psychodynamic approach

Question 1

Eros

Answer 1

Eros- The life instinct- The preservation and enjoyment of life.

Question 2

thanatos

Answer 2

The Death Instinct- This is most commonly directed out towards other people as
aggression/anger.

Question 3

libido

Answer 3

eros and thanatos- force that drives us

Question 4

catharsis

Answer 4

this is the way we satisfy our urges without resorting to violence against someone

Question 5

the iceberg analogy

Answer 5

The conscious is the part of your mind that you are aware of e.g. your thoughts at the
moment and is the little part of your experience you are aware of (like the top of an iceberg)
* The preconscious is the part of your mind which can be called upon e.g. memories where you can be aware of them but are not at al times
* The unconscious is the largest part of your mind and contains things like unacceptable urges and desires e.g. sexual and for violence

Question 6

the id

Answer 6

The Id is the INSTINCTIVE aspect of the personality. It operates on the PLEASURE PRINCIPLE. It
demands immediate satisfaction and doesn’t care about REALITY.

Question 7

super ego

Answer 7

The Super-ego, It is the MORAL aspect of the personality. It operates on the Morality
Principle. It develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our
parents/caregivers

Question 8

the ego

Answer 8

• The ego, It is the LOGICAL aspect of the personality. It operates on the REALITY PRINCIPLE. It can make conscious and rational decisions that reflect the demands of instinct (Id), morality (Superego) and external reality (Environment)
• The ego balances the Id and the Super-egos demands
• Freud stated that the ego employs a range of defence mechanisms to deal with conflict and problems in life.

Question 9

displacement

Answer 9

Displacement is when a person uses an alternative object to satisfy an impulse, such as a punch bag to displace aggression

Question 10

Bresin et al. (2013)

Answer 10

found that adaptive forms of aggression could create a calming effect and empower
participants with the skills to regulate anger in the future. So psychodynamic explanations have practical application so it is useful- it also means that since this works the psychodynamic explanation is a credible
one for the cause of aggression.

Question 11

Bushman (2002)

Answer 11

Those who took part in a ‘cathartic’ activity (venting) were actually more aggressive
than those who didn’t have a chance to release their aggression. This means that catharsis is supported as a role in aggression meaning this theory is a credible one

Question 12

Dabbs aggression

Answer 12

Dabbs et al. (1995) found high levels of testosterone in 692 male prisoners. This shows that looking at the unconscious is not a complete explanation of what causes aggression.