Approaches; Freud Flashcards
Free Association
When a therapist encourages someone to verbalise their stream of consciousness. This helps to reveal unconscious thought and does not need to make grammatical sense.
Dream Analysis
Therapist works to decode what a dream is communicating as a route to the unconscious mind.
What is the conscious mind?
The conscious mind consists of thoughts,
feelings, and perceptions that are currently within our
awareness. It includes immediate awareness of our
present experiences and mental activities.
Function of the conscious mind?
- rational thinking
- decision-making
- deliberate actions based on current perceptions
and thoughts - ongoing mental processes.
What is the preconscious mind?
- thoughts
- memories
- knowledge
- not currently conscious but can be easily retrieved and brought into awareness.
- acts as a storage area for memories and information
that are readily accessible when needed.
Function of the preconscious mind?
Facilitates retrieval of memories, learned information, and past
experiences into consciousness. Plays a role in everyday functioning, such as
recalling facts, solving problems, and making decisions based on stored
knowledge.
What is the unconscious mind?
- largest and most influential part of the mind
- contains thoughts, desires, memories, and
emotions - repressed or beyond conscious awareness.
Function of the unconscious mind?
- operates according to the pleasure principle
- seeking gratification of instinctual drives and desires
- stores hidden motives, fears, unresolved conflicts, and traumatic memories.
- influences behaviour, emotions, dreams, and mental
health without conscious awareness.
Id
The id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of its needs, desires, and
impulses.
Characteristics of the Id?
- Unconscious and present from birth.
- Demands instant gratification and operates without concern for consequences.
- Driven by biological drives such as hunger, thirst, and sexual impulses.
- Source of psychic energy (libido), which fuels psychological processes.
Role of the Id?
The id seeks to satisfy basic urges and needs, and its impulses often conflict with societal norms and the demands of the ego and superego.
Ego
The ego is the rational, decision-making part of personality that operates on the reality principle, mediating between the demands of the id, superego, and the external world.
Characteristics of the Ego?
- Develops gradually during infancy and early childhood.
- Considers social norms, rules, and reality before acting.
- Seeks to satisfy the id’s desires in a realistic and socially acceptable way.
- Acts as a buffer between the demands of the id and the constraints of reality.
Role of the Ego?
The ego helps individuals navigate the external world and balance the conflicting demands of the id and superego while striving to achieve realistic and socially acceptable goals.
Superego
The superego represents internalised societal and parental standards (conscience) and ideals (ego-ideal). It develops as a result of the internalisation of moral values and ethical standards from caregivers and society. It is known as
the morality principle.
