Psychodynamic approach AO1

Cards (9)

  • assumptions
    • Sigmund Freud is the pioneer of the psychodynamic approach
    • Freud assumed that people are born with basic instincts/need that behaviour is in large controlled by the unconscious mind
    • Freud also divided the mind into 3 structures: id, ego and superego
  • role of the unconscious mind
    most of our mind is made up of the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind holds repressed memories. 3 components are the id, ego and superego
  • Id
    driving us to satisfy selfish urges (i.e. acts according to the 'pleasure principle') (exists from birth).
  • ego
    acts rationally, balancing the ID and the superego (i.e. acts according to the 'reality principle') (develops years 2-4).
  • superego
    concerned with keeping to moral norms (i.e. acts according to the ‘morality principle’), and attempts to control a powerful ID with feelings of guilt (develops years 4-5).
  • Psychosexual stages
    • Oral – mouth is focal point of sensation (0-18 months)
    • Anal – pleasure gained from defecation (18 months – 3.5 years)
    • Phallic – fixation on genitals. oedipus/electra complex. boys get castration anxiety (3.5 – 6 years)
    • Latency – repressed sexual desires, focus issues on social and intellectual skills (6 years - puberty)
    • Genital – sexual desires become conscious with puberty (puberty onwards)
  • problems in psychosexual stages lead to
    oral - chain smoking
    anal - anal expulsive (too messy) and anal retentive (being too clean)
    phallic - low self worth/intimacy issues
    latency - low self esteem
    genital - hard to form mature sexual relationships and establish intimacy
  • defence mechanisms
    repression - forcing distressing memory out of the conscious mind
    denial - refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
    displacement - transferring feeling from the true source to a substitute
  • what are the psychosexual stages?
    5 stages of child development each marked with different conflicts that the child must resolve in order to progress successfully. unresolved conflict leads to fixations/problems with certain behaviours