4.6 the psychodynamic approach

Define the psychodynamic approach

A perspective that describe the different forces (most being unconscious), that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience

Define the unconscious

The part of the mind we are unaware of, but which directs much of our behaviour

What psychologist is linked to the psychodynamic approach

Freud

What is the role of the unconscious

• freud suggested our mind is mostly unconscious

• Contains biological drives and instincts

• Also threatening memories that have been repressed (accessed through dreams or slip of the tongue)

What is the preconscious

Contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious, but can be accessed if desired

What are the 3 parts of the structure of personality

1. Id

2. Ego

3. Superego

What is the Id

• primitive part of our personality

• Demands instant gratification, pleasure principle

• Unconscious drives and instincts (innate/ from birth)

What is the ego

• mediator between the id and superego

• Manages this by employing defence mechanisms

• Reality principle

What is the superego

• formed at the end of the phallic stage (around age 5)

• Internalised sense of right and wrong

• Morality principle

Psychosexual stages- what happens when the conflict isn’t resolved

Leads to fixation

What did Freud say about the psychosexual stages

• Child development occurs in 5 stages

• Each stage is marked by a conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress to the next stage

List the psychosexual stages

1. Oral (0-1)

2. Anal (1-3)

3. Phallic (3-6)

4. Latency

5. Genital

Psychosexual stages - what occurs in the oral stage (+ its unresolved conflict)

• focus of pleasure is the mouth, mothers breast is the object of desire

• Unresolved= oral fixation (nail biting, sarcastic, smoking)

Psychosexual stages - what occurs in the anal stage (+ its unresolved conflict)

• focus of pleasure is the anus, gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces

Unresolved

• anal retentive- perfectionist, obsessive

• Anal expulsive- thoughtless, messy

Psychosexual stages - what occurs in the phallic stage (+ its unresolved conflict)

• focus of pleasure is the genital area

• Unresolved - phallic personality, narcissistic, reckless

Psychosexual stages - what occurs in the latency stage

Earlier conflicts are repressed

Psychosexual stages - what occurs in the genital stage (+ its unresolved conflict)

• sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty

• Unresolved - Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships

What are defence mechanisms

• used to help to ego

• Unconscious, prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary trauma

• But they distort reality and are psychologically unhealthy in the long terms

What are the 3 defence mechanisms

• repression

• Denial

• Displacement

What is repression

Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind

What is denial

Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality

What is displacement

Transferring feelings onto a substitute target

Application — little Hans

• 5 year old who developed a fear of horses after seeing one collapse in the street

• Freud said his phobia was a form of displacement

• His repressed fear of castration from his father was displaced onto the horses during the Oedipus complex

Evaluation — real world application

• introduced the idea of psychotherapy/ psychoanalysis which lead to talking therapies such as counselling

• Involves bringing repressed emotions to their conscious mind

Counterpoint — not applicable to all mental disorders. E.g severe disorders like schizophrenia cannot articulate their thoughts, which is required in psychoanalysis

Evaluation — explanatory power

• had a positive impact on psychology

• Was able to explain personality development, the origin of psych disorders, moral development and gender identity

• Also drew attention to experiences in childhood and the impact on later development

Evaluation — untestable concepts

• popper - this approach is not open to empirical testing and falsification (being disproved)

• As many concepts were unconscious, it is impossible to test

• Ideas based on subjective studies of individuals (little Hans), so hard to generalise

• Shows his theory is pseudoscientific (not a real science)

Evaluation — determinism

• suggests behaviour is determined by unconscious conflict rooted in childhood

• So dismisses the influence of free will on behaviour