2-2: Psychodynamic Psychology Flashcards
Who originated psychodynamic psychology?
Sigmund Freud in the late 19th century.
What is Psychodynamic Psychology?
Proposes that there are psychological forces underlying human behaviour, feelings, and emotions.
What was Freud’s core thought behind psychodynamic psychology?
He thought that the psychological processes are flows of psychological energy (libido) in a complex brain.
What did Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis assume?
That much of mental life is unconscious, and that past experiences, especially in early childhood, shape how a person feels and behaves throughout life.
What are the two types of conscious experience?
- Phenomenal, or in the moment
- Access, which recalls experiences from memory
An example of “Access” is that a teacher brings up adults struggling with technology. You, in turn, think of your own experiences with this.
What are the three levels of awareness that Sigmund Freud divided human consciousness into?
- Conscious
- Preconscious
- Unconscious
What is the Conscious Mind?
This is the level of awareness that contains thoughts, perceptions, and feelings that you are currently aware of and actively experiencing.
What is the Preconscious Mind?
The preconscious level includes thoughts, memories, and information that are not in your immediate awareness but can be readily accessed and brought into consciousness. For example, if someone asks you about your childhood, you can access memories and thoughts about your early experiences from your preconscious mind.
What is the Unconscious Mind?
The unconscious mind contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are not readily accessible to conscious awareness. These may include repressed memories, unresolved conflicts, and other elements of the psyche that are hidden from conscious view. Freudian psychoanalysis, for instance, emphasized the role of the unconscious in influencing behavior and personality.
What is the id?
The id is the most primitive and instinctual part of the personality. It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic desires and needs, such as hunger, thirst, and sexual impulses. The id is impulsive, illogical, and primarily concerned with fulfilling its own desires without considering the consequences or the reality of the situation. It is present from birth and represents our innate, unconscious drives.
What is the ego?
The ego is the rational, conscious part of the personality. It develops as a person interacts with the external world and learns to navigate it. The ego operates on the reality principle, which involves balancing the desires of the id with the constraints of the external world. Its role is to find realistic and socially acceptable ways to meet the id’s desires while considering the consequences and limitations imposed by reality. The ego helps individuals make decisions and mediate between the id and superego.
What is the superego?
The superego represents the moral and ethical aspects of a person’s personality. It develops through socialization and internalization of societal and parental values, norms, and moral standards. The superego consists of two components:
Conscience: The conscience represents the internalization of rules and standards for good behavior. It punishes the ego with feelings of guilt and anxiety when it perceives behavior as morally wrong.
Ego Ideal: The ego ideal embodies the internalized standards of perfection and moral excellence. It provides a sense of pride and satisfaction when the individual behaves in ways that align with these idealized standards.
Instead of as a single entity, how do developmental psychologists view consciousness?
As a developmental process with potential higher stages of cognitive, moral, and spiritual quality.
How do social psychologists view consciousness?
As a product of cultural influence having little to do with the individual.
How do Neuropsychologists view consciousness?
As ingrained in neural systems and organic brain structures.
How do Cognitive psychologists view consciousness?
Cognitive psychologists base their understanding of consciousness on computer science.