Freud - the psychodynmic approach

• What does Freud say about the unconscious mind?

  It drives all behaviour, urging us towards pleasure and away from displeasure. We cannot access or control these thoughts. EG: Dreams, Freudian slips and Repression
• What is the Psychotic Psyche?

  When the Id (devil) takes over personality and makes you focus on pleasure only. This may include sex, food, drink or drugs.
• What is the Neurotic Psyche?

  When the superego (angel) takes over personality and focuses on doing what is right and may cause anxiety/guilt.
• What is the Healthy Psyche?

  Ego balances out devil and angel personalities to become stable and fair.
• What is a defence mechanism?

  Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and the superego.
• What are the three types of Defence Mechanism?

  Denial, Repression and Displacement
• What is Denial as a Defence Mechanism?


  Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality.
• What is Repression as a Defence Mechanism?

  Pushing thoughts out of consciousness and into unconsciousness because you cannot deal with them.
• What is Displacement as a Defence Mechanism?

  Transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto substitute target.
• What are the 5 psychosexual stages?

  oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, latency stage, genital stage
• What is the Acromym to remember the Psychosexual stages?

  Old Aged Pensioners Love Grapes
• What is the oral stage of psychosexual development?

  The mother is responsible for the weaning of babies onto solid food. If problems occur during this stage individuals have dependency and aggression issues.
• What is the Anal stage of psychosexual development?

  Parents are responsible for toilet training. If a parent is too lenient, the child becomes anal-expulsive and develops a messy, wasteful and destructive personality.

  If the parent is too mean, the child develops a Anal-retentive personality which includes being obsessive and ordely.
• What is the phallic stage of psychosexual development?

  Parents are responsible for a child overcoming Electra and Oedipus Complexes. This is how you develop a conscience, and healthy gender identity.
• What is the Electra complex?

  the unconscious desire of girls to replace their mother and win their father's romantic love
• What is the Oedipus complex?

  a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father. Boys also develop castration anxiety.
• What is the Latency stage of psychosexual development?

  During the latent period, the libido interests are

  suppressed.

  The development of the ego and superego contribute to

  this period of calm.

  The stage begins around the time that children enter

  into school and become more concerned with peer

  relationships, hobbies, learning etc.
• What is the Genital stage of psychosexual development?

  During the final stage of psychosexual development, the

  individual develops a strong sexual interest in the

  opposite sex.

  Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on

  individual needs and, interest in the welfare of others

  grows during this stage.

  If the other stages have been completed successfully,

  the individual should now be well-balanced, warm, and

  caring.
• When does the Oral stage occur?

  0-1 years
• When does the Anal stage occur?

  1-3 years
• When does the Phallic stage occur?

  3-6 years
• When does the Latency stage occur?

  7 years - Puberty
• When does the Genital stage occur?

  16+
• Why is using case studies a negative to Freud's theory?

  All of the case studies were based on troubled individuals, so results cannot be generalised.
• Why is Freud's study unscientific?

  Psychodynamic approach does not fufil and scientific criteria: Replicability, Objective, Hypothesis and Empirical.
• Why is Freud's study Unfalsifiable?

  Freud's idea of the unconscious defence mechanisms are unfalsifiable. Meaning we cannot prove weather they exist or not. Which means the study lacks scientific validity.
• What is Psychic determinism and how does it apply to Freud?

  Assumes the unconscious mind drives all behaviour, which is hard to believe - what about cognition/biology/learning?
• What are the three firsts that Freud created?

  Developed the first talking therapy (if if wasn't for him, where would counseling be today?), first link to unconscious mind and behaviour, first link to childhood with parents and mental health.
• Who is Little Hans?

  Freud's main case study who allegedly invited his mother to touch his penis, and developed a phobia of horses so strong he was afraid to go outside. He was diagnosed with the Oedipus complex.
• What were the issues with Little Hans?


  - Only about one person (not generalisable)

  - He never met little Hans (lacks validity)

  - Link is tenuous (horse symbolised the father)

  - An accident actually caused the fear of horses