Psychodynamic

• What is the psychodynamic approach?

  -a perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics) most of which are unconscious that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
• What did Freud suggest?

  -that the part of the mind that we know about and are aware of -the conscious mind-are only the tip of the ice berg, the majority is the unconscious
• What is the unconscious mind?

  the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which directs much of our behaviour- contains repressed emotions
• What did Freud mean by personality being 'tripartite'?

  -Id= entirely unconscious, selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification - Ego=the 'reality check' that balances the conflicting demands of the Id and Superego - Superego=the moralistic part of our personality which represents the idea self- how we ought to be
• What are defence mechanisms?

  -unconscious strategies that the Ego use to manage the conflict between the Id and Superego
• What are the psychosexual stages?

  -Oral, Anal, Phallic, latency and Genital- five developmental stages that all children pass through suggested by Freud, at each stage there is a different conflict, the outcome of which determines future development
• What is the oral stage?

  The first stage of psychosexual development according to Sigmund Freud, where pleasure is focused on the mouth- CONSEQUENCE OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT= oral fixation= smoking, biting nails, sarcasm
• What is the Anal stage?

  -1-3 years old- focus on pleasure of withholding and expelling faeces- CONSEQUENCE OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT= anal retentive= perfectionist, obsessive OR anal expulsive= thoughtless, messy
• What is the Phallic stage?

  Psychosexual stage characterized by focus on the genitals and sexual pleasure- Oedipus complex or Electra complex- 3-6 years- CONSEQUENCE OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT= phallic personality= reckless, possibly homosexual
• What is Latency stage?

  -5- puberty- compares self worth to others
• What is the genital stage?

  The genital stage is the final stage of psychosexual development according to Sigmund Freud, characterized by the development of mature sexual relationships- CONSEQUENCE OF UNRESOLVED CONFLICT= difficulty forming relationships
• What are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

  -real world application- introduced psychotherapy- can explain human behaviour- experiences during childhood can affect adult life
• What are the limitations of the psychodynamic approach?

  untestable- cannot be falsified- no empirical evidence- happens in unconscious mind- subjective (little Hans)- deterministic- childhood determines how adult life will be