The psychodynamic approach

The Role of the Unconscious & Structure of Personality (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

what does the psychodynamic approach assume?

The psychodynamic approach assumes that experiences in early childhood play a key role in determining an individual's mental/emotional state and outcomes in later life

The conscious mind

• The part of the mind that the individual is aware of, which is used to form conscious thoughts (the tip of the iceberg)

The preconscious mind

• The part of the mind that sits just below the surface of the conscious mind, where dreams and 'Freudian slips' lurk

What is the freudian slip?

• Freudian slips reveal secret feelings e.g. 'I loathe my husband' (when the intended phrase was 'I love my husband') - what is said appears to be accidental but it expresses the person's true, repressed feelings