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
What did freud suggest moves around the body during the 5 stages
A sexual drive called a libido moves around the body, and pleasure comes from that part of the body
What is the first psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in
Oral Stage: 0-1y
What is the second psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in
Anal Stage: 1-3y
What is the third psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in
Phallic Stage: 3-5y
What is the fourth psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in
Latency Stage: 6-12y
What is the fifth psychosexual stage and what age range does it occur in
Genital Stage: 12y+
What occurs during the oral stage
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.
What occurs during the Anal stage
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.
What occurs during the phallic stage
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.
What occurs during the latency stage
The libido is dispersed across the body, and previous conflicts, desires and memories from early childhood are repressed into the unconscious.
What occurs during the genital stage
This is the point of puberty, sexual desire is now conscious and in the adult form.
How do you remember the 5 stages
Old, Age, Pensioners, Love, Guinness
Explain the case study of little Hans
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. Therefore, horses were merely a symbolic representation of Hans’ real unconscious fear, the fear of castration.
What are ego defence mechanisms
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.
What is denial
A refusal to accept the reality of a situation
What is displacement
When a strong emotion is moved from the source of that emotion and placed onto a suitable target, generally, this is a weaker target.
What is repression
An unpleasant memory or painful emotion is placed onto the unconscious mind.
Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on it introducing psychotherapy (Strength)
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 the forerunner to many modern - day ‘talking therapies’ (e.g. counselling)
Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on its explanatory power (Strength)
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) 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.
Give an evaluation of the psychodynamic approach based on its lack of scientific credibility (Weakness)
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.
