Psychodynamics

• Who is the psychologist most people can name?

  Sigmund Freud
• What is Freud's approach to psychology called?

  Psychodynamics
• Why were Freud's theories influential despite being rejected?

  They shaped later theories and approaches
• What popular form of counseling did Freud develop?

  Psychotherapy
• What does the conscious mind include?

  Thoughts, ideas, decisions, and emotions
• What did Freud claim about the unconscious mind?

  Most thoughts occur below conscious awareness
• How is psychodynamics defined?

  Study of the unconscious mind and drives
• What are the three parts of the mind according to Freud?

  Conscious, preconscious, and unconscious
• What is the preconscious mind?

  Thoughts not currently conscious but retrievable
• What happens in the unconscious mind?

  Thoughts influence feelings and behaviors
• What is psychic determinism?

  Unconscious drives shape conscious behavior
• What can lead to fixation in psychosexual stages?

  Problems in resolving early life conflicts
• What are the three defense mechanisms mentioned?

  Repression, denial, and displacement
• What is the ID according to Freud?

  Selfish part demanding needs and desires
• What is the ego's role?

  Mediates between the ID and super ego
• What is the super ego known as?

  The morality principle
• How does the super ego influence behavior?

  Causes feelings of guilt for wrong actions
• What is the iceberg metaphor used to illustrate?

  The conscious and unconscious mind's relationship
• What are the five psychosexual stages?

  Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
• What happens during the oral stage?

  Pleasure from the mouth during breastfeeding
• What is anal-retentive personality associated with?

  Overly organized and fussy behavior
• Who is the psychologist most people who haven't studied psychology can name?

  Sigmund Freud
• Why is Sigmund Freud's approach to psychology called psychodynamics?

  Because it focuses on the unconscious mind and unconscious mental drives
• What are the three parts of the mind according to Freud?

  Conscious mind, preconscious, and unconscious
• What is the role of the unconscious mind according to Freud?

  It drives our conscious behavior and shapes our personality
• What are the three parts of personality according to Freud?

  Id, ego, and superego
• How does the ego mediate between the demands of the id and the superego?

  The ego uses rational thinking to control the demands of the id and follow the rules of the superego
• How does Freud explain criminal behavior according to the psychodynamic approach?

  It is due to the superego being too weak compared to the id, or the superego being too strong and causing extreme guilt
• What are the five psychosexual stages of development according to Freud?

  1. Oral stage (0-1 years)
  2. Anal stage (1-3 years)
  3. Phallic stage (3-5 years)
  4. Latency stage (6-12 years)
  5. Genital stage (from 12 years)
• What is the conflict that occurs in the oral stage according to Freud?

  The conflict happens during weaning, when the infant learns it doesn't control the environment and must develop delayed gratification
• What is the fixation that can occur in the anal stage according to Freud?

  Anal retentiveness, where the individual becomes overly organized and fussy
• What is the Oedipus complex that Freud described in the phallic stage?

  The boy feels a strong attraction to his mother and sees his father as a competitor for her love, leading to castration anxiety
• What are the three defense mechanisms described by Freud?

  Denial, displacement, and repression
• How do defense mechanisms help reduce anxiety according to Freud?

  They allow the ego to manage unresolvable conflicts between the id and superego
• What are some of the criticisms of Freud's psychodynamic approach?

  Lack of scientific credibility, lack of falsifiability, and over-reliance on case studies and subjective interpretations
• How has Freud's work influenced later psychological theories and approaches?

  His focus on early childhood experience and the role of the unconscious mind influenced later theories like attachment theory
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach?

  Strengths:

  • Provides intuitive explanations for human behavior
  • Highlights the importance of the unconscious mind
  • Has practical applications in psychoanalytic therapy

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Lacks scientific credibility and falsifiability
  • Over-reliance on case studies and subjective interpretations
  • Reductionist in its focus on sexuality and early childhood