1900s - psychodynamic

Assumptions

• experiences is early childhood play a key role in determining an individuals mental/emotional state + outcomes later in life

  • eg certain experiences may result in certain behaviours manifesting later in life

• Vast swathes of the mind that are inaccessible to conscious awareness

  • represented with iceberg

  • Unconscious thoughts which intrude on the upper parts of the iceberg may manifest as dreams/fixations/defence mechanisms

Meaning of

• Conscious

• Preconscious

• Conscious

Conscious = part of the mind individual is aware of, which is used to form conscious thoughts

Preconscious = just below conscious, where dreams and Freudian slips lurk

Unconscious = holds information and feelings that an individual may be unaware of

• eg secret fears, repressed memories, effects of trauma

Freudian slip meaning

Things that are accidentally said which reveal a persons true, repressed feelings

What do dreams reveal

Secret fears/desires

Eg dreams of being naked in public = anxiety about others accepting you

How do we confront trauma/thoughts in the unconscious mind

Through psychoanalysis

Describe the structure of personality (according to Freud)

Tripartite structure

• id

• Ego

• Superego

These 3 are distinct but not entirely separate. Work together within the personality of each individual

Each arise at different times

Id

• When does it arise

• What does it operate according to

• What does it consist of/seek

Present from birth

Instinctive part of personality

Operates according to pleasure principle

Consists of primal urges

Seeks self-indulgent pleasure and instant gratification

Ego

Develops around age 2

Operates according to reality principle (like sensible adult)

Balances demands of id and superego

• id must be tamed as wild impulses could lead to trouble

• Superego must sometimes be ignored or could lead to punitive self blame/excessive guilt

Superego

Develops around the age of 5

Operates according got morality principle (like disapproving parent)

• can also show approval but very rare. Eg approving resistance to temptation

Represents an internalised sense of right and wrong , morality/judgemental aspect of self

Moral standards learnt from same-sex parent + specific type of discipline instilled in one’s childhood

Strengths

Freud was at the forefront of the move of considering childhood experiences influencing behaviour

• this now obvious link makes his theory have high external validity

Real world application

• Psychoanalysis therapy - bringin repressed emotions to conscious so they can be dealt with

• Influenced modern therapy such as counselling

• COUNTER = Psychoanalysis may not aaply to all mental disorders and may be harmful to more serious ,mental disorders eg schizophrenia

Limitations

Hard to operationalise, test + measure unconscious

• Unfalsifiable, subjective → lacking in

Psychic determinism

• Goes against free will which goes against the law

What are defence mechanisms used for

Help balance the conflicting demands of the id and superego

Works as a protective mechanism for the psyche

• protect individual from facing hard truths

• Provides temporary relief or solution from these hard truths but long term its psychologically damaging

List the 3 defence mechanisms

Denial

Regression

Displacement

Denial

Refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation

If it didn’t happen then it can’t harm anyone

Regression

Unpleasant memories are pushed down into the unconscious mind

Then unable to cause anxiety/hurt

Displacement

Focus of strong emotion is directed towards a neutral person/object

Reduces anxiety as it allows the strong emotion to be expressed

Fixation meaning

Occurs when a child is stuck in one if the psychosexual stages

Name the 5 psychosexual stages

Oral

Anal

Phallic

Latent

Genital

Oral

0 - 18 months

Mouth is the focus of pleasure → tasting + sucking

Completion = weaning

Oral fixations

Suck too much = orally receptive (smoking, biting nails)

Suck too little = orally aggressive (hostile, verbally abusive)

Anal

18 months - 3 years

Focus of pleasure = anus

Completion = toilet trained

Anal fixations

Had to hold it in = anally retentive (neatness, perfectionism)

Defecating freely = anally expulsive (messiness, insensitivity)

Phallic

3y - 6y

Focus of pleasure = genitals

Completion = overcoming Oedipus/ electra complex through identifying with same-sex parent

Oedipus complex

Boys feel unconscious attraction towards their mothers

Hate/fear their fathers as they view them as competition + castration anxiety

Electra complex

Unconscious attraction towards father

Hatred for mother

Have penis envy

Phallic fixations

Vanity, impulsivity

Phallic stage evidence

Little Hans, 5 year old boy w/ horse phobia

Freud claimed that the fear arose from the horse looking like his father (eg Blinkers → glasses)

Counter = Hans saw a carriage crash which may have traumatised him (behaviourist approach i think)

Latency

6y - puberty

Focus on making same-sex friendships

Latency fixations

None

All fixations are latent

Genital stage

Puberty onwards

Focus of pleasure = genitals

All fixations start to become evident

Strengths of defence mechanisms/ psychosexual stages

Psychotherapy can help people come to terms with underlying trauma that may result in defence mechanisms

• highly applicable for counselling - for a range of conditions eg phobias

• Gives theory behind defence mechanisms high external validity

Concept of psychosexual stages gave important insight to how early experiences shape personality and behaviour

Limitations

Freud’s research lacked a scientific approach as it was his own subjective interpretation + unreliable

Possible alternative explanations for fixations. Eg someone who is extremely neat may have autism spectrum disorder

• limits usefulness of Freud’s theory