psychodynamic approach

who developed the psychodynamic approach

sigmund freud

what is the psychodynamic approach

the belief that behaviour is influenced by the interactions between three parts of the mind

what is the conscious mind

the part of the mind that contains everything ur currently thinking

what is the preconscious mind

the part of the mind that contains everything ur not currently thinking about but can easily access

what is the unconscious mind

the part of the mind that contains things outside our conscious awareness

what is the id

part of the tripartite structure of personality that is responsible for impulses and urge for instant gratification

what is the super-ego

part of the tripartite structure of personality that wants us to follow rules and morals

what is the ego

part of the tripartite structure of personality that mediates between the id and super-ego and decides what to do

complete the iceberg analogy

what are defense mechanisms

psychological strategies used by the ego to protect the mind from internal conflict between the id and superego, and distressing thoughts

what are the 3 defense mechanisms

• displacement

• repression

• denial

what is displacement

when the ego redirects the id impulse towards something else

what is repression

when the ego pushes the ids impulses back into the unconscious mind

what is denial

when the ego gives in to the id but then refuses to believe it has done so

what are the 5 psychosexual stages

• oral

• anal

• phallic

• latent

• genital

what is the oral stage

• 0-18months

• id is focused on the mouth

• main impulse is to eat

what is the anal stage

• 18months-3years

• id is focused on the anus

• main impulse is to poop

• nervous - anally retentive, overly keen - anally expulsive

what is the phallic stage

• 3-6yo

• id is focused on the penis (both girls and males)

• boys sexually attracted to mother and jealous of father

• boys have castration anxiety

• girls sexually attracted to their father and dont trust their mother

• girls have penis envy

what is the latent stage

• 6-12yo

• ids impulses are now spread out evenly across the body

what is the genital stage

• 12yo onwards

• libido reawakens and centers on the genitals

• strong interest in romantic relationships with others

how do u gain psychosexual fixations

if a child experiences psychological strama in the first 3 stages, it’s repressed into our unconscious and affects our behaviour in the future

what is an oral fixation

• causes adults to be overly dependant

• habits like smoking or biting nails

what is an anally retentive fixation

• adults will be organised and careful with their money

what is an anally expulsive fixation

• cause adults to be overly emotional

what is an phallic fixation

cause an adult to be jealous or anxious

evidence for freuds theory

CASE STUDY: LITTLE HANS

• 9yo boy afraid of horses

• analysed his behaviour and dreams

• suggested his was in the phallic stage going thru the oedipus complex

• fear of father was redirected at horses

evaluate evidence to support freuds theroy

• case studies don’t generalise

• self report method - no objective/ empirical evidence (especially bc its a child)

• doesn’t test cause and effect

strengths of psychodynamic approach as a whole

• historical importance - freud looked at childhood experiences to investigate disorders (we still use today)

• balance in being idiographic and nomothetic (case studies & general theories)

weaknesses of psychodynamic approach as a whole

• not scientific - not falsifiable and not empirical evidence

• case study lacks pop validity

• androcentric bias - outdated gender stereotypes eg penis envy

• psychic determinism - repressed trauma determines our behaviour