Psychodynamic approach

The unconscious mind

The part of the iceberg above the water represents the conscious mind, this is what were aware of. The rest of the iceberg submerged in water represents the unconscious mind, Freud believed the unconscious mind has conflicts that have the biggest influence on behaviour and to protect the ego we have defence mechanisms.

Example of unconscious mind

If defence mechanisms are used too often to deal with trauma it can effect behaviour for example if feelings are repressed they may appear again later in life through problems like depression.

The tripartite personality

The Id- Pleasure principal which controls our impulses. A dominant Id can lead to aggression

The Ego- Reality principle which controls our rationality. A dominant Ego can lead to narcissism.

The Superego- Morality principle which controls our sense of right and wrong. A dominant Superego can lead to a neurotic personality type.

Example of tripartite personality

Criminals who commit violent crimes are ruled by their Id and their superego is suppressed leading them to seek immediate pleasure regardless of the consequences.

Influence of childhood experiences

At each stage there is a different source of pleasure that must be satisfied, if there is too much or not enough satisfaction of these urges then fixation can occur.

Oral: Birth- 18 months- mouth

Not enough- Sarcasm

Too much- Gullible

Anal: 18 moths- 3 years- anus

Not enough- Possessive

Too much- Messy

Phallic: 3- 5 years- genitals

Not enough- Vain

Latency: 5 years- puberty- No sexual motivation

No fixation

Genital: puberty onward- genitals

No fixation

Example of influence of childhood experiences

Freud believed fixations at the oral stage of development could lead to an ED

Application to relationships

If the Id is dominant it can lead to a power control relationship which can be aggressive making it traumatic for the partner.

If the ego is dominant the person may put themselves first neglecting their partner which is detrimental to a healthy relationship

If the Superego is dominant it can lead to lower levels of satisfaction as the person wants perfection.

Therapy

Step 1- The dreamer recalls what they can remember of their dream, manifest content, to the therapist

Step 2- Dreamwork is reversed. The latent content, underlying meaning of the dream, is extracted from the manifest content.

Step 3- examples of dreamwork are:

Condensation- many elements that make up the latent content are represented by one image

Symbolism- significant features of the dream are replaced by a symbol e.g. an animal being tied up represents feeling stuck

Step 4- Therapist should offer more then one interpretation and should consider the context of the client’s life when offering interpretations.

NAANA- Normal

They are able to use defence mechanisms without pushing issues into unconscious.

NAANA- Abnormal

Unconscious, unresolved issues can lead to psychological problems like depression.

NAANA- Aim

Bring unconscious issues to the conscious mind through dream analysis. Along with using catharsis to get rid of associated emotions.

NAANA- Normal again

The person’s behaviour returns to normal and their able to deal with their initial problem.

NAANA- Alternative

Dream analysis would be used over drug therapy as psychodynamic theorists believe the issue lies within the unconscious mind and unresolved issues whereas drug therapy assumes the issue is biological

Effectiveness-strength

In a review of 63 studies on the effect of psychotherapy found that 75% of clients receiving dream analysis showed improvement

Effectiveness-weakness

There are arguments that dreams are nothing but commends sent from the brain and are simply a form of ‘thinking that happens while we sleep’

Ethics 1

Risk of harm as the therapist may guide the client towards an interpretation of the dream that is emotionally distressing.

Ethics 2

Lack of valid consent as their is a risk of power imbalance between therapist and client and it can lead to an over-reliance.

Applications

Psychodynamic approach has useful applications for society. Dream analysis have been used universally to treat several disorders like depression. This is a strength because it improves society by treating disorders.

Interactionist

Psychodynamic approach takes both nature and nurture into account. Freud believed the Id is present from birth and the Superego develops as we grow up. This is a strength as both nature and nurture contribute towards our behaviour as adults.

Unscientific

The psychodynamic approach is unscientific. The approach largely focuses on the unconscious which makes it very difficult to falsify. This is a weakness as it doesn’t produce any objective theories which can be supported by research evidence.

Deterministic

The psychodynamic approach is deterministic. Behaviour is determined by early childhood experiences like the psychosexual stages and these are out of our control. This is a weakness because it excuses people for their behaviour, for example criminals can blame their parents instead of accepting responsibility.