The Psychodynamic approach

Question 1

What did Freud suggest about the conscious and unconscious mind?

Answer 1

The conscious mind is only the “tip of the iceberg”; most of our mind is unconscious, storing biological drives, instincts, and repressed memories.

Question 2

What is the unconscious mind according to Freud?

Answer 2

A vast storehouse of biological drives, instincts, and repressed, disturbing memories that influence behavior and personality.

Question 3

What are parapraxes?

Answer 3

Slips of the tongue that reveal unconscious thoughts, like calling a female teacher “mum” instead of “miss.”

Question 4

What is the preconscious?

Answer 4

Part of the mind just below conscious awareness, containing thoughts and memories that can be accessed when needed.

Question 5

What are the three parts of Freud’s tripartite personality structure?

Answer 5

The Id, the Ego, and the Superego

Question 6

What is the Id?

Answer 6

The primitive part of the personality, operating on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of desires.

Question 7

When is the Id present?

Answer 7

From birth; Freud described babies as “bundles of Id.”

Question 8

What is the Ego and what principle does it operate on?

Answer 8

The rational part of personality, operating on the reality principle, mediating between the Id and Superego.

Question 9

At what age does the Ego develop?

Answer 9

Around age 2.

Question 10

What is the Superego?

Answer 10

The moral part of personality, formed around age 5, based on the morality principle and learned from the same-gender parent.

Question 11

What is the role of the Superego?

Answer 11

To punish the Ego for wrongdoing, often through guilt.

Question 12

How many psychosexual stages did Freud propose in child development?

Answer 12

Five stages.

Question 13

What happens if a psychosexual conflict is unresolved?

Answer 13

The child becomes fixated at that stage, carrying related behaviors and conflicts into adulthood.

Question 14

What are defence mechanisms?

Answer 14

Unconscious strategies used by the Ego to manage conflict and prevent being overwhelmed by trauma.

Question 15

Are defence mechanisms considered healthy long-term?

Answer 15

No; they distort reality and are seen as psychologically unhealthy if used long-term.

Question 16

What are the three parts of Freud’s tripartite personality structure?

Answer 16

The Id, the Ego, and the Superego.

Question 17

What is the Id?

Answer 17

The primitive part of the personality, operating on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of desires.

Question 18

When is the Id present?

Answer 18

From birth; Freud described babies as “bundles of Id.”

Question 19

What is the Ego and what principle does it operate on?

Answer 19

The rational part of personality, operating on the reality principle, mediating between the Id and Superego

Question 20

At what age does the Ego develop?

Answer 20

Around age 2.

Question 21

What is the Superego?

Answer 21

The moral part of personality, formed around age 5, based on the morality principle and learned from the same-gender parent.

Question 22

What is the role of the Superego?

Answer 22

To punish the Ego for wrongdoing, often through guilt.

Question 23

How many psychosexual stages did Freud propose in child development?

Answer 23

Five stages.

Question 24

What happens if a psychosexual conflict is unresolved?

Answer 24

The child becomes fixated at that stage, carrying related behaviors and conflicts into adulthood.

Question 25

What are defence mechanisms?

Answer 25

Unconscious strategies used by the Ego to manage conflict and prevent being overwhelmed by trauma.

Question 26

Are defence mechanisms considered healthy long-term?

Answer 26

No; they distort reality and are seen as psychologically unhealthy if used long-term.

Question 27

STRENGTH (1) of psychodynamic approaches

Answer 27

One strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it introduced the idea of psychotherapy (as opposed to physical treatments). Freud brought to the world a new form of therapy - psychoanalysis. This was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. The new therapy employed a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious, such as dream analysis. Psychoanalysis claims to help clients by bringing their repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can be dealt with. Psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern-day talking therapies, such as counselling, that have since been established. This shows the value of the psychodynamic approach in creating a new approach to treatment.

Question 28

STRENGTH (2) of psychodynamic approach

Answer 28

Another strength of Freud's theory is its ability to explain human behaviour. Freud's theory is controversial in many ways, and occasionally bizarre, but it has nevertheless had a huge influence on psychology and contemporary thought. Alongside behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach remained a key force in psychology for the first half of the 20th century and has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, the origins of psychological disorders, moral development and gender identity. The approach is also signincant in drawing attention to the connection between experiences in childhood, such as our relationship with our parents, and our later development. This suggests that, overall, the psychodynamic approach has had a positive impact on psychology - and also on literature, art and other human endeavours.

Question 29

LIMITATION of psychodynamic approach

Answer 29

One limitation of the psychodynamic approach is that much of it is untestable. The philosopher of science Karl Popper argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification. It is ot open to empirical testing (and the possibility of being disproved). Many of Freud's concepts (such as the Id and the Oedipus complex) are said to occur at an unconscious level, making them difficult, if not impossible, to test. Furthermore, his ideas were based on the subjective study of single individuals, such as Little Hans, which makes it difficult to make universal claims about human behaviour. This suggests that Freud's theory was pseudoscientific (not a real science) rather than established fact.