Approach

• Name 3 psychodynamic assumptions

  • Unconscious mind
  • Tripartite personality
  • Influence of childhood experiences
• List the 5 psychosexual stages of development in order

  • Oral
  • Anal
  • Phallic
  • Latency
  • Genital
• Name 1 of the defence mechanisms identified by Freud

  • Repression
  • Displacement
  • Projection
  • Regression
• What is stored in the unconscious mind?

  Unresolved traumas/conflicts/aggressions, e.g. hate and fear of father during oedipus complex
• What is the id?

  Only part of the personality we are born with. Based on pleasure principle, it seeks instant gratification of pleasurable experiences. It is the ''devil'' aspect of our personality - demanding, aggressive and selfish
• What is the ego?

  Second part of our personality, we develop this during the anal stage. Based around the reality principle, it aims to satisfy the demands of the id but in a realistic, socially acceptable way. It acts as a referee trying to balance the opposing demands of the id and superego
• What is the superego?

  Final part of the personality to develop - it comes as a result of identifying with our same-sex parent at the end of the phallic stage. Based on the morality principle, it is the ''angel'' within us - our conscience. It is a source of guilt and anxiety as it is considered with being a good little person
• Describe one way the psychodynamic approach is applied in dream analysis

  Based on the assumption that problems are due to the contents of the unconscious mind which we experience through the latent content of dreams
• What are the main components of dream analysis?

  • Dreams as wish fulfilment
  • Dream diary
  • Symbolic nature of dreams
  • Role of the therapist
• What does Freud mean by the idea of dreams as wish fulfilment?

  Dreams were the unconscious fulfilment of wishes that could not be satisfied in the conscious mind because they are unacceptable
• What does symbolic nature of dreams mean in dream analysis?

  To further protect us from the unacceptable truth of what is contained in the unconscious, what we dream appears in a disguised form. Dream analysis works on the principle that what the dreamer recalls is actually a symbolic representation of the truth buried in their unconscious mind
• What is the role of the therapist in DA?

  To reverse the dreamwork process by decoding the manifest content back into latent content
• What evidence is there that supports the idea our dreams are constructed as a result of the working of the id?

  Solms - PET scans to identify regions of the brain that are active during dreaming and found the rational part of our brain (ego) is inactive but our repressed memories & desires stored in the unconscious are very active
• What evidence is there that supports effectiveness of DA in helping ppl improve their self-esteem?

  Falk & Hill - compared 22 separated & divorcing women (22-57) in 8wk dream interpretation to 12 in control group and found women in DA group showed improvement in self-esteem and insight compared to control
• Explain the weakness that DA is subjective?

  Meaning of dreams is based on the opinion of the therapist. One therapist may have diff interpretation to another so impossible to test whether manifests content does actually represent the latent content, & if analysing dreams is actually of benefit
• An ethical issue of DA is power imbalance, why?

  In DA, therapist take the expert role, offering the patient insight into their unconscious. The patient is therefore reliant on the therapist for making progress through the therapy
• Where were the thieves in Bowlby's study acquired from and what was the sampling method, & the age range and gender of thieved?

  • London guidance clinic
  • Opportunity sample
  • 5-17
  • 31 boys & 13 girls
• How was the theft severity graded in Bowlby's study?

  I (low level) - IV (persistent/serious)
• Why were the mothers involved in Bowlby's study?

  To find out about the child's background and homelife
• How many thieves were diagnosed as 'affectionless'? How many of these had experienced frequent separations from their mother? How many were grade 4 thieves?

  • 14 affectionless thieves
  • 12/14 affectionless thieves had experienced separation from mum
  • 13 were grade 4 thieves
• Why does Bowlby's research have issues with reliability?

  Bowlby acknowledged that his collection of data was 'unsystematic and unplanned'. The lack of standardised procedures and the unique nature of case studies means that it is difficult to replicate to check for consistent findings
• What it is a strength of the use of a case study in Bowlby's research?

  High ecological validity - no artificial manipulation as research based on case studies and used multiple methods to gather detailed qualitative info on children's behaviour and their home life.
• What was the issue with the sample in Bowlby's study?

  All of the children were emotionally disturbed = low population validity as findings may not be true for other juvenile delinquents who are not emotionally disturbed.
• 1 piece of alternative evidence to support Bowlby 


  Ermisch & Francesconi found that children whose mum returns to work before they are 1 (separation), have slower emotional development and score less well in reading and maths tests
• 1 piece of alternative evidence to contradict Bowlby

  Bowlby's research on children hospitalised with TB found no lasting negatgive effects of the separation from their parent#
• 1 piece of evidence to argue mother should be PCG for feeding purposes 


  NHS recommends breastfeeding for first 6 months for nutrition and oxytocin (helps bonding)

  Freud - n=breastfeeding important to progress through oral stage of development
• 1 piece of evidence to argue mother shouldn't be PCG for feeding purposes

  Harlow's monkeys formed a bond with the cloth 'comfort' mother, not the wire 'food' mother

  Freud's theories largely discredited and outdated
• 1 piece of evidence to argue mother should be PCG for maternal deprivation issues

  Bowlby's 44 thieves - 12/14 affectionless thieves had experienced separation from mum. These children were also more likely to be grade 4 thieves
• 1 piece of evidence to argue mother shouldn't be PCG for maternal deprivation issues 


  Bowlby - no long term problems identified in children who experienced early separation when hospitalised with TB

  McGinn - girl's of working mums grow up to have better careers and higher earning potential
• 1 piece of evidence to argue that mother should be PCG not the father

  Biology - females have more oestrogen, which underlies caring behaviour. Male testosterone is linked to aggressive behaviour

  Social - girls are raised to be caring and nurturing mums of the future
• 1 piece of evidence to argue father is just as suited to PCG role as the mother

  Biology - Men's testosterone levels drop in response to becoming a parent, to prepare them to be less aggressive

  Social - Changing stereotypes means boys are also encouraged to be caring and nurturing. Increase in single dads and same sex male coupled who make great parents

  Aka tribe - men stay and look after children and women go out and hunt
• Ethical, social & economic implication of mother as PCG debate

  Ethical = women face judgement if they don't fulfil PCG role

  Social = changing views on mum taking PCG role are reflected in social policy such as parents being able to split the year's parental leave

  Economic = if we accept that mum's are the 'best' PCG then there are implications for how affordable childcare should be, maternity leave pay etc.
• Reductionist or holistic?

  Less reductionist than other approaches as considers role of nature (born with id and libido) and nurture (childhood experiences - psychosexual stages)
• Effective therapy?

  No - very limited evidence that it can effectively treat diagnosed psychological disorders
• Deterministic or free will?

  Psychic determinism - weakness because it implies that behaviour is an inevitable consequence of childhood experiences and as such ignores any role of free will
• Scientific?

  No - Freud's theories being unfalsifiable. E.g. the assumption of the tripartite personality is based on concepts such as the id, ego and superego which cannot be objectively tested and proven to exist or not