Psychodynamic Approach

• Assumptions


  • Behaviour is controlled by unconscious forces
  • Personality and behaviour are determined by childhood experiences
  • Work of Freud
• Role of the Unconscious

  Most of our mind is made up of the unconscious, containing threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, accessed through dreams.
• Structure of Personality


  • Id - pleasure principle, entirely selfish for instant gratification. Present at birth
  • Ego - reality principle, mediator that reduces conflict with defence mechanisms. Develops at 2 years old
  • Superego - morality principle, moral standards of same-sex parent, extreme guilt. Develops at 5 years old
• Defence Mechanisms


  Manages conflicts between demands of Id and Superego, prevents the Ego from being overwhelmed. Long term use is unhealthy and undesirable.

  • Repression
  • Regression
  • Denial
  • Displacement
• Psychosexual Stages


  Freud believed child development occurred in 5 stages. Unresolved conflict leads to fixation, and behaviours being maintained into adulthood.
• Psychosexual Stages


  1. Oral - focus of pleasure is mouth, consequences are smoking, overeating
  2. Anal - focus of pleasure is anus, consequences are extra messy or extra clean
  3. Phallic - focus of pleasure is genitals, consequences are reckless, possible homosexuality
  4. Latency - earlier conflicts are repressed
  5. Genital - puberty and sexual desires, consequence is difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
• Eval : Strength


  Freud's theory has had a big influence on psychology, used to explain phenomena like personality development and abnormal behaviour. It also draws attention to childhood experiences and our later development, suggesting the psychodynamic approach has a positive impact on psychology.
• Eval : Strength

  There is real-world application for the development of psychoanalysis to access the unconscious and deal with the repressed trauma. It is a forerunner to many modern talking therapies, showing the value of the psychodynamic approach.
• Eval : Weakness


  The psychodynamic approach is mostly untestable and not open to empirical testing or the possibility of being disproved. Freud's concepts are based in the unconscious so are impossible to test. He also used individual case studies meaning general theories cannot be established about behaviour.