Basics of Psychoanalysis

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The psychodynamic approach

Primacy of the unconscious, Critical importance of early experiences, psychic determinism.

Primacy of the unconscious

The majority of psychological processes happen outside conscious awareness. 

Critical importance of early experiences

Personality development is centrally shaped by childhood events 

Psychic Determinism

every action, every thought, every emotion that happens has a specific cause (rooted in the unconscious)

The Id

makes up our drives, instincts, most primitive impulses and motivations.

Driven by the pleasure principle, it always wants a good time, without care for the consequences. - immediate graatification. 

The superego

Comprises senses of morality, conscience, guidelines, rules, and prohibitions that guide our behaviour. 

demands nothing else but perfection, set by social experiences that you have lived through. 

Tells us what we should and shouldn’t do. 

The Ego

logical, reality-oriented part of our mind.

Mediator between desires and morality and societal constraints puched by borth the Id and the Superego. 

decision maker of personality. 

The Topographic Model - conscious mind 

3 levels of consciousness:

Conscious mind: directibly acessible when attention is turned inward, what you are focusing on right now. Some of the ego, least important 

Unconsious mind: Not abailable to you. Anxiety material that is purposely repressed.

Preconsious mind: Capable of becoming consicous by moving your attention into it.

The Topographic Model - Preconscious

Things you are not currently aware of but that can be brought into awareness (both ego and superego)

The Topographic Model - Unconscious

Part of the mind that you are no aware of, all of the Id, part of theego and the Superego. Most important, dificult to bring to surface, manifests in dreams, slips of tongue, memory lapses. 

Psychic Conflict

different parts of the mind want different things

Compromise formation

Finding a compromise between conflicting goals, the ego’s main job, results manifest as conscious thoughts and behaviours. 

Personality according to psyhodynamic theory

personality is a reflection of the interplay if the Id, Ego and superego.

Differ between:

dominant id: impulsive personality style

dominant ego: belenced personality

dominant superego: restrained, overcontrolled personality

Anxiety

induced by stressors form the outside world, or inner, psychic conflict. Managed by the ego wich uses different defence mechanisms.

Short-term gains

Relive from anxiety/threat

Long-term risk

disengagement from reality

personality differences

different people may resort to different defence mechanisms

Denial 

failing to appreciate the negative implications of an event or experience

Displacement

redirect forbidden impulse onto a safer target

Projection

attribute unwanted impulse or desire in oneself to other people

Rationalization

Coming up with seemingly logical justifications for engaging in unacceptable acts. 

Reaction Formation

expressing outwardly the exact opposite of what one is feeling inwardly 

Repression

moving upsetting information from conscious to unconscious part of the mind. 

Sublimation 

expressing unacceptable impulses in a way that actually brings rewards rather than punishment. 

Adaptiveness of Defence Styles  (most to worst)

rationalisation and sublimation

repression and reaction 

denial - people miss the critical window in wich they could actively do something to solve their problems.

Freudian slips - Parapraxes

Unintended actions caused by suppressed thoughts or impulsesleaked from the unconscious mind that manifests as a mistake, accident, omission, or memory lapse.

When are parapraxes most likey to occur?

(Freudian slips) When one is tired, not paying attention, in a hurry, or excited. 

Psych determinism

Freud: there are no accidents, all slips are revealing, none happen at random.