The Psychodynamic Approach
Defence Mechanisms
- Defence mechanisms are used by the ego to help it balance the conflicting demands of the Id and Superego
- These mechanisms are unconscious and ensure the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary traumas and/or threats
- Displacement
- The focus of a strong emotion is expressed onto a neutral person or object, which reduces anxiety as it allows the expression of that strong emotion (e.g. I shout at my husband because I cannot shout at my boss
- Repression
- Unpleasant memories are pushed down into the unconscious mind and are therefore unable to cause anxiety (e.g. I have 'locked down' my memories of being bullied so that they do not have the power to harm me
- Denial
- Refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation, which stops the situation from causing anxiety, e.g. I am sure that my partner loves me even though she frequently stays out all night.
- They must go through all 5 stages to become well-adjusted adults
- During each stage the child fixates on a different part of the body
- During each stage the child goes through conflict which they must resolve to move through the stage successfully
- If they do not resolve the conflict in each stage, it can result in adult fixation
The 5 Psychosexual Stages
| Stage | Description | Consequences of unresolved conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Oral 0-1 years | The mouth is the focus of pleasure Conflict can arise when weaning off bottle or breast | Oral Fixation: Smoking, overeating, biting nails, critical and sarcastic verbalisations |
| Anal 1-3 years | The anus is the focus of pleasure Conflict can arise when toilet training | Anal retentive: Neatness, perfectionism Anal expulsive: Messiness, insensitivity |
| Phallic 3-6 years | The genital area is the focus of pleasure Conflict can arise and cause the Oedipus or Electra complex (see below) | Vanity, overambition, narcissism, impulsivity |
| Latency | Earlier conflicts become repressed | None |
| Genital | The genitals are the focus of pleasure Sexual desires become conscious with the onset of puberty | Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships |
Oedipus complex
- Boys desire closeness with the opposite sex parent i.e. their mother
- The same-sex parent (the father) is a rival who the boy wants out of the way
- Boys fear that their father will castrate them (castration anxiety)
- To reduce anxiety boys use defence mechanisms and identify with their father
- This reduces the threat and the boy internalises male characteristics and comes out of the Oedipus complex
Electra complex
- Girls desire closeness with the opposite sex parent i.e. their father
- Girls do not fear their same-sex parent (the mother) as they believe that they have already been castrated; instead they experience penis-envy
- Girls fear losing their mother's love
- To reduce anxiety the girls identify with their mother
- This reduces the threat and girls internalise female characteristics and come out of the Electra complex