Aproaches - Psychodynamic Flashcards
Who was Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist born in 1856
Founded psychoanalysis
Developed influential theories about the unconscious mind
Iceberg model of the mind
Conscious mind: Tip of the iceberg (aware thoughts)
Preconscious: Just below surface (retrievable memories)
Unconscious: Largest part, below water (hidden drives/desires)
Role of the unconscious
Driving force behind behaviour + personality
Contains biological instincts + drives
Protects conscious self from anxiety and trauma
Structure of personality: Id
Present at birth
Operates on pleasure principle
Demands instant gratification
Entirely unconscious
Structure of personality: Ego
Develops as child interacts with world 1-2 years
Operates on reality principle
Mediates between id and superego
Partly conscious, partly unconscious
Structure of personality - Superego
Develops around age 3-6
Represents internalised morals and standards
Acts as conscience
Mostly unconscious but can influence conscious thoughts
Psychosexual stages of development
Oral (0-1)
Anal (12)
Phallic (3-5)
Latency stage (6-puberty)
Genital stage (puberty onwards)
Oedipus complex
Occurs during during phallic stage
Boy desires mother, sees father as rival
Develops castration anxiety
Resolves by identifying with father
Electra complex
Female equivalent of Oedipus complex
Girl desires father, sees mother as rival
Develops ‘penis envy’
Resolves this by identifying with mother
Defence mechanisms - repression
Pushing distressing thoughts into unconscious
Protects conscious mind from anxiety
Can continue to influence behaviour unknowingly
Defence mechanisms - denial
Refusing to accept reality
Avoiding painful feelings or events
Acting as if a painful event never happened
Defence mechanisms - displacement
Transferring feelings from one source to another
Redirecting thoughts or emotions to a safer target
Often occurs when unable to express feelings directly
Freud’s lasting impact
Recognised importance of childhood experiences
Emphasised role of unconscious in behaviour
Influenced development of talking therapy/psychotherapy/psychoanalysis
Revolutionised understanding of the mind
Many concepts still influential in psychology today
Sparked ongoing debates about nature of human psyche
Criticisms + limitations
Lack of scientific evidence for many theories (lacks falsifiability)
Overemphasis on sexual and aggressive drives
Gender bias in theories
Limited consideration of cultural differences
Psychic determinism
