Psychodynamic approach

• The Psychodynamic approach assumes that personality is largely inherited and development is shaped by early experiences and trauma
• The Psychodynamic approach uses psychic determinism that behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts
• The Psychodynamic approach believes that abnormal behaviour can be treated through psycho-analytic therapy
• Freud's three elements are the ID, Superego and Ego
• The ID operates according to the 'pleasure principle' where primitive & instinctive drives control decisions
• The Superego operates according to the 'morality principle' where conscience, guilt, societal rules etc. control decisions
• The Ego mediates between the ID and the Superego
• Freud argued that the 'levels of consciousness' are unconscious and preconscious
• Unconscious is full of feelings, motives and drives
• Preconscious is made up of things not currently being processed but can be easily recalled
• Defence mechanisms protect us and our ego by unconsciously suppressing or redirecting traumatic memories/thoughts that may cause anxiety
• The defence mechanisms are denial, repression, and displacement
• Displacement is redirecting emotions at something/someone else
• Freud's psychosexual stages are oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital
• The resolution of each psychosexual stage requires the expenditure of sexual energy
• The more sexual energy expended at each stage, the more important the characteristics will remain with the individual
• The Oral stage lasts from 0-2 years
• The Oral stage is gratification from sucking, caused by not enough/too much pleasure from breastfeeding
• People in the Oral stage are likely to become smokers or alcoholics
• The Anal stage lasts from 2-3 years
• The Anal stage is gratification from defacating
• Anal-retentive links to a good toilet schedule which can result in high organisational skills
• Anal-expulsive links to a bad toilet schedule which can result in messiness
• The Phallic stage lasts from 3-6 years
• The Phallic stage is the competition with same-sex parent for the other's attention
• Too much competition in the Phallic stage can result in an oedipus/electra complex
• During the Phallic stage boys avoid castration anxiety by identifying with their father
• An Oedipus/Electra complex is the unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex
• The Latent stage lasts from 6-12 years
• The Latent stage is the forming of relationships with the opposite gender
• Lack of relationships formed in the Latent stage can lead to dormant libido
• The Genital stage is from 12+ years
• The Genital stage is the act of having sexual intercourse
• Freud's stages are useful for explaining behaviour but not for predicting
• Freud's stages are unfalsifiable so highly unscientific
• Freud may have shown research bias so has low internal validity