What is the psychodynamic approach Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is the psychodynamic approach ??
The study of the unconscious mind/mental drives that develop in childhood.
Their interactions and how these influence behaviour, personality and mental states.
What was Freud’s psychodynamic theory ?
The mind is a complex system that has 3 distinct parts.
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
What is the conscious mind?
Includes thoughts we are aware of and can talk about.
Ideas
Decisions
Emotions
Preconscious mind
Thoughts that are not immediately accessible but can be brought into conscious awareness
Unconscious mind
Largest part of the mind
Holds thoughts/memories
Not accessible to awareness but influence our behaviours/feelings.
Desires/impulses/repressed memories
What is the role of the unconscious ??
According to Psychic determinism
Behaviours are shaped by unresolved unconscious conflicts among different parts of our personality.
What can problems in our psychosexual stages (Freud) result in ?
Fixation - An individual remains stuck in a stage.
How does the unconscious protect the conscious mind?
Protects from potentially harmful thoughts.
(Traumatic memories/fears)
Why is protecting the conscious mind important?
It reduces anxiety
How does it achieve this ?
By using defence mechanisms
(repression/denial/projection)
The structure of personality
The adult personality is Tripartite - it is constructed of 3 parts
Id
Ego
Super ego
Explain the Id
For Infants there is only an Id.
It is a selfish aspect of the mind and focuses on satisfying personal needs/desires.
(pleasure principle)
(seeking immediate gratification)
(Associated with Hedonism)
Remains a part of the unconscious mind throughout life - continuously pursuing pleasure.
Explain the ego
Begins to form around 18 months.
Primarily - Conscious component of personality
(Reality principle)
Uses rational thinking to manage the id’s demands.
Critical step in child’s ability to interact with the world in a realistic way.
Explain the super-ego
Forms around 3yrs old
Primarily - unconscious component of personality
(The morality principle)
The child is internalising values/norms of their parents/society.
It influences behaviour by inducing guilt when their actions conflict with strict rules of superego.
Moderates behaviour according to moral/societal expectations.
What acts as a mediator between the id and the super-ego
The Ego
What did Freud say about early childhood experiences?
They shape and structure the personality
What did Freud say about Criminal behaviour in relation to the id, ego and super-ego ?
Due to an imbalance in the superego’s strength compared to the id.
If the superego is too weak the id’s desires can dominate.
If they have a dominant/deviant superego person might adopt this from criminal parents.
An overly strong superego may lead to criminal acts to justify the extreme guilt from the superego’s strict moral standards.
Iceberg analogy ?
We only see a small amount over the waves and large part of it is hidden.
We are only aware of a small fraction of our thoughts.
The large mass of thoughts are hidden in our unconscious is the driving force behind our behaviour.
Freud’s - Psychosexual stages
(Weird)
As children develop biologically they pass through 5 stages.
At each stage they will experience an unconscious conflict that must be resolved.
If they are unable to resolve they become fixated and this can impact their personality.
What is the oral stage (0-1)
Baby get pleasure from their mouth during breastfeeding.
Fixation results in immaturity
What is the Anal stage (1-3)
Child get pleasure from holding on an releasing faeces.
If parent too strict in punishing potty training mistakes can lead to fixation.
Fixation results in a fussy/overly organised adult.
What is the phallic stage (3-5)
The libido (sexual pleasure around body) is now focused on the genitals.
Boys experience Oedipus complex
Girls experience Electra complex
What is the Oedipus complex ?
Boys experience it
A sexual desire for their mother.
Will experience castration anxiety - dislike to father - fear father will take their genitals.
Once learnt they cannot compete will learn to identify with him instead imitating his behaviour.
This is how boys will develop a male gender identity.
What is the electra complex?
Girls experience it - Freud not talk about this (A03 - gender bias).
Desribes a girls attachment to her father and dislike for her mother. (Penis envy)
