A01

• . The Psychodymanic approach states that behaviour can be explained by unresolved unconscious conflicts

  . Behaviour is caused by underlying psychological conflicts we are unaware of
• The structure of the mind: Freud suggested that the part of our mind that we know and are aware about is the conscious mind. Just under the conscious mind is the preconscious, thoughts + ideas we become aware of as part of memories during dreams. These are things we can easily access. Most of our mind is the unconscious, the biological drives and instincts that have a significant influence on our behaviour and personality.
• The tripartite structure of personality: 1. The ID - the first part of personality to develop and is inherited, selfishness and seeks immediate pleasure. Ego - develops from 2 and onwards to satisfy the ID but within the constraints of society, called the reality principle. Superego - Immorality principle, demands perfection so tends to be critical of ourselves and others. Develops during 3-6 years and phallic stage.
• Defence mechanisms - ensure the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas. They involve a form of distortion of reality and regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable.
• Types of Defence Mechanisms - Repression - "motivated forgetting", blocks out negative experiences or emotions into the unconscious mind so you forget about it. This is because these experiences can be traumatic. Denial - completely ignoring the facts and making yourself believe that something won't or didn't happen when it did. Displacement - redirecting thoughts, feelings and impulses from one object to another object.
• Psychosexual stages - Freud claimed that child development occurred in 5 stages. Each stage is marked by a different conflict that must be resolved to progress to the next change. From these different areas of the body, we get pleasure. If under-gratified or over-gratified, we might get fixated, affecting our behaviours later on.
• First stage - Oral stage (0-1) - pleasure zone - mouth

  2nd stage - Anal stage (1-3) - Pleasure zone - bladder + bowel

  3rd stage - Phallic stage (3-5) - pleasure zone - genitals

  4th stage - Latency stage (5-13) - pleasure zone - no sexual feelings

  5th stage - Genital stage (13+) - pleasure zone - maturing sexual interests
• Oral stage - the mouth is vital for eating and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting + sucking. Fixation results in dependency and aggression. Examples are Drinking, smoking + nail biting.
• Anal stage - major conflict is toilet training. Developing control leads to feelings of accomplishment and independence. Inappropriate parental responses lead to negative outcomes. Laid back parents make the children anal expulsive meaning a destructive personality. Strict parents make the child anal retentive meaning obsessive and rigid.
• Phallic stage - Children begin to notice the difference between females and males. Boys go through Oedipus complex where they have unconscious sexual feelings towards their mothers. Girls go through Electra complex where they develop sexual feelings for their father and have penis envy.
• Latency stage - sexual energy is still present but it is directed to developing socially and intellectually. This stage is vital in the development of communication skills and self confidence.
• Genital stage - during this stage the individual develops strong feelings for the opposite sex. This starts in puberty but lasts for the rest of the persons life. Interest in the welfare of others also grows in this stage. If the other stages have been completed successfully, then a person will be warm, caring and well balanced.
• Oedipus Complex - boy develops sexual desires for his mother. He wants his mother exclusively and wants to get rid of his father to do so. However, the boy thinks that if his father was to find out, he would take his penis away, developing castration anxiety. The boy then undergoes identification - adopting the values, attitudes and behaviours of another person.
• Electra Complex - the girl desires the father, but realises she doesn't have a penis. This leads to the development of penis envy and wanting to be a boy. This girl resolves this by repressing the desire and for the wish for a baby. The girl blames the mother for her castrated state, creating tension. The girl then represses her feelings by identifying with the mother.