🔵 Approaches - The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
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
The unconscious mind
The part of the mind that we are unaware of but which continues to direct much of our behaviour
ID
entirely unconscious, the id is made up of selfish, aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
Superego
The moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self: how we ought to be
Ego
The ‘reality check’ that balances the conflicting demands of the id and superego
Defence mechanisms
Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and superego
Psychosexual stages
5 developmental stages that all children pass through. Each stage there is a different conflict, the outcome of which determines future development
First stage - how many years
Oral
0-1 years
Oral description
Focus of pleasure is the mouth, mothers breast is the object of desire
Second stage and years
Anal
1-3 years
Anal description
Focus of pleasure is the anus, children gain pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces
3rd stage and years
Phallic
3-5 years
Phallic description
Focus of pleasure is the genital area. Child experiences the Oedipus or electra complex p - reckless behaviour
Latency description
Earlier conflicts are repressed
Genital description
Sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of pubity
What is most of our mind made up of
The unconscious mind
What does the unconscious mind contain
Biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and personality. It also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed or locked away and forgotten
What is the preconscious mind
It contains thoughts and ideas which we may become aware of during dreams or through slips of the tongue
What is paraphrases
‘Slips of the tongue’ - a faulty act due to unconscious interfering with the conscious. For example calling miss mum
What does Freud describe personality as
Tripartite - composed of 3 parts
3 components of personality
Id - selfish and demands instant gratification of iuts needs
Ego - mediator between the other 2 parts of personality - reduces conflict through defence mechanisms
Superego - internalised sense of right and wrong. Punishes ego for wrongdoing (guilt)
When is the id developed
From birth
When is the ego developed
Age of 2
When is the superego formed
Age 5
What happens when psychosexual conflict is unresolved
Leads to fixation and the child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours associated with that stage through adult life
What do defence mechanisms do
Unconscious - they ensure that the ego is able to prevent us from being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas
What is the problem with defence mechanisms
They involve some form of distortion of reality and as a long term solution, they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable
3 defence mechanisms
Repression
Denial
Displacement
Repression
Forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
Denial
Refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality
Displacement
Transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
Psychodynamic approach dominance
Even though in many ways it was a controversial approach and bizzarre in some ways, it dominated force in psychology for the first half of the 20th century. It was used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development , abnormal behaviour, moral development and gender . It is also significant in drawing attention to childhood experiences and later development in adulthood
What did many scientists see wrong with this approach
Many believed that it is not possible to make such universal claims about human nature based on a small number of psychologically abnormal people. Also many saw it as highly subjective
What did Karl Popper believe about the psychodynamic approach
He argued that the approach doesn’t meet the scientific criterion of falsification. (Meaning it is non science). He believed that many of the concepts Freud performed are performed at an unconscious level making them very difficult to test
What conclusion of the approach did popper come to
Pseudoscience - fake science
What else did Freud bring
A new form of therapy = psychoanalysis
What is psychoanalysis
Range of techniques designed to aces the unconscious, such as hypnosis, dream analysis
Problem with psychoanalysis
Even though there has been some success with many patients, it has been criticised as inappropriate, even harmful for people suffering from more serious mental disorders
Why does psychoanalysis not work with more serious mental disorders
Because psychoanalysis does not identify the disorder and does not recognise the disorder
What does Freud believe about accidents
He believes that in human behaviour, there is no such thing as an accident. Even a skip of the tongue (such as called your partner fattening rather than flattering) is driven by unconscious forces and has deep symbolic means g
