Psychodynamic approach

Psychodynamic approach

Freud’s explanation of behaviour focusing on the unconscious mind, early childhood and internal conflicts.

Unconscious mind

The part of the mind containing thoughts, memories and desires that influence behaviour without awareness.

Conscious mind

The thoughts we are aware of at any given moment.

Preconscious mind

Thoughts and memories that can be brought into conscious awareness.

Role of the unconscious

Stores biological drives, fears and repressed memories that influence behaviour.

Id

The primitive, instinctual part of personality operating on the pleasure principle.

Pleasure principle

The Id seeks immediate gratification regardless of consequences.

Ego

The rational part of personality that mediates between the Id and Superego.

Reality principle

The Ego makes decisions based on what is realistic and acceptable.

Superego

The moral part of personality representing internalised societal rules.

Morality principle

The Superego strives for perfection and punishes wrongdoing with guilt.

Conflict between Id, Ego, Superego

Behaviour results from ongoing tension between biological drives, reality and morality.

Defence mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the Ego to reduce anxiety.

Repression

Blocking distressing memories from conscious awareness.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge reality or a painful event.

Displacement

Transferring anger or emotions from the true source onto a safer target.

Projection

Attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings to someone else.

Regression

Returning to an earlier stage of development to reduce anxiety.

Sublimation

Redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable behaviours.

Fixation

Unresolved conflict at a psychosexual stage leading to personality traits in adulthood.

Psychosexual stages

Freud’s stages of development based on focus of libido at each age.

Oral stage

0–1 years; pleasure focused on mouth (sucking, feeding).

Oral fixation

May lead to smoking, dependency or nail biting in adulthood.

Anal stage

1–3 years; pleasure focused on retaining or expelling faeces.

Anal-retentive personality

Perfectionist, obsessive, tidy; caused by harsh toilet training.

Anal-expulsive personality

Messy, emotional, disorganised; caused by lax toilet training.

Phallic stage

3–6 years; focus on genitals and development of gender identity.

Oedipus complex

Boys have unconscious desire for mother and rivalry with father.

Identification with father

Boys resolve Oedipus conflict by internalising father’s values.

Electra complex

Girls desire father and resent mother (penis envy).

Penis envy

Girls blame mother for castration and desire father’s affection.

Latency stage

6–12 years; sexual energy is repressed and social/intellectual development occurs.

Genital stage

Puberty onwards; adult sexual relationships form if earlier conflicts resolved.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychoanalysis aims to uncover unconscious conflicts through techniques like free association.

Free association

A technique where patients speak freely to reveal unconscious material.

Dream analysis

Freud’s method for interpreting symbolic meanings in dreams.

Manifest content

The remembered storyline of the dream.

Latent content

The hidden, symbolic meaning of the dream.

Strength: real-world application

Influenced counselling, psychotherapy and understanding of childhood trauma.

Strength: explanatory power

Explains personality, abnormal behaviour and childhood influence.

Strength: pioneering influence

First major theory to emphasise the unconscious mind.

Limitation: unscientific

Concepts like Id and Oedipus complex cannot be empirically tested.

Limitation: case study method

Based on small, biased samples such as Little Hans and Dora.

Limitation: gender bias

Freud’s theory heavily based on male development.

Psychic determinism

All behaviour is determined by unconscious influences and past experiences.

Reductionism criticism

Reduces complex behaviour to unconscious drives.

Holistic value

Considers emotional, motivational and developmental factors.

Influence on modern psychology

Laid foundation for talking cures and psychotherapy.

Role of early childhood

Early experiences shape adult personality and mental health.

Unconscious conflict

Causes anxiety, leading to defence mechanism use.

Psychodynamic vs behaviourist

Psychodynamic emphasises internal causes, behaviourism emphasises environmental learning.

Psychodynamic vs humanistic

Psychodynamic is deterministic, humanistic emphasises free will.