Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

What is the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

• Says the driving force behind our behaviour is the unconscious mind
• Instincts and drives motivates our behaviour
• Early childhood is pivotal in making us the person we are

Question 2

Psychodynamic approach (The role of the unconscious)

Answer 2

• The conscious mind contains the thoughts, feelings and memories that a person is currently aware of.
• The preconscious mind contains the thoughts, feelings and memories that a person could access if they wanted to.
• However, Freud argued that the largest part of the mind is inaccessible. He referred to this as the unconscious mind.
• The unconscious contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed or locked away and forgotten. Thus the role of the unconscious is to protect the conscious from these unpleasant memories.

Question 3

Psychodynamic approach (Structure of personality)

Answer 3

Personality has a tripartite structure (made up of three parts), the Id, the Ego and the Superego.
- Experience and conflicts in childhood shape the development of the three parts of personality, affecting how a person behaves.

Question 4

Id

Answer 4

The id is formed between birth and 18 months of age.
- It is in the unconscious mind. - The id focuses on the self (selfish), and is irrational and emotional.
It deals with feelings and needs, and seeks pleasure. It operates on the pleasure principle.

Question 5

Ego

Answer 5

The ego is formed from around 18 months until 3 years of age.
-It is in the conscious mind.
-It is rational and obtains a balance between the id and the superego.
It operates on the reality principle.

Question 6

Superego

Answer 6

The superego is formed between 3 and 6 years of age.
-It is in the unconscious mind.
-The superego acts as a conscience or moral guide based on parental and societal values.
It operates on the morality principle.

Question 7

Psychodynamic approach (Defence mechanisms)

Answer 7

Defence mechanisms stop an individual from becoming consciously aware of any unpleasant thoughts, feelings, or memories that they may be experiencing.

1. Repression – Repression is the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts. However, these repressed thoughts continue to influence behaviour.
2. Denial – Denial is the refusal to accept reality to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings that may be associated with a traumatic situation.
3. Displacement – Displacement occurs when the focus of a strong emotion (e.g. anger) is expressed on an alternative person or object.

Question 8

Psychodynamic approach (Psychosexual stages)

Answer 8

• Freud believed that personality developed through a sequence of five stages. These are referred to as psychosexual stages to emphasise that the most important driving force in development is the need to express sexual energy (libido).
  At each stage this energy is expressed in different ways and through different parts of the body.
• If the child is allowed to experience too much or too little gratification at any of the stages, a process called fixation could occur in which the child’s later adult personality could show permanent signs reflecting the stage at which fixation occurred.
  (LEARN STAGES)

Question 9

What is oedipus complex?

Answer 9

During the phallic stage, boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and a hatred for their rival in love – their father.
- Fearing that their father will castrate them (castration anxiety), boys repress their feelings for their mother and identify with their father.
In doing so, they internalise his gender role and moral values (his superego).

Question 10

What is the electra complex

Answer 10

During the phallic stage, girls experience penis envy and so desire their father.
- They also believe they have been castrated and blame their mother for this. Over time, girls give up their desire for their father and replace this with a desire for a baby.
In turn, they identify with their mother and internalise her gender role and moral values (her superego).

Question 11

Evaluation of psychodynamic approach (+)

Answer 11

1. Has practical applications. Eg. the psychodynamic approach brought with it a new dynamic type of therapy, psychoanalysis.
   It is a meaningful therapy for neurosis where therapists try to understand the underlying causes of these disorders through hypnosis, dream therapy and free association. This is a strength because it provides individuals and therapists alternative options to consider when attempting to treat a patient, which might mean a greater chance of recovery.
2. Uses the case study method to gather data and evidence.
   Case studies are rich in detail and allow us to develop the theory. For example Little Hans supports the Oedipus complex proposed by Sigmund Freud.
   - However, the concept could only be inferred from behaviour or reported thoughts/experiences (e.g. through dream analysis) where subjective interpretation is open to investigator bias.

Question 12

Evaluation of psychodynamic approach (-)

Answer 12

1. Is deterministic-
   The approach believes that if an individual gets too much or too little pleasure at a stage of psychosexual development that it will impact on adult behaviour, pre-programming them to behaviour in a specific way. The approach can be criticised for not taking free will into consideration.
2. Key concepts such as the unconscious mind and defence mechanisms lack falsifiability.
   They are unconscious processes, so they are difficult to test. Therefore this prevents the theory from being scientific since there is very little reliable research evidence to support it.