the psychodynamic perspective Flashcards
who is Sigmund Freud?
a psychiatrist and neurologist, key pioneer of the psychodynamic approach
what is the main focus of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality?
that the unconscious mind influences behaviour
what can traumatic childhood experiences lead to according to Freud? how?
mental disorders due to repression into the unconcious mind
what therapeutic method did Freud develop to address repressed memories?
psychoanalysis or psychotherapy
what are the three forces that shape personality according to the psychodynamic perspective?
Id, ego, and super-ego
What is a ‘Freudian slip’?
an unintentional error that reveals unconscious thoughts
how does the psychodynamic perspective view the influence of unconscious motives?
they influence behaviour and feelings without our awareness
why is the psychodynamic theory considered unfalsifiable?
because the unconscious mind cannot be objectively observed or measured, therefor unscientific
how does childhood experience influence adult behaviour according to Freud? what does this show?
childhood experiences shape the development of our personality forces (id, ego and superego), suggesting that both nature and nurture interact when our personality develops
what are the two instinctive drives governing behaviour in Freud’s theory?
Eros (the sex drive) and Thanatos (the death instinct)
what does Eros promote according to Freud?
our survival, reproduction, and social cooperation
what negative behaviours can Thanatos lead to?
aggression, risky behaviours, and re-experiencing past traumas
what are the three components of personality in the Tri-Partite Personality model?
Id, Ego, Superego
These components were proposed by Sigmund Freud.
what is the nature of the id in the Tri-Partite Personality model?
our primitive and instinctive component of personality
It consists of biological components present at birth, including Eros and Thanatos.
what is our id?
our primeval, greedy, self-centred and lustful side
what instincts are associated with the id?
our Eros (life instinct, contains libido - our sex drive)
our Thanatos (death instinct, aggressive)
Eros relates to survival and pleasure, while Thanatos relates to aggression and self-destruction.
what is our ego?
our concious self
what role does the ego play in personality according to Freud?
our ego mediates between the unrealistic id and the external real world
The ego is the decision-making component of personality.
what is our superego?
our moral and judicial side - the side that acts like an internal authoritarian parent
It is learned from parents and acts as an internal moral compass.
what does the superego include?
it incorporates the values and morals of society, which are learned from our parents and wider society
It functions like an internal parent.
what creates anxiety in the Tri-Partite Personality model?
the conflict between the id, ego, and superego
Parts of the unconscious mind (id and superego) are in constant conflict with the conscious part (ego).
how does the ego deal with anxiety?
by using defence mechanisms
Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies used to protect oneself from anxiety.
what is our conscious mind? our preconscious? our unconscious?
conscious = our thoughts and perceptions
preconscious = things we can be aware of if we try e.g. our memories
unconscious = things that we are unaware of and can not become aware of
give examples of what is in our unconscious mind?
unacceptable desires
immoral urges
selfish needs
violent motives
traumatic experiences
what are the five psychosexual stages proposed by Freud?
- oral - sucking behaviour (0-18 months)
- anal - holding or discarding faeces (18 months - 3.5 years)
- phallic - fixation on genitals (3.5 - 6 years)
- latency - repressed sexual urges (6 years - puberty)
- genital - awakened sexual urges (puberty onwards)
These stages are part of Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, which suggests that personality develops through a series of childhood stages.
what behaviour characterizes the Oral stage in Freud’s psychosexual stages?
sucking behaviour
The Oral stage occurs from birth to 18 months of age.
at what age does the oral stage occur in Freud’s psychosexual stages?
0-18 months
what is the primary focus during the anal stage of Freud’s psychosexual development?
controlling bladder and bowles
at what age does the Anal stage occur in Freud’s psychosexual stages?
18 months - 3.5 years
The Anal stage involves the child’s ability to control bodily functions.
what is the primary focus during the Phallic stage of Freud’s psychosexual development?
fixation on genitals
This stage occurs from ages 3.5 to 6 years.
at what age does the phallic stage occur in Freud’s psychosexual stages?
3.5 - 6 years
what happens during the Latency stage according to Freud?
repressed sexual urges
The Latency stage lasts from age 6 until puberty.
at what age does the latency stage occur?
6 years - puberty
what is the focus in the Genital stage in Freud’s psychosexual development?
awakened sexual urges
This stage begins at puberty and continues into adulthood.
what is the consequence of becoming fixated at one of Freud’s psychosexual stages?
it restricts full development and results in specific personality symptoms
Fixation can lead to various personality traits or disorders.
what is an example of a personality symptom resulting from fixation in the Anal stage?
An ‘anally retentive’ personality
This symptom may manifest as an obsession with cleanliness and orderliness.
what is a problem/fixation during the oral stage?
dependency or aggression, problems with drinking, smoking, eating, nail biting etc.
what is a problem/fixation during the anal stage?
either
anal expulsive (messy, wasteful, destructive)
anal retentive (orderly, rigid, obsessive)
what is a problem/fixation during the phallic stage?
confused sexual identities or sexual deviancies
for girls, freud said they would suffer from penis envy
what is a problem/fixation during the latency stage?
this is an important stage for self-confidence and communication skills
what is a problem/fixation during the genital stage?
problems that emerge in this stage are carried over from earlier stages
the ego can redirect anxiety using defence mechanisms, there are 3 key defence mechanisms what are they?
repression
displacement
denial
what is repression?
burying an unpleasant thought or desire in the unconscious mind e.g. trauma and abuse as a child
what is displacement?
emotions being directed away from the real source/target, and instead towards other thing e.g. hitting a wall in anger
what is denial?
when a threatening thought is ignored or treated as if it is not true
other defence mechanisms?
regression
projection
compensation
what are applications of the psychodynamic theory?
- psychotherapy (psychoanalysis)
- personality research
- clinical psychology
strengths of the psychodynamic perspective?
- useful
= can be used for practical applications e.g. psychoanalysis - holistic view
= less reductionalist
= considers both the nature and nurture view
= high in validity
weaknesses of the psychodynamic perspective?
- unscientific
= relies on non-observable constructs
= unfalsifiable
= does not support psychology as a science - relies on case studies
= usually small, restricted samples
= not necessarily representative
= means we can not make generalisations to a wider population
