psychodynamic approach

• what are the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach? 


  • behaviours could be explained by unresolved unconscious conflicts
  • behaviour is caused by underlying psychological conflicts we are unaware of
  • focuses on early child- parent relationship and past experiences
• Who suggested the structure of the mind in 1900 and 1905?


  Freud
• What does Freud compare the conscious mind to?


  The 'tip of the iceberg'
• What is the part of the mind that we are aware of called?

  The conscious mind
• What does the preconscious mind include?


  Thoughts and ideas that we may become aware of
• What are 'slips of the tongue' referred to by Freud?


  Parapraxes
• What is an example of a slip of the tongue according to Freud?


  Calling a female teacher 'mum' instead of 'miss'
• What constitutes most of our mind according to Freud?


  The unconscious mind
• What does the unconscious mind contain?


  Biological drives, instincts, and repressed memories
• How does the unconscious mind influence behavior and personality?


  It has a significant influence through biological drives and instincts
• What happens to threatening and disturbing memories in the unconscious mind?


  They are repressed or locked away
• What is the term used for memories that have been forgotten because they make us uncomfortable?

  Repressed memories
• What are the three parts of the mind according to Freud?


  • Conscious mind: aware thoughts and perceptions
  • Preconscious mind: accessible thoughts and memories
  • Unconscious mind: biological drives, instincts, and repressed memories
• whats in the conscious mind 


  thoughts and perceptions
• what’s in the pre- conscious mind

  memories and stored knowledge
• what’s in the unconscious mind


  irrational wishes, fears, violent motives, immoral urges, selfish needs, unacceptable sexual desires
• what are the three things the personality consist of

  ID

  ego

  superego
• what’s the ID


  • instincts
  • first part of personality to develop & is inherited
  • pleasure principle dominant- very selfish and uncanny, risky and dangerous
• what’s the ego


  • develops from the ID (age of 2) to satisfy the id
  • located in the unconcious, precocious and conscious mind
  • person with dominant ego would be boring
• what’s the superego 


  • mostly located in the conscious and preconcious
  • demands perfection and is critic of others
  • develops ages 3-6 during phalic stage
  • guilty when immoral behaviour
• what are defence mechanisms 


  unconscious that ensure the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas
• what’s repression 


  blocking negative experiences or emotions into your unconscious minds so you forget about it because experiences are too traumatic
• what’s denial 


  making yourself believe that something wont or didn’t happen when it did , ignores facts
• what’s displacement 


  redirecting thoughts feelings and impulses from one object to another
• what’s a libido 


  psychic drive or desire usually sexual desire
• what are the psychosexual stages 


  freud claimed that child development occurred in five stages:freud claimed that child development occurred in five stages:freud claimed that child development occurred in five stages:freud claimed that child development occurred in five stages:

  • oral stage: (0-1) - pleasure zone: mouth, ego develops here
  • anal stage: (1-3) pleasure zone- bladder and bowel
  • phallic stage: (3-5) pleasure zone: genitals, super ego develops
  • latency stage: (5-13) pleasure zone- sexual feelings are inactive
  • genital stage (13+) maturing sexual interests
• What is the Oedipus conflict?

  It is an important psychosexual conflict that occurs during the phallic stage.
• From where does the name "Oedipus complex" derive?

  It derives from the Greek myth of Oedipus, who kills his father and marries his mother.
• What happens to Oedipus after he discovers his actions?

  He pokes his eyes out and becomes blind.
• What does the term "Oedipal" refer to?

  It is a generic term for both Oedipus and Electra complexes.
• What conflict arises in a young boy during the Oedipus complex?

  The boy develops sexual desires for his mother and sees his father as a rival.
• How does a boy resolve the Oedipus complex?

  By imitating and adopting masculine behaviors from his father, leading to identification.
• What is the consequence of identification for the boy?

  He takes on the male gender role and adopts values that become his superego.
• What case study did Freud offer as evidence for the Oedipus complex?

  The Little Hans case study.
• What does the Electra complex involve for girls?

  A girl desires her father but realizes she does not have a penis, leading to penis envy.
• How does a girl resolve the Electra complex?

  By repressing her desire for her father and identifying with her mother.
• What was the clinical aim of Freud's Little Hans case study?

  To treat Hans's phobia of horses.
• What did Freud link Hans's fear of horses to?

  Freud linked it to the horse's large penis, representing Hans's fear of his father.
• How did Hans's dream about a plumber relate to his Oedipus complex?

  In the dream, the plumber gave him a larger penis, symbolizing his desires and fears.
• What are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

  • Explanatory power for a wide range of behaviors
  • Influence on Western contemporary thought
  • Used to explain childhood's impact on adult personality
  • Dominant approach in psychology for the first half of the 20th century