Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

psychology > the psychodynamic perspective > Flashcards

the psychodynamic perspective Flashcards

(49 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

who is Sigmund Freud?

A

a psychiatrist and neurologist, key pioneer of the psychodynamic approach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is the main focus of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality?

A

that the unconscious mind influences behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what can traumatic childhood experiences lead to according to Freud? how?

A

mental disorders due to repression into the unconcious mind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what therapeutic method did Freud develop to address repressed memories?

A

psychoanalysis or psychotherapy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what are the three forces that shape personality according to the psychodynamic perspective?

A

Id, ego, and super-ego

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a ‘Freudian slip’?

A

an unintentional error that reveals unconscious thoughts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

how does the psychodynamic perspective view the influence of unconscious motives?

A

they influence behaviour and feelings without our awareness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

why is the psychodynamic theory considered unfalsifiable?

A

because the unconscious mind cannot be objectively observed or measured, therefor unscientific

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

how does childhood experience influence adult behaviour according to Freud? what does this show?

A

childhood experiences shape the development of our personality forces (id, ego and superego), suggesting that both nature and nurture interact when our personality develops

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are the two instinctive drives governing behaviour in Freud’s theory?

A

Eros (the sex drive) and Thanatos (the death instinct)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what does Eros promote according to Freud?

A

our survival, reproduction, and social cooperation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what negative behaviours can Thanatos lead to?

A

aggression, risky behaviours, and re-experiencing past traumas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the three components of personality in the Tri-Partite Personality model?

A

Id, Ego, Superego

These components were proposed by Sigmund Freud.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what is the nature of the id in the Tri-Partite Personality model?

A

our primitive and instinctive component of personality

It consists of biological components present at birth, including Eros and Thanatos.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is our id?

A

our primeval, greedy, self-centred and lustful side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what instincts are associated with the id?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what is our ego?

A

our concious self

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what role does the ego play in personality according to Freud?

A

our ego mediates between the unrealistic id and the external real world

The ego is the decision-making component of personality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is our superego?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what does the superego include?

Study These Flashcards
A

it incorporates the values and morals of society, which are learned from our parents and wider society

It functions like an internal parent.

21
Q

what creates anxiety in the Tri-Partite Personality model?

Study These Flashcards
A

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).

22
Q

how does the ego deal with anxiety?

Study These Flashcards
A

by using defence mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies used to protect oneself from anxiety.

23
Q

what is our conscious mind? our preconscious? our unconscious?

Study These Flashcards
A

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

24
Q

give examples of what is in our unconscious mind?

Study These Flashcards
A

unacceptable desires
immoral urges
selfish needs
violent motives
traumatic experiences

25
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) ## Footnote These stages are part of Freud's theory of psychosexual development, which suggests that personality develops through a series of childhood stages.
26
what behaviour characterizes the Oral stage in Freud's psychosexual stages?
sucking behaviour ## Footnote The Oral stage occurs from birth to 18 months of age.
27
at what age does the oral stage occur in Freud's psychosexual stages?
0-18 months
28
what is the primary focus during the anal stage of Freud's psychosexual development?
controlling bladder and bowles
29
at what age does the Anal stage occur in Freud's psychosexual stages?
18 months - 3.5 years ## Footnote The Anal stage involves the child's ability to control bodily functions.
30
what is the primary focus during the Phallic stage of Freud's psychosexual development?
fixation on genitals ## Footnote This stage occurs from ages 3.5 to 6 years.
31
at what age does the phallic stage occur in Freud's psychosexual stages?
3.5 - 6 years
32
what happens during the Latency stage according to Freud?
repressed sexual urges ## Footnote The Latency stage lasts from age 6 until puberty.
33
at what age does the latency stage occur?
6 years - puberty
34
what is the focus in the Genital stage in Freud's psychosexual development?
awakened sexual urges ## Footnote This stage begins at puberty and continues into adulthood.
35
what is the consequence of becoming fixated at one of Freud's psychosexual stages?
it restricts full development and results in specific personality symptoms ## Footnote Fixation can lead to various personality traits or disorders.
36
what is an example of a personality symptom resulting from fixation in the Anal stage?
An 'anally retentive' personality ## Footnote This symptom may manifest as an obsession with cleanliness and orderliness.
37
what is a problem/fixation during the oral stage?
dependency or aggression, problems with drinking, smoking, eating, nail biting etc.
38
what is a problem/fixation during the anal stage?
either anal expulsive (messy, wasteful, destructive) anal retentive (orderly, rigid, obsessive)
39
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
40
what is a problem/fixation during the latency stage?
this is an important stage for self-confidence and communication skills
41
what is a problem/fixation during the genital stage?
problems that emerge in this stage are carried over from earlier stages
42
the ego can redirect anxiety using defence mechanisms, there are 3 key defence mechanisms what are they?
repression displacement denial
43
what is repression?
burying an unpleasant thought or desire in the unconscious mind e.g. trauma and abuse as a child
44
what is displacement?
emotions being directed away from the real source/target, and instead towards other thing e.g. hitting a wall in anger
45
what is denial?
when a threatening thought is ignored or treated as if it is not true
46
other defence mechanisms?
regression projection compensation
47
what are applications of the psychodynamic theory?
- psychotherapy (psychoanalysis) - personality research - clinical psychology
48
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
49
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

psychology (16 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions