the psychodynamic approach

what is the conscious part of the mind?

thoughts we are aware of and can talk about (ideas, decisions and emotions)

what is the pre-conscious part of the mind?

thoughts not immediately accessible but can be brought to conscious

what is the unconscious part of the mind?

it holds thoughts and and memories that aren’t immediately accessible to awareness, but influence our behaviour and feeling as an adult (trauma)

role of the unconscious (psychic determinism)

-can be accessed through dream analysis

-if any problems during the psychosexual stages it can cause fixation (someone remains in a stage, expressing negative traits)

-Freud believes behaviours are shaped by unresolved unconscious conflicts among personality and experiences in the psychosexual stages

what is the ID like?

-from 0-18 months

-operates on pleasure principle (gets what it wants)

-acts on unconscious desires and instincts

-it’s only present at birth

what is the Ego like?

• develops around 2 years old

• works on the reality principle, making the person aware of other people’s feelings and that it can’t have it’s own way

• trying to reduce conflict between the ID and the SuperEgo

• uses lots of defence mechanisms

what is the SuperEgo like?

• develops around 5 years old

• realises wrong and right, representing the moral standards of the same-sex parent

• guilt is the punishment for ID’s wrongdoing