psychodynamic approach

• Freud adopted the use of psychic determinism which is that all behaviour is caused by unconscious internal conflicts, over which we have no control.
• There are 3 levels of consciousness: The conscious, preconscious and unconscious. We are only aware of our conscious. Contents of the preconscious are revealed through slips of the tongue and dreaming. Therefore, since we are completely unaware of our unconscious, suggestions of its workings can be made through the psychoanalysis which is analysing symbols in dreams and psychotherapy.
• The unconscious stores our biological drives and instincts (e.g. hunger, thirst and sex) as well as upsetting and disturbing thoughts repressed from the conscious.
• Freud’s Tripartite Personality: Freud viewed the personality as made up of three components. These are the Id, ego and superego.
• Id = the innate part of the personality, and operates on the pleasure principle. Therefore, the Id constantly demands instant gratification (e.g. to fulfill hunger and thirst) and so is in conflict with the superego.
• Ego is Formed during the first 3 years of life, and operates on the reality principle. It helps to solve the conflict between the id and the superego through the use of defence mechanisms such as repression and denial. The strength of the unconscious depends upon how efficiently the ego resolves this conflict.
• Superego is Formed at the end of the phallic stage, and operates on the morality principle. This contains the child’s internalised sense of right and wrong, based upon their same-sex parent. The superego is in constant conflict with the Id.
• freud psychosexual stages consisted of oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital
• oral stage (up to 1 year) he suggested that a child underfed or frustrated during feedings might become an envious and suspicious adult.

  however a child who is overfed or overly gratified could become optimistic, gullible, and full of admiration.

  a person fixated on the oral stage may engage in excessive eating, smoking, nail-biting, or becoming overly talkative, symbolizing the continued fulfillment of oral needs.
• anal stage (1-3 years) the libido becomes focused on the anus, and the child derives great pleasure from defecating. Early or harsh potty training can lead to the child becoming an anal-retentive personality who hates mess, is obsessively tidy, punctual, and respectful of authority.  They can be stubborn and tight-fisted with their cash and possessions.
• Phallic Stage (3 To 6 Years)

  In this stage, children become increasingly aware of their bodies, exhibiting a heightened interest in their own genitals and those of the opposite sex. This period of conflict is resolved through identification, where children start adopting the characteristics of their same-sex parent.
• Latency Stage (6 Years To Puberty)

  In this stage, Freud believed sexual impulses are repressed, leading to a period of relative calm.

  The focus shifts to education, social relationships

  Children focus on developing social and intellectual skills, including school, friendships, and hobbies, instead of on sexual or romantic interests.

  unresolved conflicts or issues during this stage can lead to problems later on, such as difficulty expressing emotions or forming healthy relationships.
• Genital Stage (Puberty To Adult)

  During this stage, the libido re-emerges and is directed towards peers of the other sex.

  During this stage, individuals start to become sexually mature and begin to explore their sexual feelings and desires more maturely and responsibly.

  This period marks the onset of romantic and sexual emotions, leading to the formation of intimate relationships.
• (phallic stage) In the young boy, the Oedipus complex or conflict arises because the boy develops sexual (pleasurable) desires for his mother.  He wants to possess his mother exclusively and get rid of his father to enable him to do so. Irrationally, the boy thinks that if his father were to find out about all this, his father would take away what he loves the most.  During the phallic stage, what the boy loves most is his penis.  Hence the boy develops castration anxiety.
• (phallic stage) The Electra Complex, says that a girl unconsciously gains a sexual attraction towards her father, viewing her mother as a competitor.

  In essence, the girl wants her father, yet recognizes that she lacks a penis, leading to the phenomenon Freud labeled as ‘penis envy‘ and a subsequent wish to be male.

  This girl then ostensibly resolves her dilemma by repressing her desire for her father and replacing her yearning for a penis with a longing for a baby.
• freud has also suggested from a research on little hans that his phobia towards horses, developed from a fear of his father from having sexual desires for his mother
• weakness= Freud uses psych determinism as he suggested that all behaviour is the product of unconscious, internal conflicts (between the Id and the superego, whilst being mediated by the ego) over which we have no control, such as the slip of the tongue. However, this adds to the subjectivity of interpretations of these meanings, and therefore is not in line with scientific methods of investigating behaviour.
• weakness= Oedipus and Electra Complexes were based on data from individual case studies and interviews. There are several problems with this. participants selected are often of some kind of special psychological interest, and so cannot represent the experiences of the general population, so the findings lack ecological validity.
• weakness = mainly qualitative data is collected, means that the researcher draws their own conclusions. This is particularly the case if the researcher knows what they are looking for so the results will be affected by researcher bias. Therefore, Freud’s data and theories suffer from limited applications and generalisability.
• strength = Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis are both rooted in the psychodynamic approach and still have modern uses. For example, Kohlenberg et al (2002) found that FECT produced a greater focus on the client-therapist relationship and is a promising approach for improving outcomes. Therefore, Freud’s psychodynamic approach has made a long-lasting contribution towards treatment of various mental disorders, such as depression.