psychodynamic

• what approach did Freud create?

  psychodynamic
• what is the psychodynamic approach?

  The psychodynamic approach is a psychological perspective that focuses on the unconscious mind and the influence of childhood experiences on behavior and mental processes.
• what are the main assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

  • unconscious mind
  • instincts / drives
  • early childhood experience is crucial
  • interactional
  • tension and pleasure
• in the main assumptions what is the unconscious mind?

  the driving force behind much of our behaviour
• in the main assumptions, what do instincts and drives do

  motivate our behaviour
• in the main assumptions, why is early childhood crucial?

  it shapes who we are. traumatic events can resurface in adulthood
• what did Frued believe tension was a result of?

  built up libido
• in the iceburg metaphor for the human mind, what is the conscious?

  the part of the mind that we are aware of - our everyday thoughts and feelings
• in the iceburg metaphor for the human mind, what is the preconscious?

  thoughts and memories not accessible at all times but easily recalled
• in the iceburg metaphor for the human mind, what is he unconscious?

  the dark shameful part. holds repressed memories, thoughts and feelings that still drive much of our behaviour
• what is the evidence for the unconscious?

  freudian slips
• in the tripartite personality mind what are the three components?

  Id, ego, superego.
• what is the id?

  birth - 18 months -> unconscious, primitive and destructive. Pleasure principle
• what is the ego?

  18 months - 3 years -> reliability principle. our consciousness and ability to think rationally
• what is the superego?

  5 years old + -> morality principle that develops through socialisation. it is rigid, punishing and repressive
• what are the key features of the Oedipus complex?

  • during the phallic stage of development
  • sexual feelings towards their mother and resent for their father
  • castration anxiety and so befriend their father
• what was the case study of little Hans?

  • phobia of horses
  • fascination with his penis and noticed many animals had larger ones
  • hans was jealous of his father who got to enjoy his mother's attention
  • hans felt a sexual attraction to his mother
• what are the key features of the electra complex?

  • during the phallic stage
  • girls realise they are just castrated males
  • they have penis envy
  • when that desire isn't fulfilled they desire a baby
  • little girls have sexual desires for their fathers but these are repressed in favour of identifying with their mother
• what are the three defence mechanisms?

  • repression
  • denial
  • displacement
• what is repression?

  forcing a distressed memory out of the unconscious mind
• what is denial?

  refusing to accept some aspect of reality
• what is displacement?

  transferring feelings from the true source of distress onto a substitute target
• what are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

  • introduced psychotherapy which can help MILD mental disorders by providing access to their unconscious - dream analysis
  • it has explanatory power - controversial but it has had a large impact on western contemporary thought. it draws attention to the importance of childhood experience
• what are the weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach?

  • psychoanalysis only works with mild problems and can be harmful to those with more serious issues
  • unstable concepts - Karl Popper argued that it doesn't meet the scientific criteria of falsification. id and oedipus complex occur at an unconscious level which makes hem difficult to test
• what are the psychosexual stages?

  • oral 0-18 months
  • anal 18-36 months
  • phallic 3-6 years
  • latency 6-12 years
  • genital
• description of the oral stage

  the infant's main source of pleasure is the mouth. it gets pleasure from biting and sucking
• description of the anal stage

  pleasure is derived from expelling or retaining faeces
• description of the phallic stage

  child focuses on own genitals and becomes aware of anatomical sex differences
• description of latency stage

  sexual desires are repressed as libido is dormant
• description of the genital stage

  sexual instinct is directed to heterosexual pleasure rather than self pleasure
• what are the results of fixation at the oral stage?

  Oral fixation can result in dependency, oral aggression, or oral passivity.
• what are the results of fixation at the anal stage?

  Anal retentiveness or anal expulsiveness.
• what are the results of fixation at the phallic stage?

  self assured, vain, reckless, impulsive
• what are the results of fixation at the latency stage?

  lack of libido as an adult