psycho-dynamic approach

• what are the assumptions of this approach?

  •behaviours motivated by instinctive drives - sex and aggression

  •behaviours determined by early childhood experiences

  •behaviours largely influenced by the unconscious mind
• what are the 3 levels of the iceburg?


  conscious, preconscious, unconscious
• what did freud believe about the human mind?


  it’s like an iceberg as most of the content is ‘beneath the surface’
• what’s the role of the unconscious level?


  store biological drives/instincts, thoughts & memories that are seen a unacceptable , disturbing, unpleasant
• what are the biological drives?


  sex drive (libido) & aggression drive (thanatos)
• what does the need to satisfy these drives do?

  influence our behaviour and personality unconsciously as they’re unconsciously motivated to satisfy
• what’s the structure of the personality?

  id, ego, superego
• what are ‘freudian slips’?


  ‘slips of the tongue’/parapraxis which are verbal stumbles that revel forbidden urged/unconscious drives
• what level is the id in?


  unconscious
• what’s the id?


  mass of our inherited biological drives
• what is the id driven by?

  basic, selfish desires that it demands to be satiated immediately
• when is the id present by?


  birth
• how does the id make you act?


  entirely irrational and doesn’t accept that gratifying some impulses may be inappropriate/impractical
• what levels is the superego in?


  conscious, preconscious and unconscious
• what is the superego?

  an internalised sense of right & wrong
• when does the superego develop?


  around age 5 (last to develop)
• what is the operating principle of the id?


  pleasure
• whats the operating principles of the superego?


  morality
• why does the superego develop last?


  children must gain experience of reward & punishment from parents
• what does the superego do?


  strives to uphold moral standards and punished the ego with guilt for wrongdoings
• when does the ego develop?


  around age 2
• what’s the operating principle of the ego?


  reality
• why does the ego develop at 2?


  a child must gain experience in dealing with the real world
• what is the ego?


  rational
• what does the ego do?


  used logic/planning to mediate between the demands of the id and the moral standards of the superego to achieve solution of of obtaining pleasure
• what is the egos function regarding the other components?


  find a compromise that satisfies the id without violating the moral standards of the superego
• what happens if the id overpowers the ego as it’s too weak?


  dominates - psychotic disorders that are characterised by a loss of grip on reality eg schizophrenia
• what happens if the superego overpowers the ego as it’s too weak?


  dominates - neurotic disorders that are characterised by anxiety/guilt eg depression/anxiety disorders
• what is a defence mechanism?


  unconscious strategies that are triggered when an individual is faced with a situation they’re unable to deal with rationally
• what do defence mechanisms help?


  the ego balance the conflicting demands of the id and superego
• what do defence mechanisms do to protect us?


  distort reality so we’re pro yes from any unpleasant emotions/anxiety that would be associated with the situation
• what is repression?


  forcing a distressing memory into the unconscious mind so we’re no longer consciously aware of it
• what is denial?


  refusing to acknowledge/admit to some aspect of reality
• what is displacement?


  transferring an unacceptable emotion from its true source onto a substitute target that’s considered more acceptable
• what is suppression?


  deciding not to dwell on a memory, thought or emotion
• what is rationalisation?


  using logical explanations to cope with painful emotions/situations
• how does freud believe children develop their identity/personality?


  five stages, occurring from birth to puberty
• what does the livbido need to do in every stage?


  express itself so is focused on a particular part of the body (erogenous zone) and the child gins pleasure from stimulating this part
• what happens if conflict is not overcome in stages?


  unresolved = fixation, where the child is stuck in that stage & continues to derive pleasure from the same zone
• what does unresolved conflict manifest itself in in adulthood?


  certain personality traits