Psychodynamic approach

What is the unconscious mind? (AO1)

a large store of biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and our personality. The unconscious also contains threatening and disturbing memories which were repressed

what is the structure of personality (AO1)

a tripartite personality, composed of 3 parts: the id, ego and superego

What is the id? (AO1)

the primitive part of our personality. It operates on the pleasure principle desiring instant gratification. It is a mass of unconscious drives and instincts. The id is entirely selfish

When is the id developed? (AO1)

at birth

What is the ego? (AO1)

the mediator between the id and superego, aiming to reduce the conflict between the two. This is managed by using defence mechanisms, it acts on the reality principle

when is the ego developed? (AO1)

around 2

What is the superego? (AO1)

our internalised sense of right and wrong, based on the morality principle. It represents our moral standards of a child’s same-gender parent and punished the ego for wrongdoing (guilt)

When is the superego developed?

at thee nd of the phallic stage at 5 years old

What are defence mechanisms? (AO1)

how the ego balances the conflicting demands of the Id and superego by preve ting us from being overwhelmed by temporary psychological threats. Howeer, they often involve some form of distortion of reality, they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable

What are 3 examples of defence mechanisms? (AO1)

repression which is forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind, denial; refusing ti acknowledge some aspect of reality and displacement; transferring feelings from the true source of a distressing emotion onto a substitute target

what are psychosexual stages? (AO1)

Freud claimed that there are 5 psychosexual stages each marked by a different conflict the child must resolve to progress successfully to the next stage. Any conflict left unresolved leads to a fixation where the child becomes stuck and carries behaviours to adult life. Psychosexual conflicts are resolved by finding a way to satisfy the need

EVAL: What is the real-world application of the psychodynamic approach? (6 bullet-points)

• Freud introduced the idea of psychotherapy - opposed to physical treatments

• new form of therapy called psychoanalysis

• first attempt to treat mental health conditions psychologically

• new technique employment designed to access the unconscious and bring it into their conscious ind to deal with them such as dream analysis

• psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern ‘talking-therapies’ such as counselling

• adding value in creating new approach to treatment

EVAL: what is a counterpoint for the real-world application? (6 bullet-points)

• Freudian therapists have claimed success for many clients with mild neuroses

• psychoanalysis can be inappropriate, even harmful for more serious mental health conditions

• for schizophrenia symptoms paranoia and delusion thinking, many lose contact with reality and cannot articulate their thoughts in the way required for psychoanalysis

• Freudian Therapy may not apply to all mental health conditions

EVAL: untestable concepts

• the philospoher Karl popper argued the psychodynamic approach doe not meet the scientific criterion of falsification

• many of freuds concepts such as id and opedius complex occur at an unconscious level making it impossible to test

• Freuds ideas were based on subjective studies of an individual such as ‘little hans’. making it difficult to make universal claims on human behaviour

• suggesting Freud’s theory was pseudoscientific rather than an established fact