Freud's psychodynamic explanation of aggression (pack 3) Flashcards
what does psychodynamic psychology refer to?
the psychological forces that underline human behaviour
feelings, emotions and how they may relate to an earlier experience
what are two key assumption of this approach
our awareness is in layers, so much of what we think and motivates us is in our unconscious mind
mental processes drive our behaviour
sex is a motivating force in human behaviour
what are the 3 main important areas of the psychodynamic approach
- structure of the mind
- structure of personality (Id, Ego, Superego)
- defence mechanisms
what does Freud say something happens when we are upset or find something distasteful
are repressed and hidden in our unconscious but may still cause dysfunctional behaviours
what are the 3 levels of consciousness
Ego
superego
ID
what is the ego in terms of structure
smallest part in mind and only bit your aware of and you can talk about it in logical fashion
what is the superego in terms of structure
things stored here but are not in conscious, they can be readily brought to consciousness
gatekeeper between conscious and unconscious
what is the ID in terms of structure?
biggest area of mind
but not directly accessible
storage area for urges feelings and ideas that are tied to conflict and pain
they exert influence on actions and conscious awareness
where most of our personality is made up
ID in terms of personality
born with it
pleasure seeking desires
want immediate desires
EGO in terms of personality
operates on reality principles
controls the desires of the ID
maintains balance between ID and superego
Superego in terms of personality
takes on ethics of other people, inc. parents and operates on the morality principle
it provides us with a conscience
what are the 5 main types of defence mechanisms and what do they mean?
displacement- divert emotions from original target to a more acceptable one
denial- completely reject painful thoughts or feelings
repression- push info out of consciousness, preventing unacceptable desires or emotions or traumatic memories from becoming conscious, but they are still expressed through dreams or neurotic behaviours
projection- attribute your own unacceptable faults or wishes to someone else
regression- engage in behaviour characteristic of an earlier stage of development
What is ID born with?
Eros and Thanatos
what are our two innate drives that are seen as forming the first part in our personality (ID)
Eros and Thanatos
what is Eros and what is it in conflict with
positive and creative
in direct conflict with ‘the death drive’ (thanatos)
what is Thanatos and what is it in conflict with?
the death drive
eros
What happens when tensions rise between Thanatos and Eros
tension builds until we cannot control it, resulting in aggressive behaviour
aggression is innate
what happens around age 2
ego develops, where social norms of parents have been learned and a limited understanding that aggression is only appropriate sometimes
at two what does the ego now control
it controls the ID and makes sure that unacceptable thoughts such as too much aggression are kept in the unconscious mind using certain mechanisms
displacement
sublimation
repression
how do we control our aggression
catharsis
what is catharsis
process of releasing negative energy from the mind
when does the superego develop and why
during the first 5 years of life in response to parental punishment and approval
what causes problem aggressive behaviour
if there has been an issue in the development of either the ego and superego as they keep unacceptable aggressive urges under control
what is an example of when catharsis may happen
when we watch aggressive behaviour on television or in a boxing match
what is sublimation
channelling aggressive behaviour into a more acceptable activity such as football
what are two pieces of evidence that support the explanation of catharsis for controlling aggression and what did they find
Megargee and Mendelsohn-
looked into the link between aggression and personality types…if people do not let aggression instinct, they will not be able to control it
Verona and Sullivan-
reacted in an aggressive way to being frustrated in a task had a reduced heart rate compared to those who did not react aggressively
what is the evidence that challenges catharsis and what did they find
Bushman
ppt who did catharsis were more aggressive than those who did nothing
what did Freud suggest about the 5 stages of psychosexual development
as children pass through various stages of psycho-sexual development the libido focuses on different parts of the body
what needs to be achieved during childhood
various parenting tasks must be achieved and experiences during these stages will shape their personality later in life
what are the five stages of psychosexual development
- oral stage
- anal stage
- phallic stage
- latency stage
- Genital stage
when is the anal stage and what happens
1-3 years
ego develops
children gain pleasure from taking control of their own bodies
toilet training
overindulgence- messy people
underindulgence- overly tidy
when is the oral stage and what happens
0-15 months
ID present at birth
focused on the mouth, pleasure from sucking and biting
must achieve weaning
OR
can lead to smoking, over eating
when is the phallic stage and what happens
3-5 years
focused on genitals…and playing
take interest in differences between men and women and a strong attachment to other sex parent
must have successful resolution of son to mother etc.
allows development of superego
can cause repression of sexuality
when is the latency stage and what happens
5 years to puberty
sexual feeling supressed allows for children to focus energy on other aspects of life
when is the genital stage and what happens
puberty onwards
renewed focus on genitals, sexual interest, desire and pursuit of sexual relationships
two strengths of Freud’s approach
- some evidence to support - case studies used to develop theories, huge amounts of qualitative data, in depth analysis (LITTLE HANS) aggressive nature towards father was due to jealousy of intimate relationship with mother
- usefulness- lead to practical applications such as talking cures like psychotherapy (catharsis)
BUT
BUSHMAN- ppt who engaged in aggressive behaviour more angry still
3 weaknesses of Freud’s theory
- scientific credibility low- due to case studies, data collected from the patients themselves
a) subjective interp. so limited validity
b) ungeneralizable as it is only on one person so not representative - not falsifiable cannot directly observe the ID etc. so is not scientific
lacks empiricism needed for scientific status - deterministic- caused by innate drives so the unconscious mind has not control…saying that aggressiveness does not come from free-will- which implies convicts should not be held liable for behaviour
