the pyschodynamic approach Flashcards
what is psychoanalysis
a theory that emphasises change and where drive is a central concept in development as well as the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping personality.
what did Freud assume
that people are born win basic instincts and needs
define unconscious
the part of the human mind that contains repressed ideas and memories, as well as primitive desires and impulses that have never been allowed to enter the conscious mind.
describe the role of the unconscious
- most of our everyday actions are not controlled consciously but are the product of the unconscious mind.
- Which reveals itself in slips of the tongue.
- The mind prevents traumatic memories from the unconscious from reaching conscious awareness.
what do traumatic memories cause?
anxiety so the mind uses defence mechanisms to prevent the person becoming aware of them.
Explain the id
- works in the unconscious.
- operates according to the pleasure principle.
- e.g. if a person is hungry, the id demands that they eat there and then.
Explain the ego
- works by balancing the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the real world.
- it may delay gratifying the id until there is a more appropriate time to do so.
- it also balances the impulsive demands of the id with the moralistic demands of the superego.
Explain the superego
- divided into the conscience and the ego-ideal.
- the conscience determines which behaviours are allowed and causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken.
- the ego-ideal is what a person strives towards. it is determined by parental standards of good behaviour.
define defence mechanisms
- unconscious strategies that protect our conscious mind from anxiety.
- they involve a distortion of reality in some way, so that we are better able to cope with a situation.
explain repression
- the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts.
- these repressed thoughts continue to influence behaviour without the individual being aware of the reasons for their behaviour.
give an example of repression
a child who is abused by a parent may have no recollection of these events, but has trouble forming relationships.
explain denial
- the refusal to accept reality so as to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings associated with the event.
- the person acts as if the traumatic event never happened.
explain displacement
- the redirection of thoughts in situations where the person feels unable to express them in the presence of the person they should be directed towards.
- instead they may take it out on a helpless victim.
what do the psychosexual stages emphasise
that the most important driving force in development is the need to express sexual energy (libido)
what is Freud’s explanation for tension
tension is caused by the build up of sexual energy and that pleasure comes from its discharge.
explain oral
- 0 to 2 years.
- mouth is focal point of sensation and it is the way in which the child expresses early sexual stages.
- e.g. sucking and biting.
explain anal
- 2 to 3 years
- beginning of ego development.
- major issue at this stage is toilet training as child learns to control their bodily fluids.
explain phallic
- 3 to 6 years
- sexual energy is now focused on genitals.
- conflict now is the Oedipus complex. (male child unconsciously wishes to posses their mother and get rid of their father). As a result the Boyd experiences castration anxiety (punishment from the father). In an attempt to resolve this problem, the boy identifies with the father.
explain latent
- 6 to 12 years.
- child develops their mastery of the world around them.
- the issues of previous stages are repressed with the consequence that children are unable to remember much of their early years
explain genital
- 12+
- end of psychosexual development and the fixing of sexual energy on the genitals.
- this eventually directs us towards sex
explain the pioneering approach (strength) of psychoanalysis.
- huge shift in psychological thinking.
- suggested new methodological procedures for gathering empirical evidence.
- based on observations of behaviour instead of introspection.
- demonstrates the potential of psychological,rather than biological treatments for mental disorders
- De Maat’s review of psychotherapy studies concluded that psychoanalysis produced significant improvements in symptoms that were maintained in the years after treatment.
explain the scientific support for the psychoanalytic approach (support)
- Fisher and Greenberg summarised studies and concluded that experimental studies of psychoanalysis compare well with studies relevant to any other major area of psychology
- they found support for the existence of unconscious motivation in human behaviour as well as for the defence mechanisms.
explain the limitation that psychoanalysis is a gender-biased approach
- Freud’s views of women and their sexuality were less well developed than those on male sexuality.
- This lead to critics like Karen Horney to criticise his work.
- Dismissing women and their sexuality is problematic, not only because he treated female patients but also because his theories are still so influential today.
explain the limitation that psychoanalysis is a culture-biased approach
- Sue and Sue argue that psychoanalysis has little relevance for people from non-western cultures.
- In China a person who is depressed avoid thoughts that cause distress rather than being willing to discuss them openly. This contrasts with the western belief that open discussion and always helpful in therapy.
explain how psychoanalysis is a comprehensive theory (strength)
- psychoanalysis has been used as a form of literary criticism.
- Hamlet has repressed messages hidden beneath the surface of the text. By interpreting these works using psychoanalytic concepts, we are able to delve into the mind of the author/fictional character.
Key words and key evaluation points
- Freud
- Idiographic and nomothetic
- sexual stages
- defence mechanism
- the role of the unconscious
- Application - psychoanalysis
- Deterministic
- case study of little Hans
