the psychodynamic approach

Question 1

the psychodynamic approach

Answer 1

a perspective that describes the different forces , most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind

Question 2

the role of the unconscious

Answer 2

• the conscious mind is the ‘tip of the iceberg’

Question 3

the structure of personality

Answer 3

the id - pleasure principle (it gets what it wants), present at birth, is entirely selfish
the ego - develops around the age of 2 and reduced conflict between the id and the superego, defence mechanisms
the superego - formed at the age of 5, internalised sense of right or wrong, punishes the ego for wrongdoing through guilt

Question 4

psychosexual stages

Answer 4

oral - 0-1 years, oral fixation results in biting nails and smoking
anal - 1-3 years, anal retentive = perfectionist and anal expulsive = thoughtless
phallic - 3-5 years, narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual
latency - earlier conflicts are repressed
genital - sexual desires become conscious alongside puberty, fixation results in difficulty forming hetero relationships

Question 5

evaluation: case study methodology

Answer 5

• Freud’s theory was based on many individual case studies of individuals who were often in therapy
• critics claim its not possible to make so many scientific observations on human behaviour with such little evidence from psychologically abnormal individuals
• lacks scientific rigour

Question 6

evaluation: untestable concepts

Answer 6

• does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification
• the theory of the structure of personality is entirely untestable as it’s unconscious within the mind and we cannot control it
• affords the psychodynamic approach as a pseudoscience rather than real and valued science

Question 7

evaluation: