Treatments of abnormality
Psychoanalysis
Learning objectives
All of you will be able to…
- Describe the main features of psychoanalysis
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of this treatment
Some of you will be able to…
- Explain how the features of psychoanalysis work in treating
abnormality
- Evaluate psychoanalysis as a treatment
- Answer a past exam question on this top
Starter
• Recap of psychodynamic explanation!
- Match the stages of psychosexual development to the descriptions
What are the main assumptions of the psychodynamic explanation –
i.e. where does abnormality come from???
Psychodynamic explanation is based on…
• Unconscious inner conflict
• Childhood problems
• Defence mechanisms
Psychoanalysis is therefore aiming to uncover the unconscious
conflict/childhood traumas which may have occurred and break
through the defence mechanisms – find the true reason for the
abnormality
Psychoanalysis uses three main techniques…
• Dream analysis
• Free association/word association
• Projective tests (Ink blot test)
Dream analysis
Freud: “Dreams are the Royal Road to the Unconscious”
Freud believed that unconscious thoughts/issues appear in our dreams,
therefore if our dreams are analysed we can uncover these issues
You have a go…
Ashmur dreamt about being a little boy and being in a
large boat about to go under a bridge that was too low.
In the dream he was in the boat alone, and there were
too people, one on each bank, shouting at him.
He was too frightened to get out of the boat and be
confronted by those on the banks, and terrified because
the bridge was too low.
The two people, one on each bank could be Ashmur’s
parents. Their shouting could be interpreted as fear that a
small boy might have of his parents as they are in authority.
There could have been a past experience of a boat trip that
was frightening. Or the boat could represent Ashmur
himself, feeling insecure and not on firm ground.
The low bridge could represent a block of some sort that in
Ashmur’s life was holding him back. This could be not being
able to be promoted in his job, feeling trapped in his
personal life or some other reason for feeling trapped.
Free association
• A client is asked to freely share thoughts, random words, and
anything else that comes to mind, regardless of how rational or
appropriate the thoughts are.
• Also have word association - this technique involves a therapist
reading a list of words (e.g. mother, childhood etc.) and the patient
immediately responds with the first word that comes to mind.
• Thought that ego defences are lowered in this process
Projective tests
• A type of personality test in which the individual offers responses to
meaningless scenes, words or images. Their response is thought to
show their unconscious thoughts, fears and desires.
• Most common is the ink blot test – what do you see???
Psychoanalysis uses three main techniques…
• Dream analysis
• Free association/word association
• Projective tests (Ink blot test)
Use the hand-out to outline these three components of psychoanalysis
Evaluation of psychoanalysis
• Differentiate between strengths and weaknesses of this treatment
EXAM QUESTION
– Outline one technique used in psychoanalysis (3 marks)
EXTENSION:
12 mark exam question – outline and evaluate the psychodynamic
treatment for abnormality