Psychodynamic

• What is the main assumption of the psychodynamic approach?

  People are born with basic instincts and needs
• How does the psychodynamic approach view the role of the unconscious mind?

  It largely controls behavior and personality
• According to Freud, what are the three structures of the mind?

  The id, ego, and superego
• How does personality develop in the psychodynamic approach?

  Through a sequence of five psychosexual stages
• What is the role of the unconscious mind in behavior?

  It is the driving and motivating force
• What is the id and what principle does it operate on?

  The id is the primitive part of personality
• What principle does the id operate on?

  It operates on the pleasure principle
• What is the superego and its role?

  It is our internalised sense of right and wrong
• What principle does the superego operate on?

  It operates on the morality principle
• What is the ego and its function?

  It mediates between the id and the superego
• What principle does the ego operate on?

  It operates on the reality principle
• What is repression?

  Forcing a distressing memory out of consciousness
• What is denial in the context of defense mechanisms?

  Refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality
• What is displacement?

  Transferring feelings to a substitute target
• What are the five psychosexual stages according to Freud?

  Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
• What happens during the oral stage?

  Pleasure is focused on the mouth
• What are the consequences of unresolved conflict during the oral stage?

  May lead to smoking or dependency
• What happens during the anal stage?

  Pleasure comes from withholding or expelling faeces
• What are the potential outcomes of unresolved conflict during the anal stage?

  Causes anal-retentive or anal-expulsive traits
• What is the focus in the phallic stage?

  Focus is on the genitals
• What complex occurs during the phallic stage?

  Children experience the Oedipus or Electra complex
• What happens during the latency stage?

  Earlier conflicts are repressed
• What do children focus on during the latency stage?

  Other pursuits like friendships and learning
• What is the final psychosexual stage?

  The genital stage
• What occurs during the genital stage?

  Sexual desires become conscious with puberty
• What is the age range for the oral stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

  0–1 year old
• What is the age range for the anal stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

  1–3 years old
• What is the age range for the phallic stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

  3–6 years old
• What is the age range for the latency stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

  6–12 years old (until puberty)
• What is the age range for the genital stage in Freud's psychosexual development?

  From puberty onwards (typically 12+ years)
• A weakness of the psychodynamic approach is that many of the concepts cannot be empirically tested. For example, concepts such as the id and the Oedipus complex are said to occur at an unconscious level, so they cannot be proven or disproven to exist. According to Popper, this is a weakness because the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification. Therefore, the psychodynamic approach cannot be considered scientific and is therefore regarded as a pseudoscience
• A weakness is that Freuds theory was based on case studies. For example, Freud mostly studied single individuals such as little Hans. This is a weakness because it may not be possible to make such universal claims about human nature based on studies of such a small number of individuals who were psychologically abnormal. Furthermore, Freuds interpretations were highly subjective, so other researchers may not have reached the same conclusion. Therefore the research methods used in the psychodynamic approach are much less scientific than those used in other approaches.
• A strength is that it has significant practical applications. For example, Freud introduced a new form of therapy to the world known as psychoanalysis. This involves using hypnosis and dream analysis to access the unconscious. This is a strength as psychoanalysis has led to the establishment of many modern day psychotherapies which have been successful in treating patients with mild neurosis. Therefore, the psychodynamic approach has been beneficial to many people suffering with mental health issues.
• A weakness is that it suffers from psychic determinism. The psychodynamic approach explains all behaviour as determined by unconscious conflicts that are rooted in childhood and any free will we may think we have is al illusion. Freud believed that our innate drives(the id, ego and superego) determine all of our behaviours. He even felt that slips of the tongue were not accidents, but were driven by unconscious forced and carried symbolic meanings. Therefore another approach that takes into account our free will to make decisions such as the humanistic approach, may be more appropriate to use when explaining human behaviour