Psychodynamic approach

• The psychodynamic approach is a theory created by Sigmund Freud, he believed psychological factors are key to behaviour

  • people are born with instincts and needs and these are largely controlled by the unconscious mind
  • Most behaviour stems from early childhood experiences
• Unconscious


  The part of the human mind that we cannot access, where deep desires and traumatic memories are repressed
• Conscious mind


  The part of the mind that we are aware of, e.g. thoughts
• Preconscious


  Things we are aware of but have little control over, e.g. dreams, memories, Freudian slips
• Id


  The demanding, selfish part of our personality, immediate satisfaction of needs, the pleasure principle (0-18 months)
• Ego


  The rational part of the personality that manages the conflict between the id and the superego, the reality principle (18 months-3 years)
• Superego


  The moral part of our personality, the part that tells us what is right and wrong, the morality principle (3-6 years)
• The id and superego parts of personality are in direct conflict with each other
• The ego's job is to manage the conflict between the id and the superego
• If the ego is not strong enough to deal with the demands of the id and superego, it leads to abnormality
• Psychotic behaviour


  When the id is more in control, e.g. murder, rape
• Neurotic behaviour


  When the superego is more in control, e.g. OCD, anxiety
• Defence mechanisms


  What the ego uses unconsciously to try and protect us from distress and anxiety
• Repression


  Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
• Denial


  Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
• Displacement

  Transferring distress from the true source to a substitute target, transferring stress from someone who is weaker and available
• Overuse of defence mechanisms can be maladaptive and lead to abnormalities and symptoms of a disorder
• Psychosexual stages of development

  • Oral stage (0-2 years)
  • Anal stage (2-3 years)
  • Phallic stage (3-6 years)
  • Latency period (6-12 years)
  • Genital stage (12 years+)
• Oral stage


  Focus of pleasure is on the mouth
• Anal stage


  Focus of pleasure is the anus. Child gets pleasure by either withholding or expelling faeces
• Phallic stage


  Focus of pleasure is on genital area. Boys go through the Oedipus complex and girls go through the Electra complex. A desire for involvement with parent of the opposite sex
• Latency period


  Repress earlier conflicts
• Genital stage


  Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty
• If we are frustrated/deprived or over-indulged within any of these stages


  We may become fixated in that stage which can affect our adult behaviour
• Oral fixation/conflict


  • Leads to chain smoking, biting nails in adulthood
• Anal stage conflict

  
  

  Can result in two kinds of fixations

  • Anal retentive - OCD, perfectionist and super cleanliness
  • Anal expulsive - messy, thoughtless
• Phallic fixation


  • Freud suggested that fixations at this point could lead to adult personalities that are overly vain, exhibitionistic, and sexually aggressive
• Latency period conflict

  • Can result in immaturity and an inability to form fulfilling relationships as an adult
• AO3, Psychodynamic approach

  Pioneering approach to understand human behaviour

  Psychoanalysis is used in therapy, techniques are used to explore the conscious, talking is key to every type of therapy nowadays

  • this approach has led to successful treatments being developed. Maat et Al reviewed many psychotherapy studies and found psychoanalysis significantly helped improve symptons
• AO3, Psychodynamic approach

  Scientific support

  Psychoanalysis has been scientifically tested, psychoanalysis claims have been scientifically tested and confirmed.

  Fisher and Greenburg summarised 2500 psychoanalysis studies and concluded experimental studies of psychoanalysis compare well with other studies relevant to other major areas of psychology.

  Research supports existence of unconscious and repression, adding scientific credibility to the approach.
• AO3, Psychodynamic approach

  Gender-bias approach

  Female sexuality was less developed compared to Freud's theory of male sexuality.

  Freud was ignorant of the female sexuality and ignored how it may be different to the male sexuality, he is greatly criticised for his views on women and development

  Freud dismissing women is very problematic as Freud had many female patients and his work is still widely used today
• AO3, Psychodynamic approach

  A comprehensive theory

  Psychoanalysis explains many aspects of behaviour outside psychology

  • It has been used as literary criticism,
  • Shakespeare's play; Hamlet has repressed messages beneath the surface of the text, much of Hamlet's psyche is seen as a projection of Shakespeare's own feelings.

  
  

  We can interpret literary work using psychoanalysis
• AO3, Psychodynamic approach

  Culture-based approach

  Has little relevance to non-Western cultures

  Psychoanalysts believe mental disorders can be treated by discussing the issue which they have been repressing (e.g. trauma)

  • However, discussion isn't valued in other cultures such as in China where people are recommended to avoid negative thoughts rather than discuss them

  Psychoanalysis does not work in all cultures and contrasts with their beliefs