The psychodynamic approach

According to Freud, what is the role of the unconscious?

It is the largest part of the mind, containing repressed memories, biological drives, and instincts that significantly influence our behavior and personality.

What are the three parts of the personality, and what principle does each operate on?

1. Id: Pleasure principle (seeks immediate gratification).

2. Ego: Reality principle (mediates between Id and Superego).

3. Superego: Morality principle (internalized sense of right and wrong).

What are defence mechanisms, and what is their role?

Unconscious strategies used by the Ego to manage conflict between the Id and Superego. They protect the Ego from anxiety but distort reality.

What are the five psychosexual stages?

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital. Unresolved conflict at any stage can lead to fixation, influencing adult personality.

What is repression?

Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind and into the unconscious.

What is denial?

Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality.

What is displacement?

Transferring feelings from the true source of a distressing emotion onto a substitute target.

What is a key real-world application of the psychodynamic approach?

It pioneered psychotherapy (psychoanalysis), which uses techniques like dream analysis to access the unconscious. This was the foundation for modern talking therapies.

What is the explanatory power of Freud's theory?

It has been highly influential in explaining a wide range of phenomena, including personality development, psychological disorders, and the impact of childhood experiences on later life.

Why is the psychodynamic approach considered unscientific?

Its core concepts (like the Id or Oedipus complex) are untestable and not falsifiable, as they are unconscious and cannot be measured empirically.

What is psychic determinism?

The idea that all behavior is caused by unconscious forces rooted in childhood, leaving no room for free will or accident. This is considered an extreme and limiting viewpoint.