Theoretical Models: Psychological Flashcards
Psychodynamic Perspective
- Freud
- assumes unconscious causes and behavior
- must be brought into consciousness
- Consciousness is the tip of the iceberg
- id, ego, superego
Id
- unconscious
- pleasure: food, sex, aggression, attention; what i want when i want it; strongest part of personality
superego
-morality, keeps the id in check
ego
- balances the id and superego
- the reality check
- uses defense mechanisms to deal with the conflict between and id and superego
Ego Defense Mechanisms
- displacement
- fixation
- projection
- rationalization
- reaction formation
- regression
- repression
- sublimation
Displacement
-discharging pent up feelings, often of hostility, on objects less dangerous than those arousing the feelings
Fixation
- attaching oneself in an unreasonable or exaggerated way to some person
- or arresting emotional development on a childhood or adolescent level
Projection
-attributing one’s unacceptable motives or characteristics to others
Rationalization
-using contrived explanations to conceal or disguise unworthy motives for one’s behavior
Reaction Formation
-preventing the awareness or expression of unacceptable desires by an exaggerated adoption of seemingly opposite behavior
Regression
-retreating to an earlier developmental level involving less mature behavior and responsibility
Repression
-preventing painful or dangerous thoughts from entering consciousness
Sublimation
-channeling frustrated sexual energy into substitutive activities
Freud also focused on the importance of
- successful resolution of the Oedipus/Electra Complex
- appropriate gratification at each psycosexual stage of development
Newer Psychodynamic Theories
- Ego Psychology
- Object Relations Theory
- Interpersonal Perspective
- Attachment Theory
Ego Psychology
malfunctioning ego –>
does not adequately control or delay gratification –>
Or does not make adequate use of defense mechanisms –> psychopathology
Object Relations Theory
- relationships with real and imagined (internalized representations of) others
- incorporates aspects of objects (people) into personality - ex harsh father is incorporated into a self-critical child
- borderline personality disorder: inability to incorporate others and therefore to define themselves –> personality is unstable –> see others as “all good” one moment and “all bad” the next
Interpersonal Perspective
- focus on problematic relationships
- pathology develops from unfortunate tendencies we have developed while dealing with others
Attachment Theory
- focus on early attachment relationships
- need to form secure attachment to primary caregiver to lay foundation for later functioning
Pyschosocial Perspectives attempt to understand humans. ..
not just as biological organisms, but also as people with motives, desires, and perceptions
3 major and 2 minor psychosocial perspectives
Major:
- Psychodynamic
- Behavioral
- Cognitive-behavioral
Minor:
- Humanistic
- Existential
Behavioral Perspective
- observable behaviors only
- study what you can see and measure
- study behaviors, actions
Learning
- what has taught someone to behave this way?
1. classical conditioning
2. instrumental conditioning
3. observational learning
Classical Conditioning
- Pavlov
- US –> UR
- US + CS –> UR
- UR = CR
- CS –> CR
- can be conditioned to fear something –> phobias
Instrumental Conditioning
- responses followed by reinforcement
- reinforcement strengthens responses –> more likely to occur again
- responses not followed by reinforcement –> weakened, unlikely to occur again
- ex: baby smiles (response) –> baby is hugged (reinforcement) –> baby smiles more often
Observational Learning
=monkey see, monkey do
=can learn maladaptive responses this way
-see an adult display aggression, the child learns to display aggression as well
Cognitive Behavioral Perspective
- focuses on how thoughts and information processing can become distorted and lead to maladaptive emotions or behavior
- people use schemas
Schema
- an underlying representation of knowledge that guides the current processing of information
- leads to distortions in attention, memory, and comprehension
- people develop different schemas depending on temperament, abilities, and experiences
Self-schemas
- our views on who we are, what we might become, and what is important to us
- our notion of the various roles we occupy in society such as “women”, “student”, and “friend”
Comparing the Models/Viewpoints:
Ex: a person drinks alcohol excessively
Psychodynamic: he’s drinking as a defense mechanism to reduce unconscious conflicts
Behavioral: he has learned the wrong behaviors for reducing stress
Cognitive-Behavioral: he is thinking about his problems the wrong way and irrationally believes alcohol will fix them
Psychological Risk Factors
- unpredictable and uncontrollable events
- early deprivation or trauma
- marital discord or divorce
- maladaptive peer relationships
- inadequate parenting styles
Parenting Styles
- Authoritarian
- Authoritative
- Uninvolved
- Permissive
Authoritarian Parenting Style
- high behavioral control, demandingness
- low responsiveness, warmth, supportiveness
- controlling, lots of rules
- kids show moodiness, aggression
Authoritative Parenting Style
- high on behavioral control, demandingness
- high on responsiveness, warmth, supportiveness
- guidelines, standards, the best parenting style
Uninvolved Parenting Style
- low on behavioral control, demandingness
- low on responsiveness, warmth, supportiveness
- not paying attention to kid
- kids have moodiness, no self esteem
Permissive Parenting Style
- low on behavioral control, demandingness
- high on responsiveness, warmth, supportiveness
- overinvolved, appeasement, indulgent
- kid grows up to be too demanding, self centered
