Approaches: Psychodynamic approach

• What is the psychodynamic approach?


  Focuses on the UNCONSCIOUS mental forces that individuals are largely UNAWARE of, but drives emotions and behaviour.

  
• Define, 'the unconscious''


  The part of the mind that we are UNAWARE of, but which continues to direct much of our behaviour

  
• How do psychodynamic psychologists study human behaviour?


  Case studies (i.e. Little Hans - 1909)

  
  

  Allows them to gather lots of qualitative data
• What did Sigmund Freud believe people were born with?


  People are born with basic instincts that motivate our behaviour and the unconscious mind LARGELY controls that behaviour
• What did Freud believe about early childhood experiences?


  Early childhood experiences determine adult behaviour and personality.

  
  

  This is because the unconscious mind is made up of REPRESSED childhood experiences and conflicts and has a role in controlling our behaviour.
• Freud believed our personality is made up of 3 different elements. What are they?


  ID

  EGO

  SUPEREGO
• What is the ID?


  The pleasure principle - DEVIL

  
  

  Selfish, aggressive instincts that demand instant gratification

  
  

  Present at birth

  
• What is the EGO?


  The reality principle - IN BETWEEN

  
  

  The balance between the conflicting demands of the ID and SUPEREGO

  
  

  Develops around 2: until you turn 5, your ego is dominated by the id.

  
• What is the SUPEREGO?


  The morality principle - ANGEL

  
  

  Moral part of our personality which represents our ideal self

  
  

  Develops around 5 or 6

  
• What does Freud believe about free will? Why?


  Free will is an illusion.

  
  

  We are not entirely aware of what we are consciously thinking as a large part of our mental life operates at an unconscious level. This means that how we act has little to do with our conscious thoughts.
• The mind comprises 3 levels. What are they?

  The unconscious, conscious and preconscious

  
• What is the conscious?


  Directly aware of thoughts and experiences.

  Represents short term memory.
• What is the unconscious?


  Contains instincts, drives and desires that we are not aware of but which have a strong influence on our behavior.

  
  

  Many of these would be disturbing* to the individual if they became conscious

  
  

  * REMEMBER - It is made up of REPRESSED conflicts from childhood
• What is the preconscious?


  Thoughts, feelings and experiences that we are not directly aware of but can easily access through recall.

  
  

  Represents long term memory.
• What defence mechanisms are used by the EGO to prevent painful, upsetting and disturbing unconscious thoughts from becoming conscious?


  Repression (forgetting about an embarrassing incident)

  
  

  Denial (denying a drinking problem)

  
  

  Displacement (punching a wall instead of your brother)

  
• How will a person with a strong ego be able to use these defense mechanisms?


  They will be able to use defense mechanisms (such as repression) EFFECTIVELY

  
• What may a person with a strong id or superego exhibit?


  Psychological disorders

  
  

  They may not be able to function well and adjust to the demands of everyday life as they are unable to balance between the ID and SUPEREGO

  
• What do the psychosexual stages relate to?


  The psychosexual stages relate to different areas of the body that give pleasure to the child.

  
  

  They are driven by the libido (sex instinct)
• What are the psychosexual stages?


  oral stage

  anal stage

  phallic stage

  latency stage

  genital stage
• State the characteristics of the oral stage


  Age: 0-1

  
  

  Mouth is the first place to be associated with gratification due to feeding.

  
  

  If weaning is not handled sensitively, individuals will be ORALLY FIXATED.

  
  

  May bite nails, smoke, have an eating addiction
• State the characteristics of the anal stage


  Age: 2-3

  
  

  Gratification comes from expelling and withholding faeces

  
  

  If toilet training is not handled sensitively, the individual will become fixated at this stage (results in anal characteristics:)

  
  

  Anal expulsive - disorganised and impulsive

  Anal retentive - perfectionist and excessively organised
• State the characteristics of the phallic stage


  Age: 4-5

  
  

  Gratification comes from the genital area of the body

  
  

  Development of gender identity through the Electra and Oedipus complexes
• Explain the Oedipus complex


  Consists of a boy's incestuous feelings towards his mum. 😐

  He therefore fantasises about killing his father 🔪

  Develops 'castration anxiety'

  
  

  Eventually, he represses this and identifies with his father
• What evidence did Freud have for the Oedipus complex?


  Little Hans (1909)

  
  

  Little Hans feared that horses would bite him

  
  

  Freud used the Oedipus complex and the ego's defence mechanism (displacement) to explain his phobia

  
  

  Claimed Little Has displaced his fear of his father castrating him onto the horse and it biting him

  
• Explain the Electra complex


  Consists of a girl becoming sexually obsessed with her father.

  She fantasises about killing her mother as she blames her mother for her lack of penis. 🔪

  
  

  Eventually, she represses her desire for her father and directs this energy towards having a baby 👶
• State the characteristics of the latency stage


  Age: 6-12

  
  

  A period of relative calmness in which the ego's defense mechanisms are developed (all earlier experiences are repressed into the unconscious)
• State the characteristics of the genital stage


  Age: 13-18 (DEVELOPS) ---> Carried until death

  
  

  Gratification associated with mature sexual relationships.

  
  

  Sexual desire becomes conscious (after being repressed) with the onset of puberty
• What are the STRENGTHS of the psychodynamic approach?


  ⚖️Practical application - Freud brought a new form of therapy: psychoanalysis. This involved using a range of techniques to access the unconscious (i.e. hypnosis and dream analysis)

  
  

  ⚖️The case study method - Freud based his theory upon intensive study of individuals (often in therapy). His observations were detailed and carefully recorded

  
  

  Explanatory power - Explains personality development, gender and abnormal behaviour. Especially credited for making the connection between childhood experiences and later development (i.e. NEGLECT!)
• What are the WEAKNESSES of the psychodynamic approach?


  ⚖️Practical application - Psychoanalysis can be harmful, especially for those suffering mental disorders (i.e. schizophrenia)

  
  

  ⚖️The case study method - Freud's interpretations were HIGHLY subjective. In comparison to other approaches, Freud's approach lacks SCIENTIFIC RIGOUR.

  
  

  Psychic deterministic - ''No such thing as an accident'' as all behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood. Free will is an illusion

  
  

  Untestable concepts - Many of Frued's concepts occur at an unconscious level making them difficult to test. {According to a philosopher of science, Karl Popper} the status of the psychodynamic theory is a pseudoscience rather than real science.