Psychodynamic Flashcards
Assumptions
States that unconscious forces in our mind determine our thoughts feelings and behaviour
Our behaviour is strongly influenced by our childhood experiences
Abnormal behaviour is the result of mental conflict
The mind can be divided into three levels of consciousness which can be illustrated by the iceberg analogy
The unconscious mind which is hidden below the surface as the most influence on our personality.
The role of the unconcious
Freud suggested that our conscious mind is merely the tip of the iceberg and that most of our mind is made up of the unconscious. The unconscious contains biological drives ad I stain so and disturbing memories that have been repressed- these can be accessed by parapraxes or dreams.
Under the surface of our conscious mind is pre conscious which contains thoughts and memories which can be accessed but are not currently in the conscious.
The structure of the personality
Freud described the personality
1) the id is the primitive part of the personality and operates on the pleasure principle seething mass of unconscious drives and instincts entirely selfish and demands the gratification of its needs
2) the ego works on the reality principle and is the mediator between the two other parts of the personality this develops around the age of two nd reduces conflict between ego and super ego by employing defence mechanisms
3) the superego is formed at the phallic stage around the age of five internalised state o right and wrong
Psychosexual stages- oral and anal
Oral- 0-1 years focus of pleasure is in the mouth- consequence can be an oral fixation smoking biting nails sarcastic critical
Anal 1-3 years focus of pleasure in the anus child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces. Consequence of unresolved conflict- anally retentive= perfectionist and obsessive
Anal expulsive- thoughtless messy
Psychosexual stages- phallic latent and genital
Phallic 3-6 years focus area of pleasure is the genital area- consequence phallic personality narcissistic reckless
OEDIPUS COMPLEX- children in the phallic stage unconsciously have sexual feelings for their opposite sex parent making them resentful for their same sex parent.
Freud suggests that boys develop castrations anxiety due to girls lack of a penis boys fear that their fathers will castrate them so replicate the behaviour of their fathers
ELECTRA COMPLEX- girls develop penis envy nd turn to fathers in hope to regain a penis.
Latency earlier conflicts resolved
Genital- onset of puberty sexual desires become conscious- unresolved- difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
Defence mechanisms
Repression- forcing a distress out of a conscious mind
Denial- refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
Displacement- transferring feelings from a true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target.
Evaluation- real world application
Introduced psychotherapy as opposed to physical treatments
This new therapy employed many ways to access the unconscious mind such as dream analysis. Brings repressed memories into the conscious mind in order for the to be dealt with. Forerunner for many talking therapies such as counselling
HOWEVER- psychoanalysis is deemed as inappropriate for clients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia suggesting that Freudian theory and therapy may not be applicable for all mental disorders.
Evaluation strengths
Had a large influence on psychology and contemporary thought significant in drawing attention into connections between experiences in childhood and our later development this suggests that overall the psychodynamic approach has had a positive impact on psychology and even art and literature.
Evaluation negatives
Untestable concepts popper argued that it does not meet scientific criterion of falsification and is nt open to empirical testing. Concepts at the unconscious level are almost impossible to test
Subjective to individuals eg little Hans this suggesting that Freud’s theory wad pseudoscience. HOWEVER- modernly we can use mri scanning to test this.
Therapy difficult to evaluate as is so long term that the patient could come to own resolve in the time.
Deterministic
Research support
Freud supported the Oedipus complex using the case study of little Hans
Who developed a phobia of horses when seeing one collapse in the street- Freud suggested that his fear of horses was a displaced repressed fear of his father transferred onto horses thus horses were nearly a symbolic representation of his unconscious real fear castration.
