psychodynamic approach

• psychodynamic approach


  it highlights the importance of the unconscious mind, on human behaviour and experience
• role of the unconscious


  It was Freud who suggested that most of our mind is unconscious and it drives much of our behaviour. It can contain repressed memories.
• Preconscious


  It contains thoughts and memories which we are not currently in conscious awareness but we can access them if we want to
• Id (structure of the personality)


  It is the pleasure principle in which the unconscious drives along with instincts
• Ego (structure of the personality)

  It is the reality principle which mediates between Id and superego by reducing conflict using defence mechanisms which develop at 2 years old.
• Superego (structure of the personality)


  It is the morality principle which is formed at the end of the phallic stage at 5 years old. This tells us our sense of right and wrong, it represents the moral standards of the child's same-sex parent. It also punishes the ego for wrongdoings through guilt.
• defence mechanisms


  They are unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage conflict between the id and superego.

  
  

  They make sure that the ego is prevented from being overwhelmed by trauma.
• Repression (defence mechanisms)


  It is employed by the ego to stop disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious.

  
  

  For example, during the Oedipus complex aggressive thoughts about same-sex parents are repressed.
• Denial (defence mechanisms)


  It blocks external events from awareness and if a situation gets too stressful the person refuses to experience it.

  
  

  For example, smokers may refuse to admit smoking is bad for their health.
• projection (defence mechanisms)


  It is an individual projecting their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings and motives to another person.

  
  

  For example, you may hate someone but your superego tells you that that is unacceptable so you solve the problem by believing that they hate you.
• displacement (defence mechanisms)


  It is satisfying an impulse with a substitute object. For example, someone who is frustrated with their boss may go home and kick the dog.
• regression (defence mechanisms)


  It is a movement back in psychological time when one is faced with stress.

  
  

  For example, a child may begin to suck their thumb or wet the bed when they need to go to hospital.
• sublimation (defence mechanisms)


  It is satisfying an impulse with a substitute object that is socially acceptable. For example, sport is used to put our emotions into something constructive.
• order of the psychosexual stages

  Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency and Genital.
• Phallic stage (the psychosexual stages)

  It is pleasure from the genitals (Oedipus or Electra complex). A phallic personality may be narcissistic, reckless and possibly homosexual.
• oral phase - consequences of unresolved conflict


  oral fixation - smoking , biting nails , sarcastic , critical
• anal phase - consequences of unresolved conflict


  anal retentive = perfectionist , obsessive

  anal explusive = thoughtless , messy
• phallic phase - consequences of unresolved conflict


  phallic personality = narcissistic, reckless, maybe homosexual
• the psychosexual stages


  It is a way developed as suggested by Freud in which each stage is marked by a different conflict that must resolved to move to the next stage. An unresolved conflict will lead to a fixation. The stage in which a child is 'stuck' will carry certain behaviours associated with that stage.
• Oedipus complex


  Boys will develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and a murderous hatred towards their father which they fear castration.

  
  

  They will repress these feelings and identify with his father adopting his gender and moral identity.
• Electra complex?


  Girls desire their father as the penis is the primary love object (penis envy) and hate their mother.

  
  

  They give up this desire and replace it with a desire for a baby identifying with their mother in the process.
• AO3 = explanatory power (strength)

  This was a huge influence on psychology which was a dominant approach in the early 20th century.

  
  

  It is used to explain a wide range of things (personality, moral development & gender). It highlights the connection between childhood relationships with parents and later development.
• AO3 = case study method (weakness)

  It relies on case-study evidence and while these are detailed they cannot be generalised.

  
  

  Furthermore, his interpretations were too subjective and lacked scientific rigour.
• AO3 = untestable concepts (weakness)


  The approach is not falsifiable which means it cannot be empirically tested (according to Popper). Some may argue that it makes it a pseudoscience rather than a real science as it can not be tested.
• AO3 = practical application (strength)

  It enabled therapy to be developed (psychotherapies). Furthermore, there are techniques to access the unconscious (dream analysis and hypnosis).

  
  

  Additionally, it aided in the development of modern psychotherapies some of which have had success. However, it has been criticised for being inappropriate and even harmful for people with severe disorders.
• AO3 = psychic determinism (weakness)


  He believed that there were no such things as accidents and even 'slips of the tongue' were driven by unconscious forces.

  
  

  He believed that all behaviour is determined by unconscious forces that are rooted in childhood and that free will is an illusion.