Psychodynamic Approach

• What is the psychodynamic approach primarily concerned with?

  The role of the unconscious and the structure of personality
• What are the three components of personality according to the psychodynamic approach?

  • Id
  • Ego
  • Superego
• What are some examples of defense mechanisms in the psychodynamic approach?

  Repression, denial, and displacement
• Who is considered the key pioneer of the psychodynamic approach?

  Sigmund Freud
• What did Freud theorize about mental activity?

  Most mental activity is unconscious and influences behavior
• How did Freud believe traumatic childhood experiences affect mental health?

  They can lead to mental disorders if pushed into the unconscious mind
• What is the purpose of Freud's 'talking cures'?

  To help release problematic repressed memories and relieve symptoms
• What was Freud's view on the relationship between physical illnesses and emotions?

  He believed that physical illnesses could be caused by emotions
• What are the key assumptions of the psychodynamic approach?

  • Unconscious activity determines behavior
  • Innate drives energize behavior
  • Personality is comprised of the Id, Ego, and Superego
  • Childhood experiences significantly influence adult personality
• What does the unconscious mind contain according to Freud?

  A vast storehouse of drives, instincts, and repressed memories
• How does Freud describe the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind?

  The conscious mind is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the unconscious
• What are the three parts of the psyche according to Freud?

  Id, Ego, and Superego
• What is the primary function of the Id?

  To satisfy selfish urges and demand instant gratification
• What principle does the Ego operate on?

  The reality principle
• What is the role of the Superego?

  To keep to moral norms and represent the moral standards of the same-sex parent
• How do the Id, Ego, and Superego interact according to Freud?

  They are dynamic and always interacting to influence personality and behavior
• What does Freud mean by 'ego strength'?

  The ego's ability to function despite competing forces from the Id and Superego
• What are the five psychosexual stages of development according to Freud?

  1. Oral Stage
  2. Anal Stage
  3. Phallic Stage
  4. Latency Stage
  5. Genital Stage
• What happens if a conflict during a psychosexual stage is unresolved?

  The child becomes 'fixated' and carries certain behaviors into adulthood
• What is the primary conflict during the Oral Stage?

  The weaning process
• What can result from fixation during the Oral Stage?

  Issues with dependency or aggression
• What is the primary focus during the Anal Stage?

  Controlling bowel and bladder movements
• How do parental approaches to toilet training affect personality development?

  Positive experiences lead to competent and productive adults, while negative experiences can lead to destructive personalities
• What is the primary conflict during the Phallic Stage?

  The Oedipus complex for boys and penis envy for girls
• What is the Latent Period characterized by?

  The suppression of sexual feelings and development of social skills
• What happens during the Genital Stage of development?

  The individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex
• What is the role of defense mechanisms in the psychodynamic approach?

  To reduce anxiety arising from unacceptable stimuli
• What is repression as a defense mechanism?


  Burying an unpleasant thought or desire in the unconscious
• What is displacement as a defense mechanism?

  Directing emotions away from their source towards other things
• What is denial as a defense mechanism?

  Ignoring or treating a threatening thought as if it were not true
• What is the Oedipus complex?

  A theory describing a boy's unconscious sexual attachment to his mother and hostility towards his father
• During which psychosexual stage does the Oedipus complex occur?

  During the Phallic stage
• What is castration anxiety?


  The fear that a boy will be punished by his father for his feelings towards his mother
• What is penis envy according to Freud?


  The feeling of envy that girls experience towards boys for having a penis
• How did Karen Horney's views differ from Freud's regarding female psychology?

  She proposed that men experience womb envy due to their inability to give birth
• What are defence mechanisms in psychoanalytic theory?

  Psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality.
• Why are defence mechanisms used according to psychoanalytic theory?

  To defend against feelings of anxiety and unacceptable impulses and to maintain one's self-schema.
• What is repression in the context of defence mechanisms?

  Burying an unpleasant thought or desire in the unconscious.
• How does displacement function as a defence mechanism?

  Emotions are directed away from their source or target towards other things.
• What is denial in the context of defence mechanisms?

  A threatening thought is ignored or treated as if it were not true.