Psychodynamic Approach

Highloighjts what

the crucial role of the unconscious mind the structure of personality and the profound influece of childhood experiences on later life

Assumptions

• he main assumption of the psychodynamic approach is that all behavior can be explained in terms of the inner conflicts of the mind.

• Freud highlights the role of the unconscious mind, the structure of personality, and the influence that childhood experiences have on later life.

• Freud believed that the unconscious mind determines most of our behavior and that we are motivated by unconscious emotional drives.

Role of Unconscious Mind

Freud argued that the mind is structured in layers, famously comparing it to an iceberg in which only a small portion is visible above the surface. The conscious mind represents this small visible tip and contains the thoughts, decisions, and feelings we can access easily. Beneath this lies the preconscious, holding memories and ideas that are not currently in awareness but can be brought into consciousness with some effort. However, the most important part for Freud is the vast unconscious mind, which cannot be accessed directly and requires psychoanalytic techniques to uncover. This hidden layer contains the id, much of the superego, and deeper aspects of the ego, as well as repressed memories, unresolved conflicts, and socially unacceptable impulses. Freud believed the unconscious is the primary driver of behaviour and personality, motivating us through instinctual forces such as aggression, sexual drives, and survival urges. It also serves a protective function by repressing painful or traumatic experiences to shield the conscious mind from anxiety and psychological distress. According to the psychodynamic approach, our observable behaviour, emotions, and relationships are therefore heavily shaped by unconscious processes that lie outside rational awareness.

Structure of Personality

Freud proposed that personality has a tripartite structure, meaning it is made up of three interacting components: the Id, Ego, and Superego. These elements are in constant conflict, and the balance between them determines an individual’s behaviour. The Id is the most primitive part of personality, present from birth and operating entirely in the unconscious. It follows the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic biological urges such as hunger, comfort, and sexual instinct. Freud saw the Id as driven by instinctual psychic energy, or libido; when dominant, it can lead to impulsive, uncontrolled behaviour. As children develop, the Ego emerges around the age of one to three. It follows the reality principle, acting as the rational mediator between the Id’s demands and the Superego’s restrictions. The Ego makes realistic, socially acceptable decisions and uses defence mechanisms to manage internal conflict. The Superego develops last, forming around ages three to five during the phallic stage. Acting on the morality principle, it internalises parental and societal rules and functions as the individual’s conscience. A healthy Superego guides moral behaviour, but an overly harsh one may create excessive guilt and self-punishment, while a weak or poorly developed Superego may fail to control the Id, potentially encouraging antisocial or criminal behaviour. Overall, Freud’s model suggests that behaviour results from the dynamic tension between these three competing forces within the psyche.

Defence Mechanisms

Freud argued that the mind uses defence mechanisms as unconscious strategies to reduce anxiety created by the internal conflict between the Id and the Superego. These mechanisms are employed by the Ego to protect the individual from psychological distress, but they work by distorting reality and therefore are not healthy long-term solutions. One key defence mechanism is repression, where distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses are forced out of conscious awareness and pushed into the unconscious. For example, a person who experienced childhood trauma may have no conscious memory of the events but may still be affected by them in adult relationships. Repression is entirely unconscious, in contrast to suppression, which is deliberate. Denial is another mechanism, in which an individual refuses to accept aspects of reality that cause anxiety; for instance, an alcoholic may insist they do not have a drinking problem despite clear evidence. A third mechanism is displacement, where strong emotions—often anger or frustration—are redirected from the original source onto a safer or more acceptable target. This could involve someone who is angry at their boss instead expressing that anger by shouting at a family member. Freud believed these mechanisms help explain everyday coping as well as certain abnormal or antisocial behaviours, since unresolved unconscious conflict often manifests through such distorted responses

stages

Freud argued that personality develops through a series of five psychosexual stages, each driven by the movement of libido, or sexual energy, to different areas of the body. At each stage, the child faces an unconscious conflict that must be resolved in order for normal development to continue. If this conflict is not successfully resolved, the individual becomes fixated, meaning part of their libido remains “stuck” at that stage and may lead to maladaptive personality traits in adulthood. The oral stage (0–1 year) centres on pleasure from the mouth, such as sucking or swallowing; fixation due to early weaning or forceful feeding can lead to dependency, aggression, or oral behaviours like smoking. The anal stage (1–3 years) focuses on withholding or expelling faeces, and harsh or lax toilet training may result in traits such as obsessiveness, tidiness, meanness, generosity, or messiness. In the phallic stage (3–5 years), pleasure derives from the genitals and children experience the Oedipus or Electra complex; abnormal resolution can lead to self-obsession, vanity, sexual anxiety, or feelings of inferiority. During the latent stage (5–puberty), sexual energy is repressed and no fixation occurs. Finally, in the genital stage (puberty onward), sexual energy is focused on mature adult relationships, and healthy development at this stage results in a well-adjusted adult capable of forming balanced sexual and emotional relationships. Fixation at earlier stages, however, may continue to shape personality from the unconscious.

strengths 

Highlighting the Importance of Childhood Experiences: A significant contribution of the psychodynamic approach is its emphasis on the connection between experiences in childhood, such as relationships with parents, and later development.

For example, renowned attachment theorist Bowlby was heavily influenced by psychodynamic ideas. Freud’s ideas laid a foundation for future psychological theories by stressing the lasting impact of early childhood events on later behaviour, including attachment and offending.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, for instance, can even be seen as an extension of the psychodynamic approach, with physiological needs representing the ‘id’.

1. Significant Influence and Explanatory Power: Freud’s theory has had a tremendous influence on psychology and Western contemporary thought, explaining a wide range of phenomena such as personality development, abnormal behaviour, moral development, and gender. It was also the first approach to establish a connection between physical illness and mental causes.

limits

Lack of Scientific Rigour and Falsifiability: A major criticism is that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification, meaning its theories cannot be empirically tested or disproved.

Many of Freud’s core concepts, such as the ‘id’ or the Oedipus Complex, are said to occur at an unconscious level, making them difficult, if not impossible, to observe or measure objectively. This leads to a lack of scientific credibility for psych

Lack of Free Will: The psychodynamic approach is largely deterministic, asserting that all behaviour is caused by unconscious forces and conflicts from early childhood, over which individuals have no control.

Freud even suggested that free will is an illusion. This deterministic stance can be disempowering, implying that individuals have no control over their behaviour and cannot change it if problems are rooted in their past.

Humanistic psychologists offer a contrasting view by advocating for personal responsibility and free will.