2.1 - Approaches In Psychology (Set B - Psychodynamic Approach)

Question 1

What are defence mechanisms in the mind? why are they important?

Answer 1

Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological responses that protect people from feelings of anxiety, threats to self-esteem, and things that they don’t want to think about or deal with

Question 2

Explain how the defence mechanism repression works?

Answer 2

Thoughts that are kept in the unconscious mind and are not allowed into the conscious mind (as if they have been forgotten) - protects the person from these thoughts and means the EGO does not have to deal with them

Question 3

Explain how the defence mechanism denial works?

Answer 3

Unconscious process which happens when a person refuses to accept that an event has happened - may occur after a very traumatic experience, aims at giving the mind time to comprehend and process

• long periods can cause person to loose touch with reality

Question 4

Why might a person not know they are ‘in denial’, what are some issues with being in denial?

Answer 4

not a conscious process therefore the person will not know they are ‘in denial’ - long periods of denial can be bad for health and cause you to lose touch with reality

Question 5

Explain how the defence mechanism displacement works?

Answer 5

When an unacceptable drive such as hatred to a mother is displaced to a more acceptable target like your brother

Question 6

Give 2 evaluations on defence mechanisms?

Answer 6

• lack of falsifiability since defence mechanisms are unconscious processes and can’t be studied directly
• defence mechanisms can only be inferred from behaviour or reported thoughts/experiences

Question 7

What does the psychodynamic approach state?

Answer 7

states that the unconscious forces deep in our mind have the greatest influence on our thoughts,feelings and behaviour - how you behave could be a result of an early traumatic childhood experience which is now coming out and driving your behaviour in adulthood

Question 8

What are three features of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 8

• one of the earliest approaches of psychology around 19th century
• main figure in theory is Sigmund Freud
• idea that childhood experiences remain unconscious but have great influence on our adult lives and shape our personality

Question 9

What is the role of the unconscious mind?

Answer 9

primitive, instinctual wishes as well as information and experiences which we cannot access and have acquired during childhood, can not recall because they are buried deep within our mind - however they may arise in adulthood and drive our behaviour

Question 10

What is the role of the conscious mind?

Answer 10

Is responsible for what we are currently aware of - able to actively recall these thoughts, example would be want your currently thinking

Question 11

What is the role of the pre-conscious mind?

Answer 11

includes thoughts which we become aware of during dreams or randomly through ‘slips of the tongue’, eg calling your teacher mum - become aware of this information when you direct attention to it

Question 12

How did Freud believe past traumatic experiences deep within our unconscious mind could be cured?

Answer 12

Believed that only though the ‘talking cure’ (talking to a therapist) in which we bring up these traumatic experiences buried deep in our unconscious to our consciousness where we can cure the problem

Question 13

Explain the importance of the unconscious mind as a defence mechanism?

Answer 13

unconscious psychological operation that functions to protect a person from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and outer stressors

Question 14

Explain the relation between the unconscious mind and mental disorders?

Answer 14

Mental disorders arise from repressed unresolved, unconscious conflicts originating in childhood

Question 15

Explain Freud belief about the structure of the personality (tripartite model)?

Answer 15

Believed we all have three characters in our mind at the same time, if they are unbalanced they can cause us anxiety and may eventually lead to mental abnormality - experiences in childhood shape the development of the 3 parts (Id, Ego, Superego)

Question 16

Explain the ID in Freud structure of personality and mention the principle it focuses on?

Answer 16

• earliest part of human personality (present at birth until about 18 months)
• it is the unconscious focuses on self - focused on the pleasure principle - for example a baby wanting food or attention

Question 17

Explain the Ego in Freud structure of personality and mention the principle it focuses on?

Answer 17

• starts to develop between 1 - 3 years and is the conscious part of the mind, which we present to others and is motivated by the reality principle it aims to balance out the ID (our secret pleasures)and superego

Question 18

Explain the Superego in Freud structure of personality and mention the principle it focuses on?

Answer 18

• acts as our conscious or moral guide which is shaped by parents and society and is formed between 3-6 years - motivated by morality principle - if it is too strong it can suppress the ID and lead to obsession,depression,OCD or anxiety and vice versa

Question 19

Give the 3 main defence mechanisms?

Answer 19

• repression
• denial
• displacement

Question 20

Outline the 5 psychosexual stages?

Answer 20

• oral stage
• anal stage
• phallic stage
• latent stage
• genital stage

Question 21

What was Freuds main believe about psycho-sexuality?

Answer 21

• all children born with a drive (libido) which seeks pleasure from an object or source, becomes sexual drive during adulthood
• to be psychologically healthy we must successfully complete each stage - otherwise mental abnormalities arise and can result in someone becoming ‘fixated’ on that stage

Question 22

Outline and explain the features of the oral stage?

Answer 22

• present from brith till age 1
• newborns receive pleasure from mouth - eg breastfeeding or sucking thumb
• ID is in control - baby seeks instant gratification

Question 23

Explain how the oral stage is successfully completed and how ‘fixation’ can occur?

Answer 23

• successful completion is through the child weaning (no longer dependent on breast feeding)
• fixation occurs if the child is weaned to early or too soon - due to them missing out on feeling of comfort and gratification (leads to smoking, drinking or eating)

Question 24

Outline and explain the features of the anal stage?

Answer 24

• develops from the age of 1 to 3 years
• main source of pleasure is defecation/going to the toilet
• successful completion marked by potty training

Question 25

Explain the characteristics of anally retentive and anally expulsion - what causes these and what are the features?

Answer 25

- Anally retentive (caused by trying to potty train to early) - results in a character which is very tidy and likes order and being in control - Anally expulsion (caused by trying to potty train to late) - results in a character that is disorganised and possibly a sociopath (doesn’t follow rules)

Question 26

Outline and explain the features of the phallic stage?

Answer 26

- occurs between age 3-5 during development of the superEgo - Focus of pleasure and sexual energy is the genitals - source of pleasure is genitals (in particular the penis) Links with Oedipus complex

Question 27

Outline the key features of the Oedipus complex?

Answer 27

- young boys start to resent their father - due to spending lots of time with their mother (see the father as a rival) young boys keen to become closer to mother however this is challenged when ‘stranger’ (father) comes home - resolved when little boy begins to realise father is not a rival - soon starts to follow his father's principle and expire to be like him

Question 28

Outline and explain the features of the latency stage?

Answer 28

- from age 6 to puberty - little boys just focused on hobbies and sports (drive sublimated into sports) - focus on same sex friendships No particular requirement for successful completion

Question 29

Outline and explain the features of the genital stage?

Answer 29

- from puberty into adulthood - focus on genital but not to extent of phallic stage - directs us towards sexual intercourse - task is developing healthy adult relationship Happens if early stages have been negotiated successfully

Question 30

Outline the strengths of the psychodynamic approach - give 3?

Answer 30

- we still use Freud ‘talking cure’ - hugely influential on therapy - highlights the importance of childhood and the impacts that trauma or experiences can have on later life - It recognizes that an adult is the product of both nature and nurture. People have internal drives that influence their behaviour - Childhood experiences affect them, too

Question 31

Outline the weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach - give 3?

Answer 31

- unscientific - contradicts the stance that psychology is a science, because it does not meet the requirements for something to be a science which is that it should be falsifiable as it can not be proved - case studies are not empirical evidence tested under lab conditions - does not consider adult trauma, only focused on childhood - blame is placed on parents, takes away sense of responsibility

Question 32

Explain why the psychodynamic approach is gender biased?

Answer 32

- Freud remained ignorant of female sexuality and how it may differ from male sexuality - theory is incomplete

Question 33

Outline the procedure of Freuds case study of little Hans?

Answer 33

- data came from Hans father who sent letters to Freud - feud analysed Hans dreams and what he said (was careful to use information from Hans and not his parents interpretations)

Question 34

Describe Freuds case study of little Hans, include observations of Hans behaviour and beliefs - include 4 points?

Answer 34

- little Hans had an interest in his penis which he would dream about, when he played with it his mother told him of - dreamt about wiping bottoms - Hans wanted his father to go away on business, when his father was away less often, he wanted his father dead - hans had phobias of horses and was afraid one would bite him - Hans was also afraid of black on horses mouths and things in front of their eyes - Hans often played with dolls and played games like ‘having children’ - Hans was the father and his mother was the children’s mother and Hans dad was their grandfather

Question 35

Outline and explain the observations from Freuds case study with little Hans?

Answer 35

- Hans denied interests in his penis except in his dreams - evidence of repression - dreamt about wiping bottoms because he enjoyed having this done to him - showed pleasure at the ANAL stage - Hans wanted his father to leave or die because he enjoyed having his mothers attention - Oedipus complex (reinforced with imagining his father being the grandfather in playtime) - fear of black around horses mouths and things in front of their eyes represent adult men with glasses and moustaches - reinforced his fear of his father