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Psychology- Approaches > The Psychodynamic Approach > Flashcards

The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 parts of the psychodynamic approach?

A
  1. The role of the unconscious mind
  2. The structure of personality
  3. Defence mechanisms
  4. Psychosexual stages of development
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2
Q

What is the conscious mind?

(The role of the unconscious mind)

A
  • Consists of thoughts we’re aware of
  • Includes our perceptions and everyday thoughts
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3
Q

What is the preconscious mind?

(The role of the unconscious mind)

A
  • Memories and stored knowledge
  • We can access these if needed
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4
Q

What is the unconscious mind?

(The role of the unconscious mind)

A
  • Includes information which is very hard or even impossible to retrieve
  • The biggest part of our mind
  • Includes fears and instincts, distressful, painful or embarrassing material that would damage the psyche if recalled into conscious awareness
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5
Q

What are Freud’s 3 theories of personality?

(The structure of personality)

A
  1. ID
  2. Ego
  3. Superego
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6
Q

What is the ID?

(The structure of personality)

A
  • The “selfish beast part of the personality”
  • Contained in the unconscious part of the mind
  • Uses the primary process to satisfy its needs
  • Operates according to the pleasure principle
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7
Q

What is the ego?

(The structure of personality)

A
  • The executive of the personality
  • Uses its cognitive abilities to manage and control the ID and balance its desires against the restrictions of reality and the superego
  • Operates according to the reality principle
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8
Q

What is the superego?

(The structure of personality)

A
  • The conscience and ego ideal
  • A “relentless policeman” and continues to insist that we do the right thing
  • Opposes the desires of the ID
  • Enforces moral restrictions and battles against ID impulses
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9
Q

What are the 3 defence mechanisms?

(Defence mechanisms)

A
  1. Displacement
  2. Repression
  3. Denial
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10
Q

What is displacement?

(Defence mechanisms)

A

When a strong emotion is pushed onto another person or object

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11
Q

What is repression?

(Defence mechanisms)

A

Preventing a thought for emerging into the awareness ‘what we don’t know won’t hurt us’

This thought is pushed into the unconscious mind

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12
Q

What are the 5 psychosexual stages of development?

A
  1. Oral stage
  2. Anal stage
  3. Phallic stage
  4. Latent stage
  5. Genital stage
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13
Q

What is the oral stage and when does it occur?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Occurs between ages 0-1
  • ID gratification is focused on the mouth which the main erogenous zone
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14
Q

What is the anal stage and when does it occur?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Occurs between ages 1-3
  • Potty training, control, delayed gratification are issues during this time
  • The erogenous zone is the sphincter muscles of the anus and urinary tract
  • Fixations at this stage: anal retentive personality and anal expulsive personality
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15
Q

What is the phallic stage and when does it occur?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Occurs between ages 3-6
  • Genital region becomes primary source of ID gratification
  • Children will be observed to be handling their genitals and parents should accept this as normal
  • Fixation is phallic retentive
  • Oedipus complex + Electra complex
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16
Q

What is the latent stage and when does it occur?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Occurs between ages 6-11 (puberty)
  • Sexual desires are strongly oppressed during this time through resolution of the Oedipus (male) and Electra (female) complexes
  • Interests shift towards social interaction and there is no major shift in the erogenous zones
17
Q

What is the genital stage and when does it occur?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Occurs at ages 12+ (puberty onward)
  • Sexual and romantic interests become directed towards ones peers
  • “Normal” adult heterosexuality emerges that is an other sex directed pursuit of genital erogenous zone simulation
18
Q

What are the 2 phallic anxieties/ complexes?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  1. Oedipus complex
  2. Electra complex
19
Q

What is the Oedipus complex?

(Psychosexual stages of development)

A
  • Father stands in the way of the boys desires to possess the mother
  • The boy believes if the father finds out he will strike back by castrating him
  • This results in castration anxiety
  • The boy realises he can’t possess his mother and instead learns that he must possess another female and identify with his father
20
Q

What is the Electra complex?

(Psychosexual stages of development?

A
  • The young girl is attached to the mother
  • Realises that she, as all women, has no penis
  • She suffers from penis envy
  • The girl learns to identify with her mother in an attempt to possess her father vicariously
21
Q

If the point is:

A strength of the psychodynamic approach is that there’s evidence to support its theoretical foundations, such as the role of the unconscious.

What is the evidence, explanation and link?

A

Evidence- The case of Little Hans supports Freud’s theory and states that his fear of horses was due to the Oedipus complex and that his unconscious had displaced his fear of his father into horses.

Explanation- This study showed how children use defence mechanisms and imitate and identify with the same sex parent during childhood.

Link- This supporting evidence helps to back up some of Freud’s claims and increase the theories reliability.

22
Q

If the point is:

A weakness of the psychodynamic approach is that it generally has some methodological problems, making it less effective as a theory and so a less credible one.

What is the evidence, explanation and link?

A

Evidence- Freud’s theory is unscientific, as the concepts are abstract and aren’t easily measurable, for example; the unconscious mind and the ID.

Explanation- Science requires that theories and studies are open to observation and can be repeated by someone else in order to be reliable. As a consequence, Freud’s theory lacks credibility as its research evidence is not easily replicated and the theory is unfalsifiable.

Link- This means that as the theory is less credible it therefore lacks validity.

23
Q

If the point is:

A weakness of the psychodynamic approach is that it doesn’t explain development into adulthood and thus appears more limited as an explanation of development. There are also alternative psychodynamic theories which offer a more complete explanation, and so cast doubt on Freud’s view.

What is the evidence and link?

A

Evidence- This is unlike Erikson’s psychodynamic theory which is a whole life theory and says we carry on developing into old age and experience meaningful events like mid life crises. Erikson has 8 stages of development and emphasises the social aspects of development from birth to death.

Link- This means that Freud’s theory can’t be widely used to explain all behaviour, as the focus is on childhood development of the unconscious mind.

24
Q

If the point is:

A strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it has good practical applications as it can be used successfully to treat people suffering from a wide variety of disorders. It was also the first theory to suggest that mental illnesses could be treated with a ‘talking cure’ rather than medical intervention.

What is the evidence and link?

A

Evidence- Psychoanalysis addressed neuroses through talking, whereas previous treatments were barbaric. The Tavistock clinic is widely known for its therapies and psychoanalysis has been used world-wide to successfully treat many individuals through ‘talking therapy’. Some advantages of this is there’s no side effects like those found with medication.

Link- This is good because Freud’s ideas have helped many people and add to modern day therapy.

25
Q

What are the evaluations for the psychodynamic approach?

A

+ There’s evidence to support its theoretical foundations, such as the role of the unconscious

— Generally has some methodological problems, making it less effective as a theory and so a less credible one

— It doesn’t explain development into adulthood and thus appears more limited as an explanation of development. There are also alternative psychodynamic theories which offer a more complete explanation, and so cast doubt on Freud’s view

+ It has good practical applications as it can be used successfully to treat people suffering from a wide variety of disorders. It was also the first theory to suggest that mental illnesses could be treated with a ‘talking cure’ rather than medical intervention

Psychology- Approaches (7 decks)

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