Approaches - The Psychodynamic Approach

The Psychodynamic Approach

Emphasises the role of unconscious motives and desires and early childhood experiences in shaping behaviours. Associated with Freud

Conscious mind

The part of the mind we are aware of and the smallest part of the mind (eg. favourite colour)

Unconscious mind

The part of the mind we are not aware of and the largest part. A vast storehouse of drives and instincts that have significant influence on our behaviour - these are revealed in slips of the tongue and dreams

The Iceberg Metaphor

Freud used the metaphor of an iceberg to describe the human mind. The tip we can see is the conscious mind and the unconscious mind is the largest section underneath the waters we are unaware of.

Tripartite

Freud described personality as tripartite, meaning it is made up of three components. These are: ID, ego and superego

ID

Present from birth and operates in only the unconscious mind. Operates according to the pleasure principle and demands immediate gratification regardless of circumstance. This is regarded as the selfish, primitive + irrational part of our personality

Ego

Develops around the age of 2 years as a consequence of our experience with reality. Operates in both the conscious and unconscious mind and according to the reality principle. It is regarded as the rational part of our personality and mediates between the other two parts of the personality

Superego

Develops between ages 3 and 6. Operates in both the conscious and unconscious mind and according to the morality principle. It is regarded as our internal sense or right and wrong and supposedly is passed on from our same-sex parent and represents their moral standards.

Mediating ID and Superego

Ego is a mediator throughout life between ID (selfishness) and superego (responsibility) and the conflict between them in our unconscious mind because they represent different motives. This conflict causes anxiety the individual is unaware of.

Defence mechanisms

To protect the individual from anxiety by reducing it, the ego uses defence mechanisms to distort reality. These defence mechanism include: denial, displacement and repression.

Repression

Forcing distressing memories out of the conscious mind into the unconscious mind. These repressed memories can still impact behaviour. eg) abused child doesn’t remember experiences but struggles to form relationships

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge something and therefore avoiding to having to deal with the painful feelings associated. Occurs in the unconscious mind so it is different to lying. e.g.) Alcoholic denying they have a drinking problem

Displacement

Redirecting thoughts or feelings from the source to a suitable target, essentially taking it out on something else. Eg) Redirecting anger at a parent into kicking a door. 

Freud’s Psychosexual stages

Freud believed that personality developed through five psychosexual stages. This emphasised his belief that the driving force of development is the need to express sexual energy (libido). Build up SE causes tension and pleasure is caused by its discharge. At each psychosexual stage, SE is discharged in different ways

List the Psychosexual stages

Oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital

Psychosexual stage one - Oral (0-1 yrs)

Focus on pleasure is the mouth. Conflict is weaning and difficulties cause oral fixation in adulthood.

Consequences of difficulties with oral psychosexual stage

Smoking, nail biting, over eating and over drinking, sarcasm and being over-critical

Psychosexual stage two - Anal (1-3 yrs)

Focus on pleasure is the anus and expelling/withholding faeces. Conflict is potty training and difficulties with it which result in anal fixation in adulthood.

Consequences of the anal psychosexual stage

Anal-retentive (forced or early potty training) - perfectionist, obsessive

Anal-expulsive (late or liberal potty training) - messy, disorganised

Psychosexual stage 3 - Phallic (3-5 yrs)

Focus on pleasure is the genital area. Conflict is the Oedipus or Electra conflict (incestuous feelings for opposite sex parent and violent hatred for same-sex parent). Must be resolved or leads to phallic personality

Consequences of the phallic psychosexual stage

Phallic personality is developed causing adult behaviours such as: homosexuality, arrogance, recklessness and narcissism. 

Psychosexual stage 4 - Latency

Conflicts of previous stages are repressed which is why children do not remember their early childhood well. Sexual urges are sublimated into hobbies and same-sex friendship is a focus - there is no consequence for difficulties. 5 - 12 yrs

Psychosexual stage 5 - Genital

Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty and pleasure is gained from heterosexual intercourse. 12 yrs +