Psychodynamic approach

• Who is the founder of the Psychodynamic Approach

  Sigmund Freud
• What is the Psychodynamic Approach


  A perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
• What is the role. Of the unconscious (AO1)

  -Unaware of unconscious

  -Drives our behaviour due to biological drive & instinct

  -Contains repressed memories (threatening/disturbing so forgotten)

  -Repressed memories can be accessed during dreams or "slip of the tongue" (parapraxes)
• What is a parapraxis


  Error of memory, speech, writing, reading or action that due to interference of repressed thoughts and unconscious features of the individual's personality.

  Eg calling a teacher mum
• What is the preconscious


  Thoughts and memories whci aren't currently in conscious but we could access if we wanted to
• What did Freud describe personality as


  tripartite
• What is Id


  pleasure principle (unconscious drives & instincts, presented at birth, demands instant gratification, selfish)
• What is ego

  Reality principle (mediates between Id and superego, by reducing conflict between the two by using defence mechanisms, develops at 2y
• What is superego

  Morality principle (formed at phallic stage, 5yr, sense of right and wrong, represent moral standards of child's same-sex parents, punishes ego for wrongdoing (via guilt)
• Name the stages of development in order

  Oral

  Anal

  Phallic

  Latency

  Genital
• Describe Oral stage (0-1) with consequences if unresolved

  - Pleasure from mouth (as breast is desired)

  - Oral fixation =smoking, biting nails, sarcastic, critical
• Describe anal stage (1-3) with consequences if unresolved


  - Pleasure from anus (expelling and withholding feces)

  - Anal retentive= perfectionist, obsessive

  - Anal expulsive= thoughtless, messy
• Describe phallic (3-5) with consequences if unresolved

  - Pleasure from genitals. Oedipus/electra complex.

  - Phallic personality= narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual
• Describe latency stage

  Earlier conflicts are repressed (phallic, anal and oral)
• Describe genital stage with consequences if unresolved

  - Sexual desires= conscious, alongside puberty

  - Difficulty forming heterosexual relationship
• What is the Oedipus complex?

  -A boys incestual feelings towards his mother and murderous hatred towards father

  -Fearing castration (removal of testes), they repress feelings for their mother & identify w/ father, adopting his gender & moal identity
• What is the Electra complex?

  -Girls desire for her father (bc penis=love object aka penis envy) and hate their mother

  -They give up this desire for their father & replace w/ desire for a baby & identify w/ mother
• Defence mechanisms...
• Defence mechanisms def


  Unconscious strategies the ego uses to manage conflict between id & superego
• Purpose of defence mechanism

  -Ensures ego is prevented from being overwhelmed by trauma
• What is wrong with defence mechanisms?

  It involves a distortion of reality & aren't a psychologically healthy long-term solution
• What are the three types of defence mechanisms?

  Repression

  Denial

  Displacement
• What is repression?

  Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious memory
• Example of repression


  Someone forgetting the trauma of their favourite pet dying
• Denial def


  Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
• Example of denial

  Continuing to turn up to work, despite being sacked
• Displacement def


  Transferring feelings from the true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
• Displacement example


  Slamming the door after having a row w/ your partner
• Evaluation of defence mechanism...
• Positives of Psychodynamic Approach

  +Real world application

  +Explanatory power
• Negatives of Psychodynamic Approach

  -Untestable concept

  -Psychic determinism

  -May not apply to serious mental illnesses'

  -Use of case studies
• Real world application :)


  +Introduced psychotherapy (opposed physical treatments)

  +Freud invented psychoanalysis (new form of therapy)

  +Brings repressed emotions to conscious mind so they can be dealt with

  +Forerunner to modern day "talking therapy" eg counselling
• Explanatory power :)

  +Explains human behaviour

  +This approach remained a force in psychology for 1st half of 20th century & was used to explain wide range of phenomena eg personality

  +Shows link between experience in childhood (eg relationship w/ parents) & later development
• Unstable concept :(


  -Karl Popper (philosopher) argued it doesn't meet scientific criterion of falsification

  -Not open to empirical testing

  -Freuds work= based on subjective study of single indv. eg little Hans so it's hard to make a universal statement
• Psychic determinism :(


  -Suggests most our behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood

  -Freud believed there are no "accidents", slip of the tongue is driven by unconscious forces & have deep meaning
• May not apply to serious mental illness :(

  -Psychoanalysis claijms to be successful for clients w/ mild neuroses but inappropriate (even harmful) for more serious mental disorders

  -Many ppl w/ schizophrenia experience symptoms eg paranoia & delusional thinking

  -Suggests Freudian theory & therapy may not apply to all mental disorders
• Use of case studies :(

  -Info sometimes distorted to fit certain theories

  -Not universal data

  -Hawthorne effect

  -Not scientific & subjective (hard to draw distinct cause and effect)

  
  

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