Psychodynamic approach

role of the unconscious

Freud suggested that the part of our mind that we know about and are aware of - the conscious mind - is merely the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Most of our mind is made of the unconscious (we are unaware of this but it directs much of our behaviour)

contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, which can be accessed during dreams or through ‘slips of the tongue’ (Freud called these parapraxes) e.g. calling a female teacher ‘mum’

under the surface of conscious mind is the preconscious which contains thoughts and memories not currently in conscious awareness but we can access if desired

structure of personality

Freud described it as ‘tripartite’, composed of three parts:

• Id = primitive part. Operates on the pleasure principle - the Id gets what it wants. It is a seething mass of unconscious drives and instincts. The only one present at birth (Freud described babies as ‘bundles of Id’. Throughout life it is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of needs

• Ego = works on reality principle and is the mediator between the other 2 parts. Develops around 2 years old with the role to reduce the conflict between the demands of the Id and Superego. Manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms

• Superego = formed at the end of the phallic stage, around the age of 5. Is our internalised sense of right and wrong based on the morality principle to represent the moral standards of the child’s same-gender parent and punishes the Ego for wrongdoing

Psychosexual stages

Freud claimed child development occurred in 5 stages

any psychosexual conflict that is unresolved leads to fixation where the child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life

1. oral = 0-1 years, focus of pleasure is the mouth, mother’s breast can be the object of desire, consequence of unresolved conflict = oral fixation - smoking, biting nails, sarcastic, critical

2. anal = 1-3 years, focus of pleasure is the anus, child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces, consequence of unresolved conflict = anal retentive - perfectionist, obsessive or anal expulsive - thoughtless, messy

3. phallic = 3-6 years, focus of pleasure is the genital area, consequence is phallic personality - narcissistic, reckless

4. latency = earlier conflicts are repressed

5. genital = sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty , consequence - difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

OLD ANGRY PEOPLE LOVE GOSSIP

defence mechanisms

unconscious

Ego has help from these - prevents it from becoming overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas

often involve distortion of reality and as a long-term solution are regarded as unhealthy and undesirable