The psychodynamic approach

• what are the basic assumptions of the psychodynamic approach

  • the unconscious mind drives our behaviour
  • Early childhood is pivotal in making us the person we are
  • intrapsychin conflict can cause anxiety; defence mechanisms can be employed to reduce this anxiety
• what is the role of the unconscious


  The unconscious mind refers to the inaccessible part of the mindthat we are not consiciously aware of
• Describe the unconscious minds sexual and aggressive instincts

  it contains sexual and agressive instintes and drives that influence our behavior. (e.g. the oedipus complex)
• what does the unconcious mind contain? and why?

  • contains disturbing memories thathave been repressed
  • This is in order to prevent the distress
  • e.g. repressing abuse, not getting close to people in your future relationships
• Describe the psychosexual stages of development

  • Frend proposed that our personality develops through a sequence of fire stages ("psychosexualstages").
  • The most important thing driving the force in this development is the need to express Sexual energy.
  • This is through different parts of the body
• what did freud propose about the parents in a child's progression through the psychosexual stages


  parents make their children experience too much or too little gratification (pleasure) during a stage.