Discussion: Psychodynamic Theories
Discussion: Psychodynamic Theories
Complete the following table.
Theorists Main tenets of theory Unique contributions Limitations
Freud
Stressed the importance of early childhood events, the influence of the unconscious and sexual instincts in the development and formation of personality.
All mental energy was derived from the body
Humans only have a limited amount of enegy
There is causation for all human behavior
The goal of human behavior is tension reduction
His subjects were mostly Viennese upperclass women, a considerably small portion of human society. The data he collected to support his theories would have alarge margin of error. The Victorian ethics and general European attitude distorted his views on psychology and the human kind.
Jung
Focused on concepts such as the collective unconscious, archetypes and psychological types
Adler
Believed the core motive behind personality involves striving for superiority, or the desire to overcome challenges and move on
Horney
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Match the example with the appropriate defense mechanism.
1. __H___A woman is involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down, but she cannot remember any details of the accident.
2. __G___Taking a test makes me nervous, so I bite my nails.
3. _A____My boss yelled at me at work today and it made me very upset. I went home and ended up yelling at my spouse that night.
4. _F____Even though I drink alcohol every day, I am not an alcoholic.
5. _E____I hate Alex, but I am overly nice and friendly when interacting with him at work.
6. __B___I broke up with my boyfriend, but I am fine with it because he was a loser anyway.
7. __C___I am convinced that my husband is cheating on me, even though I am the one who frequently thinks about cheating on him.
8. _D____I am very frustrated at work and just want to scream, but instead I go to the gym and work out my frustration on the treadmill.
Displacement
Rationalization
Repression
Sublimation
Projection
Denial
Regression
Reaction Formation