Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Identify three basic assumptions of the psychodynamic approach.
The psychodynamic approach assumes that:
- Human behaviour is largely influenced by the unconscious mind, including sexual and aggressive drives and repressed memories.
- Personality develops through five psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latent, genital), which shape adult personality depending on fixation.
- Personality consists of three parts: the id (impulsive), ego (rational), and superego (moral), and defence mechanisms are used when individuals cannot rationally cope with anxiety-inducing situations.
Outline the role of the unconscious in human behaviour.
The unconscious stores repressed memories and instinctual drives like aggression and sex. These can influence behaviour without conscious awareness. For example, in the Oedipus complex, boys unconsciously desire their mother and fear their father. Similarly, repressed trauma like childhood abuse may hinder the ability to form adult relationships.
What is one strength of the role of the unconscious in explaining human behaviour?
A strength of focusing on the unconscious is that it led to practical applications like psychoanalysis. This form of talking therapy aims to uncover unconscious drives behind psychological disorders. It has been successfully used to treat conditions like depression, suggesting the unconscious has real-world relevance.
What is one limitation of the role of the unconscious in explaining human behaviour?
A limitation is that the unconscious is unfalsifiable. Since it cannot be directly observed or measured, it is impossible to test scientifically. This lack of empirical evidence makes the concept unscientific and reduces its credibility.
Outline the use of the psychosexual stages when explaining behaviour.
Freud proposed five psychosexual stages:
- Oral (0–1 year): Pleasure from the mouth; fixation may lead to smoking or nail-biting.
- Anal (1–3 years): Pleasure from bowel movements; fixation may cause perfectionism or messiness.
- Phallic (3–5 years): Pleasure from the genitals; Oedipus/Electra complex occurs.
- Latent (6–12 years): Sexual urges are repressed; no fixations form.
- Genital (12+ years): Sexual urges become conscious, focusing on romantic relationships.
Fixation at any stage can affect adult behaviour and personality.
What is one strength of the psychosexual stages as an explanation of behaviour?
A strength is supporting evidence from Freud’s case study of Little Hans. Hans had a fear of horses and dreams interpreted as signs of the Oedipus complex—suggesting sexual desire for his mother and fear of his father. This case supports the idea of unconscious conflict during the phallic stage, adding credibility.
What is one limitation of the psychosexual stages as an explanation of behaviour?
A limitation is the risk of researcher bias. Freud interpreted Hans’ dreams himself, which may have been influenced by his desire to support his theory. This subjectivity undermines scientific credibility and raises concerns about the reliability of the evidence.
What is another limitation of the psychosexual stages?
Another limitation is that the theory is overly deterministic. It claims early childhood fixations determine adult behaviour, ignoring other influences like environment or life experiences. For instance, adult smoking may result from stress or peer influence, not just oral fixation.
Outline the structure of personality according to the psychodynamic approach.
Freud proposed three components:
- Id (formed at birth): seeks instant gratification and operates on the pleasure principle.
- Ego (develops at 18 months): rational, mediates between id and superego using the reality principle.
- Superego (forms during the phallic stage): internalised morals from the same-sex parent, enforces guilt and strives for perfection.
What is one strength of the structure of personality as an explanation for human behaviour?
A strength is that it provides an explanation for offending behaviour. The theory suggests a weak superego (e.g. from absent parenting during the phallic stage) leads to poor moral development, allowing the id to dominate. This helps explain pleasure-seeking crimes like theft or joyriding.
What is one limitation of the structure of personality as an explanation for human behaviour?
A limitation is that the theory lacks scientific testability. Elements like the id and superego are unconscious and cannot be directly measured, relying on assumptions. This makes it difficult to verify with objective evidence.
Outline the role of defence mechanisms in human behaviour.
Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies used by the ego to reduce anxiety when it cannot resolve internal conflict. Common examples include:
- Repression: burying distressing memories (e.g. childhood abuse).
- Denial: refusing to accept reality (e.g. not admitting to an addiction).
- Displacement: transferring feelings to a safer target (e.g. shouting at children after being criticised by a boss).
What is one strength of defence mechanisms as a way of explaining human behaviour?
A strength is their intuitive appeal. Many people recognise behaviours like denial or displacement in everyday life, such as addicts refusing to admit their problem. This recognisability helps explain and treat conditions like addiction using therapies like CBT.
What is one limitation of defence mechanisms as a way of explaining human behaviour?
A limitation is that they are unfalsifiable. Because they operate unconsciously, they cannot be directly observed or scientifically tested. This weakens the evidence base and makes them less credible within a scientific framework.
Outline the psychodynamic approach and how it has contributed to our understanding of human behaviour.
The psychodynamic approach highlights the role of the unconscious mind in driving behaviour, storing repressed memories and instinctual drives. It also introduced psychosexual stages, where fixation affects adult personality, and a tripartite personality structure (id, ego, superego). It further explained how defence mechanisms protect the ego from anxiety.
What is one strength of the psychodynamic approach’s contribution to our understanding of behaviour?
A strength is Freud’s case study of Little Hans, which supported the existence of the Oedipus complex. Hans’ fear of horses and his dream about giraffes were interpreted as signs of unconscious sexual conflict.
What is one limitation of the psychodynamic approach’s contribution to our understanding of behaviour?
A limitation is that the supporting evidence, such as the Little Hans case study, is open to researcher bias. Since Freud conducted and interpreted the study himself, it’s possible that he tailored the findings to support his theory.
What is another limitation of the psychodynamic approach overall?
Another limitation is that many of its core concepts, such as the unconscious and defence mechanisms, are not scientifically testable. They rely on assumptions and cannot be empirically validated.
What is another strength of the psychodynamic approach?
Another strength is that it led to the development of psychoanalysis, a practical talking therapy focused on uncovering unconscious causes of psychological disorders. It has been used successfully to treat conditions like depression.
