Psychodynamic Approach

• a defence mechanism is an unconscious strategy that involves a distortion of reality to protect our conscious mind from unpleasant emotions, so we can cope with a situation
• psychoanalysis is the personality theory and therapy associated with Sigmund Freud
• Unconscious is the part of the mind that contains repressed ideas, memories, desires and impulses that cannot be accessed by the conscious mind
• The Tripartite personality is Freuds division of the mind in to three structures, ID, Ego and Superego
• The Psychosexual stages are Freuds stage theory proposing that personality develops through the a sequence of 5 stages which are driven by Libido
• Assumption 1:

  • human behaviour has unconscious causes.
  • Adult behaviour is determined by childhood experiences and by innate, unconscious drives and motives
• Assumption 2:


  • behaviour is motivated by unconscious sexual and aggressive drives which create psychic energy that builds up and creates tension and anxiety if not released
• Assumption 4:

  • childhood experiences are important in the development of adult personality and psychological disorders
  • there is a link between early experiences and later behaviour
• the role of the unconscious mind is the part we are unaware of
• preconscious mind contains memories and stored knowledge which are not in conscious awareness but can be recalled
• ID


  • Selfish, irrational and emotional part of personality
  • seeks pleasure
  • based on 'pleasure principle'
  • operates on the unconscious mind
  • present at birth
• EGO


  • Rational part
  • based on 'reality principle'
  • balances ID and Superego
  • formed between ages 18 months and 3 years
  • conscious part of mind
  • uses defence mechanisms to deal with conflicts and reduced anxiety
• SUPEREGO


  • Operates in unconscious mind
  • acts as moral guide
  • based on 'morality principle'
  • formed between ages 3 to 6
• Psychosexual stages


  • Oral
  • Anal
  • Phallic
  • Latency
  • Genital
• oral stage (ages 0-1)focuses on pleasure in the mouth and mothers breast

  examples of adult behaviour if unresolved:

  • oral fixation
  • nail biting
  • smoking
  • sarcasm
  • aggression
• Anal stage (1-3) focuses on pleasure in the anus and child focuses on withholding and expelling faeces

  Examples of adult behaviour if unresolved conflict:

  • Anal retentive- obsessive and perfectionist
  • Anal repulsive- thoughtless and messy
• Phallic stage (3-5) focuses on pleasure of the genital and children experience the oedipus or electra complex

  examples of adult behaviour of unresolved conflict:

  • narcissistic
  • reckless
  • vain
  • envious
  • confused sexual identity
• Latency stage (6-12) previous conflicts are resolved, repressed and early years are largely forgotten

  examples of adult behaviour of unresolved conflict:

  • fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and inability to form fulfilling relationships
• Genital stage (12-adulthood) sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty

  examples of adult behaviour of unresolved conflic:

  • problems are carried forward from earlier stages
  • difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
• when males enter the Oedipus complex they have sexual desires towards their mother. He realizes that his father is more powerful than him and starts to fear his father will find out about his desires and castrate him.

  This becomes the superego and in taking on his father as part of himself the boy takes on the male gender identity
• during the phallic stage girls desire there father, but realize they don't have a penis. this leads to developing penis envy. this resolves by the girl repressing desires for her father and wishing for a baby instead of a penis.
• Defence Mechanism- Repression


  forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind into the unconscious mind
• Defence Mechanism- Denial

  refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality
• Defence Mechanisms- Displacement


  Transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotions onto a substitute target
• Evaluation of Defence Mechanisms:


  • are not testable so cannot be studied directly
  • can only be inferred from behaviour
• Evaluation 1:

  • approach has explanatory power to many psychological topics and used to explain a range of behaviours
• Evaluation 2:

  • testing of unconscious concepts are unfalsifiable
• Evaluation 3:

  psychotherapy is a treatment for mental health issues has been successful