The Psychodynamic Approach

Psychodynamic Approach

A perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience

The Unconscious

The part of the mind that we are unaware of but which directs much of our behaviour

Id

* Entirely unconscious, the Id is made up of selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
* It operates on the pleasure principles and is present at birth.

Ego

* The ‘reality check that balances the conflicting demands of the Id and Superego
* It develops around 2 years old and employs defence mechanisms.

Superego

* The moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self and how we ought to be
* It’s formed at the end of the phallic stage, around five.
* It represents the moral standards of the child’s same-sex gender parent.

Defence Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies that the Ego uses to manage the conflict between the Id and Superego

Repression

Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality

Displacement

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

Psychosexual Stages

Five developmental stages that all children pass through

Oral Stage

0-1 years where the focus of pleasure is the mouth and the consequence of unresolved conflict is oral fixation, leading to smoking, biting nails or being sarcastic

Anal Stage

1-3 years where the focus of pleasure is the anus and the child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces and the consequences of unresolved conflict could being anal-retentive (perfectionist) or anal expulsive (thoughtless)

Phallic Stage

3-6 years where the focus of pleasure is the genital area and the consequence of unresolved conflict is a phallic personality (narcissistic, reckless)

Latency Stage

Earlier conflicts are repressed, with no conflicts

Genital Stage

Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty and the consequence of unresolved conflict could be difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

Strength - Application

* First introduced the idea of psychotherapy
* First attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically


* Employed a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious such as dream analysis.
* Forerunner to many modern-day talking therapies, such as counselling.

Strength - Explanation

* Huge influence on psychology and contemporary thought
* Psychodynamic approach remained a key force in psychology for the first half of the 20th century


* Significant in drawing attention to the connection between experiences in childhood and our later development.

Limitation - Testability

* Karl Popper argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification as it is not open to empirical testing


* Many of Freud’s concepts are said to occur at an unconscious level, making them almost impossible to test.