Approaches in psychology- Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
What is the psychodynamic approach?
- a perspective that describes the different forces, most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
Basic Assumptions of the psychoanalytic perspective
- unconscious mind
- instincts/drives (id, ego,superego)
- early childhood experiences determine adult personality
Freud
freud suggested there are 3 parts to the personality- id , ego and superego
- suggested there is often an unconscious conflict between the id (basic drives) the the superego ( the conscience and morals) . The ego tries to balance these two parts. When this balance isn’t achieved abnormal behaviour may results.
- iceberg idea- most of what occurs in the mind lies beneath the surface- pre conscious and unconscious
- conscious mind is logical - unconscious mind is irrational and is ruled by pleasure seeking impulses
Freud’s Theory (Role of the Unconscious mind)
- Freud believed part of the mind isn’t accessible to the conscious thought- referred to this as the unconscious mind
- divided it into 3 main structures - id, ego and superego
- each part demands gratification- but frequently in conflict with other parts
What is the ID?
- the id operates in the unconscious mind
- contains the libedo (biological energy created by reproductive instincts)
- the id operates according to the pleasure principle i.e demand immediate gratification regardless of circumstances
- Only id is present at birth, throughout life the id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of needs (gets what it wants)
What is the ego?
- the ego balances the desires of the impulsive id and in the moralistic demands of the superego.
-ego develops at age of 2 years and its focus is to reduce conflict between the id and superego
-the way it does this effectively is through employing a number of defence mechanisms.
What is the superego?
-formed at the age of 5
- phallic stage. of development
- based on the morality principle it represents the moral standards of the same sex parent and punishes the ego for anything we do wrong through the feeling of guilt.
Defence Mechanisms
There are several different defence mechanisms that the ego may imply in order to reduce conflict between the id and superego.
- Repression
- Denial
- Displacement
What is repression?
- defence mechanisms stops unacceptable thoughts and impulses
- the repressed thoughts and impulses continue to influence behaviour without the individual being aware of the reasons behind their behaviour
What is denial?
-defence mechanism refuses to accept reality and avoids having to deal with any painful feelings associated with that event
-individual acts as if the painful or stressful life hasn’t happened.
What is displacement?
- defence mechanism involves the redirecting of thoughts or feelings in situations where the person feels unable to express them at the person they should be directing them towards
- eg displacing anger for someone in an object
Psychosexual Stages
According to Freud personality development occurred through a series of five stage- known as psychosexual stages- drove by libido - each stage (apart from latency) marked by a different conflict that the child must resolve in order to progress to next stage
- any psychosexual conflict , unresolved leads to fixation where child become ‘stuck’ - show certain conflicts and behaviours associated with that stage throughout adult life
OLD AGE PENSIONERS LOVE GUINNESS
- ORAL
- ANAL
- PHALLIC
- LATENCY
- GENITAL
Oral stage
- 0-2 years of age
- focus of pleasure is the mouth
- oral passive- suckling and swallowing
- oral aggressive - chewing and biting
- also breastfeeding , where mothers breast is object of desire
-oral fixation , smoking, nail biting, sarcastic humour, critical of others
- oral passive person can be gullible, orally aggressive would act out verbally
Anal Stage
- 1-3 years of age
-focus of pleasure is the anus - child gains pleasure from holding onto and expelling their faeces
- tends to come from potty training - if parents are overly strict about potty training, can result in ANALLY RETENTIVE PERSONALITY- perfectionist, obsessive
If child is overly keen to use the potty , result in anally expulsive personality- thoughtless, messy, overly share things with other people
Phallic Stage
- 3-5 years
-focus of pleasure is genital area
-child becomes aware of sex differences - results in fear, jealousy, rivalry
- child experiences Oedipus complex or the Electra Complex
- Fixations at the phallic stage can result in- narcissistic, jealous, anxious , reckless and possibly homosexual behaviour
