A01

• The psychodynamic approach suggests that our mind is split in three. The conscious mind is everything we know and are aware of. The preconscious is where thoughts and memories which are currently not in conscious awareness can be accessed if desired. Third, the unconscious mind contains biological drives and instincts, as well as threatening and disturbed memories.
• Personality is made up of three parts. The ID (the pleasure principle) demands instant gratification and is influenced by unconscious drives and instincts. The Ego (the reality principle) is the mediator, reducing conflict between the demands of the ID and the Superego. The Superego (the morality principle) is our internalised sense of right and wrong which represents our moral standards.
• The ego uses defence mechanisms to reduce the conflict between the Id and the Superego as much as possible. A defence mechanism is an unconscious strategy which helps the ego from being overwhelmed. Examples of defence mechanisms are repression, denial and displacement.

  All children go through five stages of psychosexual development. A child can become fixated or ‘stuck’ in any of the stages, which can result in different behaviours in adult life.