Psychodynamic

• Assumptions - Causes of behaviour - The role of the unconscious

  The majority of our mind is made up of the unconscious - a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and personality

  The unconscious also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed and forgotten - may be accessed during dreams or through ‘slips of the tongue’ (Paraphraxes)

  Under the surface of our conscious mind is the pre conscious - contains thoughts and memories which are not in the conscious awareness but we can access if desired
• Assumptions - Causes of behaviour - The Tripartite personality

  Freud argued that the personality (‘Psyche’) is made up of three distinct parts:

  • Id
  • Superego
  • Ego
• Id


  The primitive part of our personality which operates on the pleasure principle - the Id gets what it wants

  A seething mass of unconscious drives and instincts

  Only the Id is present at birth (Babies are ‘bundles of id’)

  Throughout life the id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs
• Superego 


  Formed at the end of the phallic stage, around the age of 5

  It is our internalised sense of right and wrong

  Based on morality principle, it represents the moral standards of the childs same sex parent and punishes the ego for wrongdoing (guilt)
• Ego 


  Works on the reality principle, and is the mediation between the other two parts of the personality

  Develops around the age of 2 and its role is to reduce conflict between the demands of the id and superego

  Deploys defence mechanisms
• Assumption - Causes of behaviour - Defence mechanisms

  Unconsciously ensure that the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas - however they often involve some form of distortion of reality and as a long term solution they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable. Includes:

  • Repression
  • Denial
  • Displacement
• Repression 


  Forcing a distressing memory out of the unconscious mind
• Denial 


  Refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality
• Displacement 


  Transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
• Assumption - Scientific method

  Doesn't use controlled studies - only case studies
• Assumption - Animal research

  No animal studies - studies what makes us distinctly human
• Freud’s stage theory of psychosexual development

  Freud proposed that personality development in childhood takes place during five psychosexual stages

  During each stage, sexual energy (libido) is expressed in different ways and through different body parts

  Includes:

  • Oral
  • Anal
  • Phallic
  • Latent
  • Genital
• Oral 


  Between birth and 2 years old

  The mouth is the focus point of sensation (sucking/biting)

  Fixations can result in nail-biting or smoking as an adult
• Anal 


  Around age 2-3, the ego develops

  The child becomes aware of the need to conform to social demands - toilet training becomes an issue

  Fixations can result in an anal-retentive or anal-expulsive personality
• Phallic 


  Between ages 3-6, sensual energy is focused on curiosity about genitals

  The Oedipus complex arises

  To resolve castration anxiety, a boy identifies with father

  Girls experience similar issues via the Electra complex, and identify with their mother

  This leads to the internalisation of the same-sex parents superego
• Latent 


  Around ages 6-12

  Childhood traumas and conflicts are forgotten (repressed) so that we can mature and develop ‘mastery’ of our world

  Fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and relationship problems
• Genital 


  From around age 12+ (puberty)

  Sensual energy becomes focused on the genitals, and the child is awakened to sexual urges

  This leads to sexual intercourse and the start of adult life
• Strength - Applications (Legacy and Value)

  Freud discovered psychoanalysis - a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious, such as hypnosis and dream analysis

  The forerunner to many modern day psychotherapies

  Although Freudian psychologists have claimed success with many clients experiencing mild neuroses, it has been criticised as inappropriate and harmful - especially for people with more serious mental disorders (Schizophrenia)
• Strength - Reductionism

  One strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it considers a range of factors in understanding behaviour

  For example, Freud argued that the superego is acquired from the same-sex parent, and so acknowledges role of the family

  he also emphasised the role of instincts and feelings such as guilty, thereby considering the role of emotions

  This matters because it means that the psychodynamic approach accounts for both internal and external factors

  Therefore, it is arguably a more holistic explanation for behaviour than other approaches