SAQs Flashcards
0
Q
Defence Mechanisms
A
- Freud - defence mechanisms develop during latency stage psychosexual dev. emerging from socialisation occurring during latency stage
- dev. to protect self-esteem - keep bad things in unconscious
- But can be used inappropriately/indiscriminately
- Include;
- repression
- denial
- projection (blame others for actions)
- identification
- rationalisation
- catharsis
- compensation / reaction formation
- emotional insulation
- sublimation
- regression
- fantasy
- phobic avoidance
*Freud - if can’t resolve through other defences, will appear through psychopathology (eg conversion symptoms - unconscious. psych. Issue converts into what appears as phys. symptom (eg paralysis)
- clinical applications of this
- unfalsifiable - can’t test scientifically
1
Q
Humoral Theory
A
- Hippocrates (Ancient Greek philosopher / doctor)
- linked balance of bodily fluids (humours) to physical illness
- Galen (Ancient Greek phil.) expanded theory - link balance humours and personality
- out of balance - phys. Illness / mental disturbance
- both typical / atypical traits
- H/ever no real scientific value - only observation
- Black bile; melancholic temperament; depression; analytical and quiet
- Yellow bile; choleric temp.; irritable/angry/anxious; ambitious / leader-like
- Blood; Sanguine temp.; energetic/mania; optimistic / sociable / confident
- Phlegm; phlegmatic temp.; sluggish/reserved; relaxed / peaceful
- Study; climate & personality (UK - cool/wet - phlegm - more reserved - warmer climates (Italy/America) more emotionally expressive (less phlegm)
2
Q
Free Association
A
- Freud 3 assumptions underlying free association;
- all thoughts lead to unconscious material that is somehow significant
- therapeutic needs/ knowledge they’re in therapy leads associations to what psych. significant except when resistance plays a role (reluctance to let unconsc. Into consc. Usually near end of therapy)
- resistance min. by relaxing (couch) / max. by concentrating (only ceiling to distract)
- encouraged to talk freely without ego blocking / projective tests/ dream analysis as unconscious drives symbolised/ transference (eg project onto analyst unresolved feelings toward parent
- conflict resolved by discharging emotion associated with them (abreaction)
- theory based on 6 case studies - generalisable?
- widespread therapies today based using these principles
3
Q
Psychosexual stages
A
- Freud
- energy source (libido) invested in single part of body during each stage (erogenous zone)
- up to 18 months - 2yrs = oral stage (mouth)
- mouth; pleasure through feeding(crying/screaming) - pure id
- 18 months - 3yrs = anal stage (anus)
- Dev. Self control (eg toilet training)/ language/ motor control; dev. ego
- 3 yrs - 5yrs = phallic stage (genitals)
- morality / superego develops
- parental attitudes / evaluations internalised
- conflict between id / superego - Oedipus/Electra complex
- 5-12yrs = latency stage (no erogenous areas / defence mechanisms develop)
- 12-18+yrs = genital stage (genitals)
- Fixations affect adult - internal resistance to transfer libido to new activities/objects
- can result from over/under gratification at any particular stage
- eg fixation oral stage - lead to smoking/eating disorders in adulthood
4
Q
Jung’s interpretation of the unconscious
A
- Complex network of opposing forces - aim of dev. = create harmony with the structures of personality
- Freud’s ‘libido’ - motivating force behav. - result of conflict (process known as ‘principle of opposites’
- Ego - ‘self’ responsible for feeling of identity and continuity
- Personal unconscious - contains all personal experiences that aren’t fully resolved blocked from consc. as unacceptable somehow - can affect consc. Personality (eg feeling bad no reason when walk into a room)
- Collective unconscious - contains inherited personality tendencies / archetypes
- Many concepts hard to precisely define so impossible to measure
- Empirical validity low - hard to test
5
Q
Archetypes
A
- Jung - found in collective conscious inherited universal themes/symbols but can sometimes influence current conscious mind
- Tendencies / schemata that are consequence of evolutionary past
- Help us in daily life / predict situations so reduced anxiety / steer towards psychologically more comfortable
- Many different archetypes, eg;
- Persona (role we play when around others to disguise inner feelings but act socially appropriate)
- Shadow (id / evil side)
- Anima-Animus (anima = feminine element in men, animus = masculine element in women - healthiest when both sexes can express both)
- Self (potential to achieve our unique individuality)
6
Q
Repertory Grid
A
- Kelly (1955) - identify schemas / constructs used to help understand personality
- Based on personal construct theory
- Helped assess client personalities in Kelly’s therapy work (was a therapist)
- Asked to name important people in their lives
- Look at these people as sets of three - draw circle under three they are looking at
- Constructs column - write how 2 are similar and 1 different (eg 2 funny 3rd not), putting an x in the circles of the two who share the same trait
- If other people in the list have the same trait, their box in the row for that trait is ticked
- New comparisons are then done with a different set of three and so on
- Give insight into person’s personal construct system
- Theory based on research studying normally functioning samples, unlike psychoanalytic theories
7
Q
Inferiority Complex
A
- Adler
- Started with biological inferiorities and compensation for these (eg stronger muscular power in right arm if no left arm)
- studied children - imaginary inferiorities from social convention brought need for compensation too (eg
- allhave psych and social inferiority feeling continuing through childhood due to helplessness as infant
- compensate by striving for superiority / fulfilment of potential / mastery of world
- attitude towards your inferiority, and how close people in our lives treat us is crucial
- if preoccupied with inferiorities! develop inferiority complex energies focused on masking inferiority - less likely to trust ourselves and others
- Wont contribute much to life/ take risks as scared to reveal themselves in fear of failing - others respond to inferiorities by overcompensating for their deficiencies developing exaggerated sense of own superiority other find difficult to deal with - masculine protest.
- teleology (goals direct life) contradicts Freud’s deterministic view (behaviour result of other events doesn’t occur freely)
8
Q
Self-concept
A
- Rogers
- as grow through childhood! develop sense of who they are / their uniqueness
- If the way we see ourselves different from how others see us - incongruence.
- High incongruence - high self image, rationalise to keep high, low self image rationalise to keep low - rigidly stick to this self image which stops personality growth
- can lead to pathology
9
Q
Phenomenology
A
Rogers mid 1900s
Study of subjective experience
Person-centred therapy development t
Patient expert on themselves - aren’t given solution, believe everyone has solution inside themselves as different for each individual
Patients given empathy
