the psychodynamic approach

what does the psychodynamic approach assume?

that adult behaviour is caused by complex dynamic interactions between the conscious and unconscious

what does freud assume?

• people are born with basic instincts and needs

• behaviour is largely controlled by the unconscious

• iceberg metaphor

what is it called when the unconscious mind reveals itself?

freudian slips

what are the 3 parts of the personality?

• id

• ego

• superego

what is the id?

• operates in the unconscious

• desires and wants - immediate gratification

• contains the libido

what is the ego?

• mediates between the id and the superego

• delays gratification

what is the superego?

• the moralistic part of the personality

• causes guilt & determines acceptable behaviour

• divided into the conscious and the ego-ideal

what is the conscious?

the internalisation of societal rules

what is the ego-ideal?

what a person strives towards

what is oedipus complex & electra complex?

when children are in love with their parents & then identify with the other out of shame

what arises when the ego fails to balance the id and the superego?

conflicts and disorders

what occurs if there is a dominance of the id?

• destructive tendencies

• pleasurable acts

• uninhibited sexual behaviour

• addiction

• sex offences

what occurs if there is a dominance of the superego?

• may be unable to experience pleasure or satisfaction

• phobias

• depression

• anxiety

what are defence mechanisms?

when the ego tries to maintain a balancing act to protect itself against anxiety

what are the 3 defence mechanisms?

• repression

• denial

• displacement

what is repression?

the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts & impulses

• ego suppresses id’s demands

what is an example of repression?

a child who has been abused by parents has no recollection but struggles to form relationships as an adult

what is denial?

the refusal to accept reality so as to avoid painful thoughts or feelings

what is an example of denial?

an alcoholic denying addiction

what is displacement?

redirecting thoughts and feelings in situations where the person feels unable to express them in the presence of who they should be expressed towards

what is an example of displacement?

a man abusing his partner when angry at being demoted at work

what age is the oral stage?

0 years - 18 months

what happens in the oral stage?

• id impulses satisfied by feeding

• mouth is pleasure centre

• id develops here

• excess breastfeeding: orally aggressive

• neglected breastfeeding: oral dependent

what is oral dependent?

a gullible person

what is orally aggressive?

nail biting/witty/critical

what age is the anal stage?

18 months to 3 years

what happens in the anal stage?

• pleasure on the anus

• withholding VS expelling faeces

• fixation leads to an anal personality

• expelling: anally expulsive

• withholding: anally retentive

• ego is born

what is anally expulsive?

arty/creative

what is anally retentive?

stingy/OCD

what ages is the phallic stage?

3 until 6

what happens in the phallic stage?

• pleasure through genitals

• boys go through oedipus complex and girls through the electra complex

• learn morals from same gendered parent

• superego is born

• fixation leads to ‘mummy’s boy’

what ages is latency?

6 until 12

what happens in latency?

• develops mastery of the world

• represses earlier conflicts

what ages is the genital stage?

12+

what happens in the genital stage?

• genitals are the focus

• sex is a conscious thought

• sexual feelings less focused on the self and now directed at potential partners

what are the strengths of the psychodynamic approach?

• the first to demonstrate psychological treatments rather than biological ones

• scientific support - many claims tested (fisher and greenberg)

• comprehensive theory

what are the limitations fo the psychodynamic approach?

• gender-biased approach as freud views women’s sexuality as less developed

• culture-biased as irrelevant for non-western cultures