psychodynamic approach

• Assumption 1: Influence of childhood experiences 


  P: Freud stated that experiences during our childhood shape our adult personality. He created the psychosexual stages.

  E: There are five sexual stages and each stage represents a fixation on the libido (oral, sage, phallic, latency, genital) Each of these represent a body part and a souce of pleasure. Key events happen at each stage such as potty training in the anal stage. Problems happen in development when a child can get fixated in a stage through over indulgence or frustration.
• Assumption 1 behaviour link

  B: An example of this would be if a child was fixated in the anal stage due to frustration than this would impact their personality by being stubborn and overly tidy. However if a child was fixated due to over indulgence it would impact personality by being messy and disorganised.
• Assumption 2: the unconscious mind 


  P: Freud proposed that the mind is like an iceberg. Much of what goes on within our mind lies under the surface.

  E: There are three parts to the unconscious mind. The conscious part which is rational and logical. The preconscious which is just below the surface and the unconscious mind which cannot be directly assessed but is expressed in our dreams. The unconscious mind is also related to ego defence mechanisms which is a form of protection in the unconscious.
• Assumption 2 behaviour link

  B: An example of an ego defence mechanism is repression which is painful memories buried deep down but impacts behaviour. For example being afraid of the sea because as a child you witnessed an accident but this memory has been buried into the unconscious.
• Assumption 3: Tripartite personality P: Freud believed that the adult personality is split into three parts and develops at different stages.

  E: We are born with the Id which is impulsive and and demands pleasure and instant gratification. This is referred to as the pleasure principle. The ego develops at two years and is the reality principle. Its function is to balance the demands of the Id. The superego is developed at around four years. This is the morality principle and embodies a child’s sense of right and wrong.
• Assumption 3 behaviour link

  B: An example of behaviour would be an individual who has an imbalance tripartite personality. Individuals with SZ have regressed to the oral stage of development so the Id has free reign and explains the individual losing touch with reality.
• Dream Therapy Aims

  • Freud described dreams as the ‘raod to the unconscious.’ Dreams are the unconscious mind expressing itself and the aims of dream therapy is to reveal what is in an individual's unconsciousness.
• Dream Therapy Main Components

  1. Dreams as wish fulfilment; The primary process of dreams of dreams is to protect the sleeper but also enable individual to express their buried urges. These buried urges are an individuals wish fulfilments that are deep in the unconscious mind.
  2. The symbolic nature of dreams; During dreaming the latent content (real life) is transformed into the manifest content (the symbolic dream).
• Dream Therapy Main Components 2

  3. Dreamwork; During this transformation of dreams into the manifest content a range of processes take place. For example displacement, condensation, symbolism.

  4. Role of the therapist; The role of the therapist is to transform the manifest content back into the latent content. This is done by offering a range of interpretations to the individual.
• Dream Therapy Evaluation - Effectiveness

  • + Matt and Navarro (1997) in a review of 63 meta-analyses on the effect of psychotherapy found that on average, 75% of clients receiving dream analysis showed improvements.
  • + Solms (2000) - PET scans showed regions of the brain that are active during dreaming - the rational part of the brain is inactive during REM sleep - but the areas concerned with memory and motivation are very active.
  • + Support’s Freud’s explanation of why we might analyse dreams - Rational part - ego - is suspended and the id (instincts/desires) is given free rein
• Dream Therapy Evaluation - Effectiveness 2

  • -However lab study so low ecological validity
  • -SUBJECTIVE: Interpreting the manifest content and coming up with it’s underlying meaning (latent content) relies on subjective interpretation of the therapist
• Dream Therapy Evaluation - Ethical Issues

  • -Therapist-client relationship; Patient is reliant on the therapist to make progress - can be over-dependent on the therapist which may be particularly unhelpful for those with depression
  • -False memory syndrome - a person’s identity and relationships are affected by strongly believed but FALSE memories of a traumatic experience.
  • -Emotional harm; Patients may experience unnecessary anxiety due to ‘memories’ that didn’t happen
  • -Might be guided towards a insight/interpretation that is emotionally distressing
• Bowlby 44 Thieves Study

  Methodology:

  • Type of non experimental method used; Case study
  • Method for assessment Interviews
  • Made a comparison: Use of a control group
  • Thieves; Age; 5- 17 years
  • Gender; 31 boys and 13 girls
  • IQ; 50% had an average IQ of 85- 114 15 had a higher than average IQ and two had a below than average IQ Graded; graded by how much they thieved from 1-4.
  • Non Thieves; 44 children at the clinic in London who were similar in age, IQ but had not stolen. Type of sampling method; opportunity sampling
• Bowlby Procedures

  • Sampling method; opportunity sampling

  1. Initial examination: What methods took place upon participants arrival at the clinic?
  2. Binet test to measure intelligence
  3. Interview between mother and social worker on child's psychiatric history
  4. Psychologists notes on emotional attitude of child
  5. School reports and other reports discussed with Bowlby
  6. What took place after initial assessments:
  7. Bowlby continued to meet the with children for therapy sessions over 6 months meeting weekly for a two hour session
• Bowlby Findings

  What were the six main personality types in his sample and the amounts? 1. Normal = 2

  2. Depressed =9

  3. Circular = 2

  4. hyperthermic= 9

  5. affectionless= 14

  6. Schizoid =2

  The affectionless character

  Out of 44 how many were affectionless thieves? 14/44

  How many of these affectionless thieves had experienced frequent separation? 12/14 How many of the thieves were a grade four for stealing? 13/14
• Bowlby Findings

  Out of the remaining 27 thieves how many had experienced early separation? 17/27 How many of the 27 had fathers who were openly hostile towards them? 5/27

  How many of the non thieves had experienced frequent separation? 2/44
• Bowlby Conclusions

  ● Findings confirm the psychoanalytic assumption that the early years are of great importance

  ● Juvenile delinquency is not just a psychological problem, it is social and economical

  ● Greater effort should be made to reduce separation in the early years as this could help to prevent criminal behaviour

  ● Bowlby had the psychoanalytical view damaged relationship with mother = impacted development of the superego.
• Bowlby Evaluation Methodology + Procedures

  -No causal findings; However, we should always remember that finding a relationship doesn’t mean that we can say conclusively that one thing caused another.

  -Researcher bias The data may lack validity. Bowlby conducted the psychiatric assessments and made the diagnoses himself. No inter- rater reliability= lower validity

  -Social desirability bias; some parents could have changed their answers to make themselves look better. This could reduce the internal validity of the research

  • Not a representative sample
• Bowlby Evaluation Methodology + Procedures 2

  + High ecological validity; The data collected is rich, in-depth and qualitative. The data collected

  gave us real insight and information about each child’s home life and behaviour.
• Bowlby Evaluation Alternative Evidence

  • Rutter romanian orphanages shows the lack of emotional care during key periods beyond 6 months had life long consequences
• Bowlby Evaluation Ethical Issues and Social implications

  -Confidentiality and Privacy; The reports give the children's first name and initials of their last name

  -Valid consent; Data was collected retrospectively after Bowlby had finished treating patients.

  -Participant harm- hearing about research ect
• PCG Debate: Importance of Feeding For

  • The NHS recommends that infants are breastfed for at least the first 6 months of their life as it offers the healthiest start for the child, protecting them from numerous infections and disease. It is also suggested that breastfeeding can help to build a strong physical and emotional bond between the mother and the baby which is important in future development.
• Importance of Feeding Against

  • Harry Harlow (1959) placed infant monkeys with two wire mothers.
  • One gave food while the other was covered in soft cloth and gave comfort. The monkeys spent most of their time with the cloth covered mother especially when they were frightened.
• Freud’s View For

  • Freud believed that the relationship with the mother was of the greatest importance in the initial oral stage of the psychosexual development.
  • Infants depend on their mother to satisfy the needs of the libido.
  • Overindulgence or frustration in this stage leads to emotional problems in later life such as neediness or pessimism.
• Freud’s View Against

  • It is important to consider the historical context of Freud's ideas. His ideas about the different roles played may simply reflect the norms and values that were held by society at the time.
  • Freud recognised the special importance of the role of the father through the oedipus complex.
• Mother Not Father For

  • Oxytocin (known as the love hormone is released in the mother during pregnancy, labour and when holding and feeding her infant. Oxytocin release is thought to help increase the bond between mother and baby.
  • Women also have more oestrogen a hormone linked to caring behaviour
• Mother not Father Against

  • Evidence has shown men's oxytocin levels are elevated towards the end of his mate's pregnancy and if they are involved in the care of their infant. The view that men are not emotional is outdated.
  • Feldman (2014) found that men's' brains adapt to the level of responsibility they carry for their infants. The findings suggest there is a neural network in the brain dedicated for parenting which responds to changes in parental roles. Fathers have this capacity but they need daily caregiving activities to ignite the mothering network.
• Deprivation Damage For

  • Bowlby proposes a 'maternal deprivation hypothesis' whereby if a child is unable to develop a warm, intimate, continuous relationship with his mother, then the child would have difficulties forming future relationships with other people, and be at risk of behavioural disorders.
  • BOWLBY 44 THIEVES STUDY - After his 44 thieves study, Bowlby concluded that in terms of separation from the mother, the safest dose is zero.
• Deprivation Damage Against

  • Bowlby (1956) studied children with tuberculosis in hospital for several years with little contact with their families - but very few of them showed problems later in life.
  • Rutter (2010) showed that the potential effects of deprivation can be overcome if good substitute care is provided.
• PCG Debate: Ethical, Social and Economic Implications

  • From 2015, fathers were also entitled to shared paid parental leave - moving away from traditional views of mother as the PCG
  • After first 6 weeks, statutory pay is £151 per week (~20% of an average salary)
  • Childcare costs - £7212 p/a in 2021
  • Government schemes to help reduce costs
  • But the cost to our economy without an effective workforce is greater
• PCG Debate Conclusions

  • PCG= outdated view
  • Mistake to assume you can only have one caregiver
  • Men play a different often more playful role