5. The psychodynamic theory - Sigmund Freud Flashcards
who was the pain basis of the psychoanalytic psychodynamic theory?
freud and then further developed by other neo-freudians.
what is freudian analysis?
understanding of the human psyche that requires the intensive long term training of the analyst
what do freudian analysts need to to to become an analyst?
Analyst needs to have had their own therapy and needs to know their own psychology really well so as to know what are their – and what are the client’s issues
what is Freud’s history?
- First born son of Jewish parents
- Had many interests – chose t study Medicine
- Originator of Psychoanalysis
- Devoted his life to create the model of the human psyche and personality and psychoanalysis
- Prolific writer (Collected works in 24 volumes)
- Ardent worker – had extremely busy practice
- Died in London in 1939
what is the conscious?
contact with outside world. rational reality awareness
what is the pre conscious?
material just beneath the surface of awareness. o habits, denial, habitual repetitive patterns we are semi-aware of
what is the unconscious?
well below surface of awareness; difficult to retrieve. o dreams of symbolic representations of unconscious needs, inner conflicts, unfulfilled wishes, Id-Superego conflicts, slips of the tongue (Freudian slips), free association material, symbolic content of psychotic symptoms
what is the id?
pressure principle, primary process thinking. The child
what is the ego?
reality principle, secondary process thinking. the adult
what is the super ego?
moral, imperatives ideas. The parent
what is the ID ruled by?
the pleasure principle
what is the pleasure principle of the ID?
original system of personality at birth.
• the seat of the instincts, needs and wants
• Pleasure principle seeks to reduce tension, avoiding pain and gaining pleasure
where in consciousness is the ID?
largely unconscious or out ofawareness
what is the superego ruled by?
moral principles. it is the judicial part of the personality
what does the superego aim to do?
aims to inhibit the id impulses.
• elicits Idealistic and moral intentions → “good or bad” and “right or wrong” thinking, striving for perfection
• internalisation of parental and societal values and aims
what is the ego ruled by?
the reality principle
how is the ego characterised?
The executive part of the personality – governs and controls and regulates personality
what does the ego control?
Controls consciousness and checks and controls impulses from the Id
what does the ego do?
- Seat of rational intelligence
* Distinguishes between inner and outer reality of experience
what is eros/libido?
o sexual drive (later called “Life instincts”) → human driving force, innate human urges
o Also creative energies, motivation towards growth development and creativity
what is thanatos?
the death instinct - descructive energies - aggressive drive
what is freuds view of the relations between eros/libido and thanatos?
managing the aggressive drive is a major challenge in human behaviour. Freud’s view is that Libido and Death instinct bother operate in humans determine what they do and why.
what is anxiety in freud’s view?
conflict between the id, superego and ego
what is reality anxiety?
reaction to real threats from the external environment
what is moral anxiety?
arising rom the potential violation of the individual conscience (Superego moral codes)
what is neurotic anxiety?
generated when instinctual urges (ID) threatens to surface to levels of consciousness and pose a danger to ego integrity
what are the uses of ego defence mechanisms?
o Normal behaviours to help cope with anxiety
o help person moderate anxiety – adapt to feedback, learning, in order to develop
o Prevent the Ego from being overwhelmed by guilt, shame, anxiety
o Protect the Ego (“Protect face”)
what is the defence mechanism for projection?
oattributing unacceptable behaviours to others
what is the defence mechanism of reactive formation?
expressing the opposite
what is the defence mechanism of sublimitation?
diverting psychic energies into more acceptable channels.where creativity comes in - a lot of sublimation happens in artistic people (Beethoven – expressed himself through music, he was a really angry man)
what is the defence mechanism of introjection (positive or negative)
Internalising values from parents or teachers, therapist
what is the defence mechanism of repression?
exclusion from awareness
what is the defence mechanism of denial
denial or distortion of reality, fear of ego overwhelm
what is the defence mechanism of rationalisation?
finding reasons to explain the bruised ego
what is the defence mechanism of identification?
loss of personal identity, identifying with the aggressor/oppressor in order to have ego control. Stockholm syndrome
what is the defence mechanism of displacement
shifting to a safer target. e.g. having bad day at work. getting home and yelling at wife
what is psychosexual development?
• Stages focused on the satisfaction of sexual drives through erotogenic zones of the body
• Emphasizes influences on childhood development
o is age related
• Deprivation or overindulgence leads to fixation
• Childhood stages and parental figures have a significant impact on the adult personality
• Roots of dysfunctionality
what is the oral stage?
0-1
safety, love, fear, nurturing, can later be related to mistrust/rejection, ability or fear of forming trusting relationships
what is the anal stage?
1-3
related to power, control, autonomy, learning, independence, express negative feelings, rage, aggression
what is the phallic stage?
3-6
related to sexual attitudes, gender identification, (parental attitudes to child’s emerging sexuality – influences in adult life)
what is the latent stage?
6-12
development of social skills, friends, social identity
what is the genital stage?
12 –>
core characteristics of mature adulthood, creative investment of sexual energies into relationships, caring for others, education, profession, art music etc
what are the therapeutic techniques of psychodynamic therapy?
free association, dream analysis, transference, counter-transference, resistance, interpretation
what is free association?
facilitation of uncensored revelations of client’s thoughts and feelings
what is dream analysis
exploring the latent content of clients’ dreams
what is transference?
working through client’s personal reactions to therapist
what is counter-transference?
therapist’s processing of his/her reactions to client
what is resistance
evidence of client’s avoidance to develop
what is interpretation?
therapist offering of deeper meanings and explanations to client revelations
what is the goal of psychodynamic therapy?
- Relate current aversive life experiences to unresolved psychic conflicts of the past
- Enhance insight and deeper awareness through interpretation of the client’s past
- Sensitive application of specific techniques to bring into conscious awareness those thoughts, feelings and memories buried in the unconscious
- Appropriate and timely confrontation of clients defence mechanisms promote healthy functioning through strengthening of the Ego
what is the process of psychodynamic theory?
client’s presenting problem -> how it relates to past (particularly childhood) -> make unconscious conscious -> interpretation/dream analysis/ free association/ analysis of transference and resistance -> strengthens ego -> cuts through defence mechanisms
