painful emotion is placed onto the unconscious mind.

Question 42

Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on it introducing psychotherapy (Strength)

Answer 42

Freuds psychoanalysis was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically.
Psychoanalysis claims to help clients deal with everyday problems by providing access to their unconscious, employing techniques such as dream analysis.
Therefore, psychoanalysis is then forerunner to many modern - day ‘talking therapies’ (e.g. counselling)

Question 43

Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on its explanatory power (Strength)

Answer 43

Freuds theory is controversial and often bizarre, but it has had huge influence on western contemporary thought.
It has been used to explain a wide range of behaviours (moral and mental disorders)n and drew attention to the influence of childhood on adult personality.
Therefore, overall the psychodynamic approach has had a positive influence on psychology and modern - day thinking.

Question 44

Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on its lack of scientific credibility (Weakness)

Answer 44

Many of Freuds ideas lack scientific credibility, as they were developed and supported through case studies and by interpreting his clients’ memories, introspections and dreams.
The case study of little Hans was used to support the psychosexual stages of development. However, little Hans’ parents were fans of Freud’s work and likely recorded events and conversations that would support Freuds ideas, and Freuds interpretations were potentially biased.