PSYCH ASSUMPTIONS

• Psychodynamic approach


  Behaviour can be explained by the tripartite personality
• Tripartite personality


  The adult personality is structured into three parts that develop at different stages of our lives: the id, ego, and superego
• Id


  • Impulsive (and unconscious) part of our personality
  • Operates according to the pleasure principle, aiming to gain pleasure and gratification at any cost
  • If dominant, could lead to a psychopathic personality type, where the individual is selfish and lacks empathy
• Ego


  • Operates via the reality principle
  • Controls the conscious and rational part of the mind
  • Aims to work out realistic ways of balancing the id's demands in a socially acceptable way
  • A healthy personality type results from balancing the id, ego, and superego
• Superego


  • Operates on the morality principle
  • Aims to civilise behaviour and ensure social acceptability
  • Acts as a counterbalance to the Id and seeks to inhibit the Id's pleasure-seeking demands, particularly those for sex and aggression
  • Learned through identification with parents and others
  • If dominant, could lead to a neurotic personality type, whereby they are controlling and obsessive
• Tripartite personality assumption


  The adult personality is structured into three parts that develop at different stages of our lives: the id, ego, and superego
• Id


  Part of the personality that seeks immediate pleasure and gratification regardless of the cost
• Ego


  Part of the personality that mediates between the id and superego
• Superego


  Part of the personality that represents the conscience and provides a sense of morality
• Criminals


  • Ruled by their id
  • Superego is suppressed
• Criminals, particularly those who commit violent offences

  • Lack a sense of morality and remorse (meaning the superego is suppressed)
  • Seek immediate pleasure and gratification regardless of the cost (meaning their Id is dominant)
• Psychopaths


  • Lack a sense of morality and remorse (meaning the superego is suppressed)
  • Seek immediate pleasure and gratification regardless of the cost (meaning their Id is dominant)
• Individuals who score highly on extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism


  • More likely to develop criminality
• Psychodynamic approach


  Behaviour can be explained by childhood experiences
• Psychosexual stages


  Stages of psychological development in children proposed by Freud
• Psychosexual stages


  • Oral
  • Anal
  • Phallic
  • Latency
  • Genital
• Libido


  The desire for sexual activity
• Problems at any stage of development


  Can result in the child getting fixated (stuck) on the body part associated with that stage, which will have a long-lasting effect on personality
• Fixation


  When the stage has not been resolved because needs have not been met (Frustration) or when the child's needs have been more than satisfied, resulting in the child feeling too comfortable and reluctant to move on to the next stage (Overindulgence)
• Oral stage (0-18 months)

  1. Source of pleasure comes from the mouth (sucking, chewing etc.)

  2. Key events are breastfeeding or weaning on solid food
• Oral aggressive character


  Pessimistic, envious, sarcastic
• Oral receptive character


  Optimistic, gullible, and needy in relationships
• Fixation at the oral stage


  Can lead to an eating disorder in adulthood or an addiction such as alcohol or smoking
• Fixation at the anal stage


  Can lead to an adult developing an anal personality type and potentially OCD
• Fixation at the phallic stage


  Can lead to confused sexuality and difficulties in building and maintaining romantic relationships
• Psychodynamic approach


  Behaviour can be explained by childhood experiences
• Freud's theory of psychological development


  • Occurs through five stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital
• Oral stage


  Occurs from birth to 18 months, focuses on the mouth and key events such as breastfeeding
• Oral aggressive character


  Pessimistic, sarcastic and envious, develops if an individual is frustrated during the oral stage
• Fixation (due to an imbalance) in the oral stage


  Can lead to schizophrenia
• Mother-child relationships in schizophrenia development

  Overprotective yet distant maternal behaviour may hinder emotional growth and security, potentially rendering individuals susceptible to stressors
• Psychodynamic approach


  Behaviour can be explained by the unconscious mind
• Freud's model of the mind

  • Conscious mind (ice above surface)
  • Preconscious (ice just below surface)
  • Unconscious mind (ice below surface)
• Unconscious mind


  Drives the majority of our behaviour and acts independently
• Ego defence mechanisms


  Protect the ego, e.g. regression, reverting to an earlier stage of development, and repression, burying painful memories into the unconscious mind
• Ego defence mechanisms


  • Regression
  • Repression
• Gothelf et al. found that regression, denial, projection, and repression were common in psychiatric patients suffering from severe adolescent anorexia
• Anorexic adolescents relied on more mature defence mechanisms than other adolescents
• Psychodynamic approach


  Behaviour can be explained by the unconscious mind
• Freud's model of the mind


  • Conscious mind (surface)
  • Preconscious (below surface)
  • Unconscious mind (bottom)