DYNAMIC PSYCHOLOGY 2

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to have acquired advanced knowledge and critical skills regarding psychodynamic models and their application in clinical and research settings, in accordance with the Dublin Descriptors:

1. Knowledge and understanding: Students will acquire the main theoretical and methodological concepts of dynamic psychology and gain an in-depth understanding of its historical and conceptual evolution, ranging from Freud's work to contemporary relational and psychoanalytical orientations.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to apply psychodynamic theories and models to various practical settings, recognizing their utility both in clinical practice (e.g., case formulation and understanding psychic functioning) and in empirical research.

3. Making judgements: Students will develop an autonomous capacity for critical analysis when engaging with the different theoretical orientations of dynamic psychology, learning to evaluate the epistemological and clinical coherence of various models in interpreting psychological and relational phenomena.

4. Communication skills: Students will be able to use a specialized and rigorous vocabulary appropriate to the discipline, enabling them to effectively communicate complex concepts related to psychic functioning and psychodynamic clinical work to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

5. Learning skills: Students will develop adequate autonomous learning skills that will enable them to continuously explore topics in dynamic psychology, consult relevant scientific literature, and keep up to date with future developments in clinical and theoretical research.

The course will cover the following topics:

• The Freudian perspective: drives, conflicts, and defenses;
• Theories and worldviews in dynamic psychology;
• The unconscious;
• Emotions and affects;
• Intimacy and sexuality;
• Motivational systems;
• Internal objects and internal working models;
• Organizing function: from the Ego to the Self;
• Defense mechanisms and coping strategies in mediating with reality;
• Psychopathology: from internal fantasies to the memory of relationships;
• The setting;
• Transfert
• From interpretation to relational experience in psychotherapy;
• The attachment paradigm and clinical intervention;   
• Dynamic psychology and infant research;   
• Dynamic psychology and attachment theory;   
• Research in psychodynamic psychotherapy;
• Dynamic psychology and neuroscience;
• Psychodynamic personality diagnosis;
• Developmental levels of personality organization and clinical implications;
• Primary and secondary defense processes;
• Character organization types.

Contribution of the course to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being and reduce premature mortality through prevention and treatment of mental illnesses.
• Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse

• Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including respect for cultural diversity and the promotion of a culture of peace.

The course in Dynamic Psychology contributes to these objectives by providing students with theoretical and practical tools to understand and address psychological issues through a perspective of prevention, promotion of well-being, and inclusion. The course also encourages critical reflection on the individual and collective dynamics that influence mental health and well-being, fostering the development of cross-cutting skills useful for a more sustainable society.

The evaluation of the expected learning outcomes will take place through a written exam. Students registered with CINAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration of Students) may contact the instructor via email to agree upon any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs.

Exam Format

• Test type: 31 multiple-choice questions. Each question features 4 response options, with only one correct answer.

• Time allowed: Maximum 60 minutes. Additional time is granted as established by University regulations for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) registered with CINAP.

• Scoring criteria:

  • 1 point for each correct answer.

  • 0 points for each incorrect or missing answer (no penalty for wrong answers).

• Exam grading: The final grade out of thirty is calculated based on the total score achieved (up to a maximum of 30 cum laude for 31 correct answers). The exam is passed upon reaching the passing threshold (18/30)

The questions will refer to the course syllabus. Below are some examples of exam questions:

1. What characterizes Freud's theory of neuroses?

2. What is the principle of psychic determinism?

3. What is an internal object?

4. What is meant by a selfobject?

5. What are defense mechanisms?

6. What is meant by the setting?

7. What is meant by transference?

8. Which aspects characterize the developmental model from the perspective of infant research?

9. What is meant by non-specific factors in psychotherapy?

10. What is meant by therapeutic process research?

11. Which aspects characterize psychoanalytic diagnosis?

12. What is meant by primary defense processes?

13. What are the developmental levels of personality organization?

14. What is meant by depressive personality?