Psychodynamic approach

• Main assumptions

  • the unconscious mind is the driving force behind much of our behaviour
  • Instincts/drives motivate our behaviour (driven by our instincts as we go through stages of development for behaviour and personality)
  • Early childhood experience is crucial in making us who we are. Traumatic events can resurface in adulthood meaning the ego isn't fully developed
• What did Freud believe ?


  Life was built around tension and pleasure. Tension was due to the build up of libido and all pleasure came from its discharge
• The Tripartite Personality - Id 


  • The Id - forms births to 18 months
  • Unconscious, primitive and destructive
  • ‘Pleasure principle’ - demands immediate satisfaction
  • Childlike, selfish and hedonistic
  • (devil on your shoulder)
• The Tripartitie Personality - The Ego 


  • forms 18 months to 3 yrs old
  • ‘Reality principle’
  • Consciousness and ability to think rationally
  • Arbitrates between demand of Id and super ego
  • (referee)
• The Tripartite Personality - Super ego 


  • forms around 5 years old
  • ‘Morality principle’
  • Develops through socialization
  • Opposite of Id
  • Rigid, punishing and repressive
  • Anxiety, phobias and OCD
  • (angel on your shoulder)
• Psychosexual stages of development - Anal


  • pleasure derived from expelling or retaining feces
  • Potty training
  • The ego
  • Fixation caused by strict toilet training / intense pleasure associated with going to the toilet
  • Fixations:
  • Anally explosive = generous, shows emotions easily, rebellious
  • Anally retentive = very neat, organised and tight with money
• Psychosexual stages - Gentital 


  • sexua, instinct is directed to hetrosexual pleasure rather than self pleasure
  • No personality structure
  • Fixation occurs and there is no effect on adult personality. A person should be sexually matured and mentally healthy
• Psychosexual stages - phallic 


  • child focuses on own genitals and become aware of anatomical sex differences (boys experience Oedipus complex, girls Electra complex)
  • The super ego
  • Fixation results in phallic style personality (self assured, vain, reckless, impulsive)
• Psychosexual stages - oral 


  • infants main source of pleasure is in the mouth. Pleasure from biting and sucking
  • The Id
  • Fixations caused by insufficient or too much breastfeeding. Can result in being orally passive ( dependent, inactive, gullible) or orally aggressive
• Physchosexual stages - Latency 


  • sexual desires are repressed as libido is dormant. The calm before the storm
  • No personality structure
  • Fixations can result in a lack of libido in adulthood