Psychology and Psychotherapy Review

Quiz Participation

• Students can voluntarily participate in a quiz, with a minute given for sign-ups.

• Quiz consists of multiple questions, including trickier ones towards the end.

Positive Reinforcement

• Definition: Positive reinforcement increases a desirable behavior through rewards.

• Example: Benefits of positive reinforcement—can lead to an increase in that behavior.

Beck's Cognitive Triad of Depression

• Components: Negative view of self, world, and future.

• Realization: Negative childhood experiences do not form a part of this model.

• Comparison: The cognitive model focuses on current cognition rather than historical experiences—distinguished from psychodynamic focus.

Cognitive vs. Psychodynamic Approaches

• Cognitive Approach: Focuses on present cognition and what maintains current mental states.

• Psychodynamic Approach: Emphasizes early childhood experiences and their impact on current behavior.

• Integration of Models: Some clinical psychologists may use varied tools across different situations or patient needs.

Schemas in Cognitive Therapy

• Definition: Deep-seated core beliefs that shape how individuals perceive themselves and their relations to the world.

• Difficulty to Change: Schemas are hard to alter due to their foundational nature.

Conditions of Worth

• Concept: These are evaluations imposed by others that individuals internalize.

• Key Insight: These conditions are not self-imposed but come from external expectations, often leading to self-worth issues.

Structure of Upcoming Assessments

• Type of Assessment: Multiple-choice test covering lectures 2 through 10.

• Focus: Questions will primarily derive from lecture material; excludes week 1 and week 11 content.

• Mock Test: A replication will be made available to aid in preparation.

Psychoanalytic Model Overview

• Assumptions: Psychological disturbances stem from conflicts rooted in early development.

• Key Figures: Freud, Klein, Lacan—each contributed uniquely to the development of psychoanalytic understanding.

• Psychological Distress: Seen as originating from a singular source, often related back to childhood experiences.

Freud's Personality Structure

• Components: Id (basic drives), Ego (mediates between id and reality), and Superego (moral standards).

• Conflict: The dynamic between these components can lead to psychological difficulties.

Anxiety in Psychoanalysis

• Types of Anxiety: Automatic (response to external/internal situations) and Signal (alert of upcoming overwhelming anxiety).

• Ego Management: The ego's role in managing anxiety and redirecting it appropriately to maintain balance.

Phobias and Defense Mechanisms

• Repression: A process where unwanted feelings are pushed into the unconscious, influencing behavior unconsciously.

• Displacement and Projection: Mechanisms where emotions are shifted or allocated to external objects or people.

Addiction Explained

• Nature of Addiction: Psychoanalysis regards addiction as a compulsion to find relief from anxiety through behaviors or substances.

• Conflict of Drives: The internal struggle between life and death drives manifest in addiction behavior patterns.

Psychoanalytic Therapy Techniques

• Free Association: A primary tool where patients express their thoughts freely, aiming for uncovering deeper unconscious content.

• Transference: The phenomenon where feelings about significant others in a person’s life are projected onto the therapist, allowing for exploration of unresolved conflicts.

Key Considerations in Therapy Endings

• Indication of Closure: Therapy may conclude when clients show ownership of their experiences or psychological state.

• Gradual Process: Termination of therapy should be gradual and thoughtful, ensuring the client's readiness.

Contemporary Perspectives on Disorders

• Personality Disorders: Examines how early experiences shape self-image and relationships.

• Attachment Styles: Interplays of attachment experiences shape vulnerability to psychological disorders, with research evidencing distinctions in early life experiences contributing to different depressive forms and vulnerabilities.