Psychodynamic Approach

• Psychodynamic approach

  • Emphasises change and development in the individual
  • Assumes all human behaviour can be explained in terms of inner conflicts of the mind
• Unconscious


  The part of our mind that we are unaware of, which causes behaviour through unconscious factors largely unknown to us and beyond our control
• The unconscious extends its influence into every part of our waking and sleeping lives
• Psychodynamic theory


  Events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality. Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious, and influence our behaviour as adults
• Psychodynamic theory stresses the importance of relationships, particularly those with family members. The relationship between parent and child is of particular importance
• The Unconcious


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• The Role Of The Unconcious

  •Freud claimed that the conscious mind (the part of the mind that we are aware of) is merely the ‘tip of the iceberg.’•He used the iceberg metaphor to describe the mind: the tip above the surface is the conscious mind, but the much larger part (representing the unconscious) is hidden underwater.
• The Role Of The Unconcious

  •Freud believed that our actions and behaviours are not controlled consciously; instead they are the product of the unconscious mind.•The unconscious contains repressed ideas and memories, and primitive desires, drives, impulses and instincts. These then influence most of our everyday thoughts, feelings and behaviour.•Therefore, behaviour is caused by unconscious factors which are largely unknown to us and beyond our control.
• The Tripartite Structure Of Personality

  •Freud described the personality as being tripartite i.e. composed of three parts: the id, ego and superego.•Each part of the personality demands gratification, but is frequently in conflict with the other parts.•Experience/conflicts in childhood shape the development of the three parts, which affects how a person behaves.  E.g. If a person's superego is too strong, they are seen as rigid, pompous or self righteous.  Or if a person's id is too strong, they are seen as delinquent, antisocial or self-centred.
• The ID


  •The id is the primitive part of our personality that is formed from birth to 18 months.•It is unconscious and represents our drives and instincts.•It operates on the pleasure principle – it demands immediate gratification regardless of circumstances (i.e. it gets what it wants).•It focuses on the self (selfish), is irrational and emotional.•It deals with feelings and needs.•It contains the libido – the biological energy created by reproductive instincts.
• The EGO

  •The ego is the rational part of our mind that mediates between the id and superego that is formed between 18 months and 3 years.•It operates on the reality principle – it mediates between the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the external world.•It is conscious.•Its role is to reduce the conflict between the demands of the id and superego.
• The SuperEgo

  •The superego is our internalised sense of right and wrong based on parental and societal values (i.e. it acts as our conscience or moral guide) and is formed between 3-6 years.•It is unconscious.•It operates on the morality principle – it is our internal representation of the moral standards of the child’s same-sex parent and causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken.
• Defence Mechanism

  •The constant conflicts between the id, the ego and the superego can lead to a lot of anxiety–e.g. you want that bar of chocolate but you know you’re meant to be on a diet – you feel guilty if you have it but unsatisfied if you don’t – anxiety either way!•If there are conflicts, defence mechanisms may be triggered.•These tend to work unconsciously and work by distorting reality so that anxiety is reduced. They ensure that the ego is not overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas.
• Defence Mechanism

  Denial

  •This is the refusal to acknowledge and accept reality so as to avoid having to deal with any painful feelings that might be associated with that event. The person acts as if the event never happened.
• Defence Mechanism

  Repression 

  •This is the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts and impulses. The distressing memory is forced out of the conscious mind.•
• Defence Mechanism

  Displacement 

  •This is transferring your emotions from the true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target.
• Psychosexual Stages Of Development

  •Freud believed that personality developed through a sequence of five stages.•These are referred to as psychosexual stages because Freud believed that children are born with a libido – an unconscious sexual (pleasure) urge.•Each stage is marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress successfully to the next stage.•Any unresolved conflict leads to fixation where the child becomes ‘stuck’ and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with the stage into adult life.
• Psychosexual Stages

  1. Oral (birth-18 months)

  2. Anal (18 months-3 years)

  3. Phallic (3-6 years)

  4. Latency (6 years -11-12 years)

  5. Genital (puberty on)
• Oral stage


  Pleasure from sucking, biting, chewing, dependent on mum
• Anal stage


  Control over environment, toilet training, pleasure from using bladder and sphincter muscles
• Phallic stage

  Pleasurable feelings associated with the genitals, sexually attracted to opposite sex parents and jealous and rivalrous of same sex parent
• Latency stage


  Sexual desires go dormant, hang out with same sex
• Genital stage


  Relating to others in a sexually mature way, hormones fuel sexual desires, pleasure from genitals
• Oedipus complex


  Sexual desires for mum and murderous feelings for dad, feel guilty and fear retaliation, so develop castration anxiety
• Eletra complex

  Penis envy – penis is superior sex organ so desire for dad and want mum out of picture
• Fixation


  Too much or too little of pleasure during a psychosexual stage
• Oral fixation


  • Chain smoker as adult
• Anal fixation

  • Messy and disorganised (anal expulsive)
  • Uptight and controlling (anal retentive)
• •Old - Oral•Age - Anal•Pensioners - Phallic•Love - Latency•Guinness - Genital