Psychoanalytical theories of personality

Question 1

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 1

Everything in the mind of an individual has a cause and this cause can be identified.

Question 2

What are the three levels of consciousness?

Answer 2

1. Conscious.
2. Preconscious.
3. Unconscious.

Question 3

Describe the conscious level of consciousness.

Answer 3

This is the part of the mind that holds all the thoughts and feelings that you’re currently aware of.

Question 4

Describe the preconscious level of consciousness.

Answer 4

Your memory and stored knowledge – any piece of information that can readily be brought into the conscious.

Question 5

Describe the unconscious level of consciousness.

Answer 5

Part of the mind that is not directly accessible to awareness. Freud believed this to be the largest part of the human mind.

Question 6

Describe the Id. (3)

Answer 6

• We are born with it and it contains our drives and urges.
• Operates on the pleasure principle.
• Dominates in infancy.

Question 7

Describe the superego. (3)

Answer 7

• Develops around the age of 5.
• Reflects the values, morals and ideals of society.
• Part of personality that makes us feel guilty or ashamed when we do something ‘wrong’ and proud when we do something ‘right’.

Question 8

Describe the ego. (3)

Answer 8

• The ego is the conscious and logical part of personality.
• Strives to satisfy the id’s desires.
• Develops of strategies for solving problems and obtaining satisfaction.

Question 9

What was Freud’s theory of development called?

Answer 9

Theory of psychosexual development.

Question 10

What were Freud’s five psychosexual stages?

Answer 10

1. Oral.
2. Anal.
3. Phallic.
4. Latency.
5. Genital.

Question 11

Describe the oral stage. (2)

Answer 11

• Pleasure mainly through the mouth.
• Too little gratification = a personality this is overly dependent on others. Too much gratification = an excessively hostile personality.

Question 12

Describe the anal stage. (2)

Answer 12

• Toilet training conflicts.
• Anal expulsive = child who rebels against going to the toilet. Translates as an adult who sees messiness as a statement of personal control.
  Anal retentive = child who is terrified of making a mess and rebels passively. As adults stubborn and excessively neat.

Question 13

Describe the phallic stage. (6)

Answer 13

• Genitals are now the source of pleasure.
• Freud believed that the penis was the focus for both boys and girls.
• Penis envy = girls become aware that they do not have penises, leading to feelings of deficiency.
• Castration anxiety = boys respond to girls lacking a penis by becoming anxious about losing theirs.
• Oedipal conflict = boys develop a sexual attachment to their mothers.
• Electra complex = parallel process happening in girls.

Question 14

Describe the latency stage.

Answer 14

• A resting period.
• The child’s energies are focussed on socialisation and learning.
• Defence mechanisms develop to cope with the anxiety caused by conflicts between the id, ego and superego.

Question 15

Describe the genital stage. (1)

Answer 15

Puberty reawakens the child’s sexual energy.

Question 16

Describe the relationship between libido and fixation.

Answer 16

If an excessive amount of libido is tied to a particular stage, fixation occurs.

Question 17

Describe one technique to reveal the unconscious?

Answer 17

Free association - person is asked to relax and say whatever comes to mind.
Therapist looks for slips of the tongue or inappropriate reactions.
Freud believed the topics were determined by unconscious conflict.

Question 18

What did Freud believe the purpose of dreams was?

Answer 18

To satisfy urges and fulfil unconscious desires.

Question 19

What is the difference between manifest and latent content of dreams?

Answer 19

Manifest - what the dream actually contains.
Latent - what the dream represents.

Question 20

Name three limitations of the psychoanalytical approach.

Answer 20

1. Relied primarily on the case study method as Freud did not believe in experimentation.
2. Freud’s view of women has been criticised as he believed they are weaker than men due to development of weaker superegos.
3. Draws conclusions about the structure of normal personality based on observations of mainly neurotic patients.

Question 21

How did Erik Ericson develop Freud’s theory? (2)

Answer 21

• Focus shifted from the id to the ego.
• Aim is to establish a secure identity.