1.5 The psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Who initiated the psycho-dynamic approach?
Freud.
What did Freud emphasis on?
The unconscious mind.
What does freud suggest that we are aware of?
Suggests that we are only aware of a small proportion of our thought. And that our unconscious mind influences our behaviour and personality.
Name 3 basic assumptions?
- Unconscious mental processes motivate our behaviour
- Personality had 3 parts: ID, Supergeo and the Ego.
- Early childhood experiences influence adult behaviour and personality.
- Development takes place in psychosexual stages.
- Defence mechanisms are unconscious processes that act to protect the conscious self from unpleasant events/thoughts.
- Psychological problems can be treated through the unconscious mind. Such as psychoanalysis.
What does unconscious mental processes do?
motivate out behaviour.
Explain the ID?
Is an unreasonably demanding and self serving, like a little child who demands instant satisfaction. This is in the unconscious mind.
Explain the Supergeo?
Is over demanding, strict and punishing internal parent and can also be partly in the conscious mind, as well as the unconscious. When it is in the conscious mind, it can make us feel guilty.
Explain the Ego?
Is the conscious self resulting from the demands of the Id and the Superego.
What are problems like anxiety often caused from?
Unpleasant childhood experiences of which we are not consciously aware.
What is fixation? (to do with he psychosexual stages)
Becoming fixated at a particular stage because a conflict has occurred here. This will affect out adult behaviour. E.g someone who is stuck in the oral stage (enjoys bottle/breast feeding) may engage in behaviours such as nail biting if not satisfactorily resolved.
What are the 5 psychosexual stages?
- Oral (birth -1 yr)
- Anal (age 2-3)
- Phallic stage (4-5) (this includes Oedipus and Electra complexes)
- Latency stage (6-12)
- Genital stage (puberty+)
What does the ID work according to, and what is a brief description of this?
Pleasure Principle -achievement of pleasurable feelings as quickly as possible through the reduction of discomfort, pain, or tension.
Name 3 defence mechanisms?
Repression, Projection, Rationalisation and Intellectualise.
Explain repression? (defence mechanism)
Threatening material is unavailable for recall b/c it’s been pressed down into the unconscious.
Explain projection? (defence mechanism)
Protects individuals from threat by allowing them to literally project their own traits to other people.