The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is the psychodynamic approach?
The psychodynamic approach states that unconscious forces in our mind, determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Our behaviour as adults is strongly influenced by our childhood experiences and ‘abnormal’ behaviour is the result of mental conflict. Psychodynamic psychology focuses on trying to get inside the head of individuals in order to make sense of their relationships, experiences and how they see the world.
Explain Freud’s ‘Mental Iceberg’.
Freud believed in the existence of a large part of the mind that was inaccessible to conscious thought. He used an iceberg to represent the layers of the mind (with only the tip of the iceberg being our conscious mind that we have access to). He believed most of our mind was a ‘storehouse’ of biological drives, instincts and memories that have a significant influence on our behaviour and personality. He identified: 1)Conscious Mind 2)Preconscious Mind 3)Unconscious Mind
What is the conscious mind?
The part of the mind that we are aware of. Thoughts and/or ideas are easily accessed.
What is the preconscious mind?
Thoughts and/or ideas that we may be aware of during dreams or through ‘slips of the tongue’ (parapraxes).
What is the unconscious mind?
The part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behaviour via our aggressive (Thanatos) and sexual instincts (Libido). Thoughts and/or ideas that are never consciously accessed.
What three parts did Freud believed our personality is composed of?
Freud believed that the structure of our personality is composed of three parts: the Id, the Ego, the Superego.
What is the ID?
The id operates solely in the unconscious mind. It contains your libido, reproductive instincts and is the ‘primitive’ part of our personality. It operates on the pleasure principle. It demands instant gratification regardless of the circumstances. The id is present at birth and is entirely selfish.
What is the superego?
The superego is formed around the age of 5. It is our internalised sense of right and wrong that comes from a society’s rules and morals. It determines which behaviours are permissible and causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken. It represents the moral standards of the same sex parent and punished the ego for any wrongdoing (via guilt).
What is the ego?
The ego mediates between the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the external world (the reality principle). It will often delay gratifying the id until there is a more appropriate opportunity to satisfy its demands. It must compromise between the impulsive demands of the id and the moralistic demands of the superego. It manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms.
What are the three main defence mechanisms?
a) Repression
b) Denial
c) Displacement
What is Repression?
This is when the unconscious blocks out any unacceptable thoughts and impulses- we do not know that we are repressing them but they continue to influence our behaviour.
What is Denial?
Denial is refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality so as to avoid having to deal with painful feelings that might be associated with that event.
What is Displacement?
This involves redirecting or transferring thoughts or feelings away from the person or situation in which they should be directed at. Instead these hostile feelings are taken out on a helpless victim or object.
What are the Psychosexual stages by Freud?
Freud says that child development happened in 5 stages- emphasising that the most important driving force is the need to express sexual energy (libido).
Each stage is marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress successfully onto the next stage. If the child is unable to resolve any of the conflicts, fixation occurs and is carried out through to adult life.
Explain the ‘Oral’ stage.
0-1 years.
Mouth is the focal point of sensation- mothers breast is the focus of sexual pleasure.
What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the oral stage?
Smoking, nail biting, being sarcastic, critical of others.
Explain the ‘Anal’ stage.
1-3 years.
Beginnings of ego developments.
Focus of pleasure is the anus- child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces.
What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the anal stage?
anal retentive- perfectionist, obsessive
anal expulsive- thoughtless, messy
Explain the ‘Phallic’ Stage.
3-5 years.
Sexual energy is focused on the genitals.
Oedipus Complex- male unconsciously wants their mother and resents their father.
Castration anxiety- fear of punishment from father.
What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in phallic stage?
Phallic personality- narcissistic, reckless, possibly homosexual
Explain the ‘Latency’ stage.
6 years-puberty.
Little to no sexual motivation.
Earlier conflicts start to be repressed (defence mechanisms begin).
Children now have little memory of their childhood years.
Explain the ‘Genital’ stage.
Puberty +
Sexual Desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty. This eventually directs us towards sexual intercourse.
What are the consequences of unresolved conflict in the genital stage?
Difficulty forming heterosexual relationships.
