psychodynamic approach

• The psychodynamic approach describes different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct behaviour.

  Assumptions:

  • Unconscious activity is the key to behaviour
  • We have innate drives (instincts) which motivate behaviour
  • Our psyche (personality) is made up of the id, ego and superego
  • Childhood experiences impact out personality in adulthood
• Freud suggested the part of our mind that we are aware of, the conscious, is just the tip of the iceberg.

  Just below the conscious is the preconscious which is not currently in our awareness, but can be accessed.

  Most of the mind is made up of the unconscious, containing our instincts, drives, fears etc.

  
• Freud said our psyche (personality) is made up of 3 parts that are in constant movement (dynamic)

  • Id
  • Ego
  • Superego
• The id

  • You are born with this (instinctual) and it therefore develops first
  • The instructive part of the personality e.g. “I want it now”
  • An infant will demand for its needs to be satisfied
  • Works on the pleasure principle
  • Unconscious
• The superego

  • Develops last (around 4yo)
  • Works on the morality principle (ego ideal)
  • It’s the “that is wrong and you can’t have that” part of the personality
  • The superego is your conscience given to you by parents, rules, society etc.
• The ego

  • The id and superego are in constant conflict, we therefore develop an ego
  • Mediates between the id and the superego
  • Rational part of the personality as it works on reality principles
  • Sometimes known as the ‘inner adult’ – rational and logical
  • Conscious
• Ego defence mechanisms

  In order to resolve the constant conflict in the psyche (between the id and superego), the ego uses a number of unconscious strategies:

  • Repression
  • Denial
  • Displacement
• repression -

  Unconsciousness blocks unacceptable thoughts/impulses so that you are not aware of it

  e.g. A person who suffered abuse later has no memory of the event
• Denial -

  Refusing to acknowledge reality – reject the though/feeling

  e.g. Smokers may refuse to admit to themselves smoking is bad for their health
• Displacement -

  Transferring feelings from true sources of distress onto a substitute target

  e.g. Harrison punching his wall
• weakness -

  The Psychodynamic approach suggests behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts which we have no choice in (leaves no room for free will)

  Suggests Freud’s views show psychic determinism and were too extreme as most people do have a sense of control over their behaviours
• weakness -

  It has been argued that this approach does not meet the scientific criteria as it can not be tested through empirical methods as it focuses on unconscious levels.

  This reduces the reliability and validity of the approach as it can not be scientifically tested and it can therefore been seen as a ‘pseudoscience’
• Psychosexual Stages: Freud claimed child development occurs in 5 stages, each marked by a different conflict that a child must resolve to progress onto the next stage.
• Fixation:

  Any psychosexual conflict that is unresolved leads to fixation where the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through adult life.
• 1 - oral stage

  • Ages 0-1 year
  • Pleasure focus = mouth (mother’s breast is the object of desire – milk)
  • If fixation = manifest as drinking, smoking, eating addictions or nail biting
• 2 - anal stage

  • Ages 1-3 years
  • Pleasure focus = anus – child gains pleasure from going to the toilet
  • Fixation – leads to either an anal retentive or expulsive personality (may result in OCD)
• 3 - phallic stage

  • Ages 3 – 5 years•
  • Pleasure focus = genital area and unconscious desire for opposite sex parent (learn about gender)
  • Oedipus complex – boys feel guilt over unconscious desires towards mothers and feel hostility towards dads (castration anxiety)
  • Electra complex – girls feel guilt over unconscious desires towards fathers and feel hostility towards  mums (penis envy)
  • Later learn to imitate and act like same gendered parent
  • Fixation – leads to vanity, inadequacy, envy
• 4 - latency stage

  • Ages 6 - puberty
  • Sexual impulses are repressed, leading to a period of relative calm
  • Fixation – difficulty expressing emotions/forming healthy relationships
• 5 - genital stage

  • Ages puberty - adult
  • Libido re-emerges and becomes conscious and is directed towards peers of opposite sex – intimate relationships are formed
  • Fixation – may cause problems such as sexual dysfunction, difficulties forming healthy relationships
• strength -

  Freuds theory has been used to explain a wide range of behaviours (moral, mental disorders) and drew attention to the influence of childhood on adult personality

  Suggests, overall, the psychodynamic approach has had a positive influence on psychology and modern day thinking
• strength -

  Psychoanalysis (helps deal with everyday problems by providing access to unconscious mind and dream analysis) was the first attempt to treat mental disorders

  Psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern day therapies e.g. talking therapies, counselling etc.