Freud's psychodynamic theory

Question 1

What is the conscious mind ?

Answer 1

Small amount of mental activity we know about

Question 2

What is the preconscious mind ?

Answer 2

Things we could be aware of if we wanted to or tried

Question 3

What is the unconscious mind ?

Answer 3

Things we aren’t aware of/can’t become aware of

Question 4

What part of the mind is the largest, most powerful & inaccessible ?

Answer 4

Unconscious mind

Question 5

What is neuroses ?

Answer 5

Mental health problems individual aware of suffering from

Question 6

What is psychoses ?

Answer 6

Mental health problems individual not aware of & no insight into nature of their problems

Question 7

How did Freud think psychoses could be treated ?

Answer 7

Identifying problems in unconscious mind

Question 8

What does Anna O support ?

Answer 8

Repressed memories cause problems

Question 9

Who is Anna O ?

Answer 9

• Fear of drinking when dog she didn’t like drank from her glass = hysteria
• Treated by recalling forgotten memories of traumatic events
• Repressed memories brought into conscious mind & guide behaviour

Question 10

What are 4 key assumptions of Freud ?

Answer 10

1. First 5 years = most important in forming personality, problems in these years affect development
2. All children pass through psychosexual stages, if resolve issues = stable personality & good adult relationships
3. Unconscious mind largest & most powerful
4. Everyone has stable energy including libido = boring with Eros and Thanatos

Question 11

What is the id ?

Answer 11

Pleasure principle motivated to satisfy basic biological urges & present since birth

Question 12

What is the ego ?

Answer 12

Reality principle = satisfy id in line with what’s realistically possible considering environment

Question 13

What is the superego ?

Answer 13

Morality principle which judges whether actions are right or wrong, present since 5

Question 14

What is a strong superego ?

Answer 14

Same sex parent overly harsh, anxiety so satisfy superego’s need for punishment

Question 15

How does a strong superego develop ?

Answer 15

Commit crime to get caught & punished to relieve guilt, express built up aggression & sexual desires

Question 16

What is a deviant superego ?

Answer 16

Child internalises morals of criminal or same sex parent

Question 17

How does a deviant superego develop ?

Answer 17

Same sex parent is overly harsh, individual crippled by guilt so satisfy superego’s need for punishment

Question 18

What is a weak superego ?

Answer 18

Same sex parent absent during phallic stage of psycho sexual development, failing to internalise moral values

Question 19

How does a weak superego develop ?

Answer 19

Act in ways that gratify id, don’t react to antisocial behaviour

Question 20

What did Blackburn suggest ?

Answer 20

If superego deficient then criminality inevitable as id not properly controlled & give into urges

Question 21

What is the Oedipus complex ?

Answer 21

• 5 = boy develop intense sexual desire to mother causing boy to reject & display aggression against rival
• Internal conflict = fears father, assuming pursuing mothers affection father will hurt & castrate him
• Believe sister already castrated & fears same punishment

Question 22

What is the Electra complex ?

Answer 22

• 5 = girl develop intense sexual desires to mother
• Envious as realises she doesn’t have penis & blames mother for ‘castrated state’, causing aggression
• Fear of punishment = repress desires & internalise mothers values
• Unable to develop conscience through fear of castration
• Superego weaker in females & morally inferior

Question 23

Why do we have defence mechanisms ?

Answer 23

To allow urges of id to be channelled in socially acceptable way, (ego strike balance between id & superego)

Question 24

What is repression ?

Answer 24

Unconscious mechanisms by ego to keep disturbing/threatening thoughts from becoming conscious

Question 25

What is denial ?

Answer 25

Blocking external events from awareness

Question 26

What is projection ?

Answer 26

Attributing own unacceptable thoughts, feelings & motives to another person

Question 27

What is displacement ?

Answer 27

Satisfying an impulse with a substitute object

Question 28

What is regression ?

Answer 28

Movement back in psychological time when faced with stress

Question 29

What is sublimation ?

Answer 29

Satisfying an impulse with a substitute object in a socially acceptable way

Question 30

What is Eros ?

Answer 30

Drive for life, love & self satisfaction

Question 31

What is Thanatos ?

Answer 31

Drive for death, aggression, destruction & violence

Question 32

What is catharsis ?

Answer 32

Purging or release of emotional tensions

Question 33

Catharsis - Feshbeck & Singer

Answer 33

- 652 boys living in residential institutions, one group - non aggressive video, one group - aggressive video for 6 weeks - Non-violent showed more aggression due to catharsis as violent group could let out emotions by empathising with violence

Question 34

Supporting research - Feshbeck & Singer

Answer 34

Field experiments, natural setting

Question 35

Criticisms - Feshbeck & Singer

Answer 35

Field experiments, less control over extraneous variables = boys watching non-violent may have acted aggressively as banned from watching favourite programmes

Question 36

Criticism - concepts

Answer 36

Unfalisifable, concepts not measurable can't be rigorously tested

Question 37

Criticism - methodology

Answer 37

Unscientific, data = qualitative & personal so overall theory shouldn't be generated, lacks generalisability due to unique nature of patients

Question 38

Compliment - methodology

Answer 38

Developed from in-depth case studies looking at background & mental state, qualitative data triangulation e.g dream analysis

Question 39

Opposing research - Hoffman

Answer 39

Females have stronger moral orientation, lower criminal rates = Freud suggest females have weaker superegos

Question 40

Application

Answer 40

Can explain criminal acts whereby no obvious gain & explain why aggression runs in families