psychodynamic approach

Psychodynamic assumptions

A perspective that describes the different forces most of which are unconscious that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience.

The role of the unconscious

Sigmund Freud suggested that most of our mind is made up of the unconscious which is a part of our mind that we are unaware of but direct our behaviour and is a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts. The unconscious also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed. The preconscious which contains our thoughts and memories are not currently in our conscious but we can access them if desired.

The structure of the personality

Freud describe the personality as being composed of free parts

The ID which is the primitive part of our personality and is the pleasure principal it is present at birth and is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs.

The ego which is the reality principle and is the mediator between the other two parts of our personality. The ego develops around the age of two and it reduces conflict between ID and superego.

The super ego is our morality principle and it is the internal sense of right and wrong it is formed at the end of the phallic stage.

Defence mechanism

As the ego has a difficult job balancing the conflicting demands of the ID and the super ego defence mechanisms prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas. However, they often involve some form of distortion of reality and are not regarded as a healthy long-term solution. for example, repression or denial

Psychosexual stages

Five developmental stages that all children passed through. At each stage there is a different conflict, the outcome of which determines future development. If the conflict is unresolved, this leads to fixation whether the child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life.

Oral from 0 to one years old

Pleasure is the mouth, mother’s breast is the object of desire. This could lead to oral fixation for example smoking, biting nails, finger and thumb suckers and this behaviour usually happens when a person is under distress.

Anal stage 1 to 3 years old

Pleasure is the anus. Child gains pleasure from withholding an expelling faeces. The consequence of this is either being a perfectionist and obsessive or thoughtless and messy.

Phallic age 3 to 6 years old

Focus of pleasure is the genital area. A child becomes aware of an anatomical sex differences which sets motion conflict between erotic attraction, resentment rivalry, jealousy, and fear. This can lead to a phallic personality meaning being narcissistic, reckless, or possibly homosexual.

Latency six years to puberty

No further cycle sexual development takes place during this age child’s energies channel into developing new skills and acquiring new knowledge.

Genital

Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty. This is sexual desire from another human rather than self pleasure. The consequence of this is difficulty forming a true sexual relationships.

Real world application

Strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it introduced the idea of psychotherapy. This new form of therapy was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. It was designed to access the unconscious and to help clients by bringing their oppressed emotions into their conscious mind. This was called counselling and shows value of the approach in creating a new approach to treatment.

Real world application counterpoint

Psycho analysis is regarded as inappropriate for people experiencing more serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia such as paranoia and delusional thinking mean that those with the disorder cannot get a grip on reality and cannot articulate their thoughts. So this type of therapy may not apply to all mental disorders.

Explanatory power

A strength is its ability to explain human behaviour. The approach is a key force in psychology and has been used to explain a wide range of phenomenal such as personality development and abnormal behaviour. This suggests that the approach has had a positive impact on psychology.

Untestable concepts

The limitation is that it is untestable. A psychologist argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of false ation as it is not open to empirical testing. His ideas were based on subjective study of single individuals so Freud’s theory was psuedoscientific rather than an established fact.