Lecture 3 - Psychodynamic and Person-centered approaches Flashcards
Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach
Freud (1856-1939), Austrian neurologist
Founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology– Observations of clinical patients
Explanation of problematic psychological
functioning– Unconscious conflicts within the person
Levels of consciousness
Repression
No clear division, rather different
degrees
– Dreams
– Stressful times in symptoms of illness
or psychological disturbance
– Alcohol or drugs
The nature of human beings and the source of Human Motivation
Lies in the structure and development of
personality
Libido
– Child born with fixed amount of mental energy
– Adult sexual drives
Human motivation
– To satisfy basic instinctual drives
* Sexual drives
* Life-preserving drives
Structure of Personality
Instinctual needs
Rational thinking
Moral standards
-> generate psychopathology
Id, Ego, and Superego
Id
– Instinctual drives (nursing, defecating etc.), instant
gratification
– Primitive energy present at birth
Ego
– Evolves as child develops and learns how to be socially
acceptable, controls urges of the Id
Super Ego
– Acts as conscience helping decide right and wrong
Defence Mechanisms
When Id, Ego and Superego are in balance
– Psychological health maintained
When in conflict
– Behaviour can indicate psychopathology
In order to reduce conflict (stress and
anxiety)
– defense
mechanisms
Repression
Supressing bad memories,
or even current thoughts
that cause anxiety
Regression
Moving back to an earlier developmental stage
Rationalisation
Finding a rational explanation for something you’ve done wrong
Sublimation
Transforming impulses into something constructive
Stages of psychosexual development
Freud also believed psychopathology also caused by how child negotiated stages of development
-progressive periods of development from infancy to maturity
Unsuccessful at a particular stage
-individual fixated at that stage of development
Stages of Psychosexual Development
Oral stage - birth to 1 year
Anal stage - from 1 to 3 years
Phallic stage - 3-5 years
Latency stage - 5 to 12 years
Genital stage - around 12 to 18 years or older
Adult fixation - Anal
toilet-training - developing ego -> control and cleanliness or reckless and impulsive
Adult fixation - Oral
Mouth -> over-eating, smoking, drinking, over-dependence on others
Adult fixation - Phallic
Supressing bad memories,
or even current thoughts
that cause anxiety
->
Difficulty with authority,
aggression, relationship difficulties
and possibly anti-social sexual
behaviour
