Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
(11 cards)
Assumption?
Behaviour is due to unconscious motives
What are the four features of the psychodynamic approach?
1) The role of the unconscious
2) The structure of personality
3) Defence mechanisms
4) Psychosexual stages
AO1: The role of the unconscious
The unconscious is the part of the mind we are not consciously aware of such as repressed memories. The unconscious protects our conscious self from anxiety and fear. The unconscious drives much of our behaviour and personality.
The conscious is the part of the mind we know about and are aware of. The preconscious is the part of the mind below the preconscious and are thoughts and ideas that we may become aware of during dreams and slips of the tongue (Freudian slip). The unconscious is the part os the mind we are unaware of - biological drives and instincts and threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, locked away or forgotten but continue to drive our behaviour and personality.
AO1: The Structure of Personality
The personality is made up of the parts the id, the ego and the superego.
The id is the pleasure principle. It is the unconscious part of the mind and is present from birth. It focuses on self and expects immediate gratification. If it becomes too overwhelming for the ego it can produce a selfish personality.
The ego is the reality principle. It is the rational and conscious part of the mind and forms from 18 months to 3 years. It balances the demands and reduces the conflict between the id and the superego using defence mechanisms.
The superego os the morality principle. It forms from 3-6 years. It arises from identification with same sex parents. Its our internalised sense of right and wrong (conscience) based on parental values. If it becomes too overpowering for the ego it can produce an anxious personality and feelings of guilt.
AO1: Defence mechanisms
These are unconscious strategies used by the ego to manage the conflict between the id and the superego. For example repressed memories is forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind to the unconscious. These are unconscious and stop the ego becoming overwhelmed with conflict. However it can distort reality and overuse can affect behaviour so they are not a long term solution.
Repression - forcing a distressing memory out of the unconscious mind e.g. forgetting the trauma of your favourite pet dying.
Denial - refusing to acknowledge an unpleasant aspect of reality e.g. counting to turn up to work even though you have been fired.
Displacement - Transferring feeling from the true source of distressing emotion to a less threatening substitute target e.g. slamming the door after having a row with your mum.
AO1: The Psychosexual Stages
Freud suggested that all children progress through 5 developmental stages, known as the Psychosexual Stages, as a way to explain how the Id gets sexual satisfaction from birth.
During the stages there is a specific conflict, the outcome of which determines future development. The child must resolve conflict at each stage before they can progress to the next stage. If they do not resolve the conflict they become ‘fixated’ which can lead to certain behaviours in adulthood.
Oral stages (0-1 years) where gratification is gained from the mouth such as dummies, thumb sucking and the mothers breast. Unresolved conflict is oral fixation - smoking, biting nails, sarcastic and critical.
Anal stages (1-3 years) where gratification is gained from the anus such as expulsion or withholding faeces. Unresolved conflict is anal retentive personality - perfectionist and obsessive. Anal expulsive personality - thoughtless and messy.
Phallic stages (3-5 years) where gratification is gained from exploring their own genitals. Unresolved consequence is a phallic personality - narcissistic, reckless, problems with authority.
Latency stages (6-12 years) where earlier conflicts are repressed.
Genital stages (12 years) where sexual desires become conscious alongside puberty. Conflict of difficulty of forming heterosexual relationships.
What are the evaluations? (3) (3+discussion)
1) No scientific methods
2) Psychic determinism
3) Practical applications - psychoanalysis
Discussion - treating SZ
AO3: Scientific methods
A limitation of the psychodynamic approach to understanding the structure of personality in human behaviour is that it does not use scientific methods and so does not use scientific enquiry to investigate human behaviour. This is because the key concepts such as the unconscious and the Id, ego, superego are abstract concepts, which cannot be objectively and empirically tested and falsified – they cannot be observed objectively. Therefore, it could be argued that this decreases the overall internal validity of the psychodynamic approach’s explanation of the structure of personality, as well as human behaviour – which could additionally reduce Psychology’s scientific status.
AO3: Psychic determinism
The psychosexual stages can be criticised for psychic determinism. This is because the feature suggests that an individual is controlled by external and internal factors such as fixations occurring during specific stages that inevitably cause behaviour, such as oral fixations resulting in behaviour such as smoking. Therefore, it neglects the role of free will, and choice that individuals have, this could leave individuals feeling like they have no control over their behaviour. Limiting the appropriateness of the psychodynamic approach to explaining human behaviour.
AO3: Practical applications
A strength of the psychodynamic explanation of human behaviour is that it has practical applications. This is because the principles of the theory, that behaviour is caused by conflict in the unconscious mind has led to the treatment of psychoanalysis, which can be used to treat abnormalities in the real world, by identifying and resolving unconscious conflicts. Therefore, the psychodynamic explanation of human behaviour is an important part of applied psychology as it helps to treat people in the real world.
Discussion: Treating SZ
However, the extent to which this therapy is used in the real world is relatively small compared to other therapies such as CBT and drug therapy, especially when treating more serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia where patients may struggle to identify what is real and what is not which means that those with the disorder may struggle to articulate their thoughts in a way needed for psychoanalysis.
