The psychodynamic approach - A01

• The psychodynamic approach suggests that human behaviour results from unconscious processes, of which we are unaware.
• In particular, early childhood experiences determine adult personality of which there are three parts the id, ego and superego. Freud called this the ‘Tripartite Personality’.
• The id is the primitive biological part of the mind and present from birth. It consists of basic biological impulses or drives such as hunger, thirst etc and is known as the pleasure principle
• Defence mechanisms such as repression or denial, are unconscious and try to stop us feeling threatened or overwhelmed.
• The ego mediates between the id and superego. It develops around the age of 2 and it tries to reduce conflict between the id and superego by using defence mechanisms. It is also known as the reality principle.
• The superego is our inner parent voice and judges whether actions are right or wrong. It is an internalised representation of the same sex parent and known as the morality principle. It punishes the ID through guilt.
• As children develop they pass through the psychosexual stages; oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages.
• The phallic state from 3-5 is when boys experience the Oedipus complex (incestuous feeling for their mother) and the girls experience the Electra complex (penis envy).
• At each stage there is a conflict the child must resolve to progress to the next stage and if they do not resolve it then they will become fixated in the stage. The child will carry this fixation into adulthood and it will be reflected in their behaviours.