psychodynamic approach Flashcards
when did it originate
the 19th century
what does freud say is the importance of this approach
childhood experiences
role of the unconscious
unconscious forces in our mind, determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviour
mind can be divided in to 3 levels of consciousness, which can be illustrated by the ice berg analogy, the unconscious mind which is hidden below the surface has the most influence on our personality
the conscious mind
is the tip of the ice berg
the unconscious mind
a vast storage house of biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and personality
preconscious mind
includes thoughts and ideas which we may become aware of during dreams or through ‘slips of the tongue’
thoughts and memories are not always always accessible but easily recalled
what does the unconscious mind usually consist of
repressed thoughts, memories and feelings
what is most of our behaviour driven by
unconscious motives
what do mental disorders arise from
repressed, unresolved, unconscious conflicts originating in childhood
what does the unconscious do
protects the conscious self from anxiety/fear/trauma/conflict
what are the defence mechanisms
denial, replacement, repression
how can psychological problems be treated
by accessing the unconscious mind through psychoanalysis
what 3 characteristics did freud say we all have in our minds
Id
Ego
Superego
the Id
- earliest part of the personality
- unconscious, focuses on self, irrational and emotional, deals with feelings and seeks pleasure
- present at birth- 18 months
- motivated by the pleasure principle
- selfish ego
the Ego
- conscious part of the mind
- formed between 1-3 years
- motivated by the reality principle
- tries to balance out the Id and Superego
- reasonable ego
the Superego
- unconscious ats as the conscious or moral guide
- based on parental and societal values
- formed between 3-6 years. motivated by the morality principle
- controlling superego
what happens if ego is too weak
allows id and superego to dominate
what happens if id is too strong
selfish, out of control, could become an addict
what happens if superego is too strong
strict, anxious, obsessive- depression, anxiety, OCD
what is the defence mechanism, denial
completely rejecting the thought or feeling
- refusing to accept that an event has happened
- when something traumatic happens which would be hard to deal with, the person denies that it has happened at all
- not a conscious process, they wont realise they are in denial
what is the defence mechanism, displacement
you redirect your feelings e.g. anger to another target
- when an unacceptable drive such as hatred to your mother is displaced to a more acceptable target such as your sister
what is the defence mechanism, repression
you force a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
- when thoughts are kept in the unconscious mind are not allowed to the conscious mind
- it is as if they are forgotten- or at least not remembered, more a case of motivated forgetting but this is not done consciously
- thoughts are kept in the unconscious to protect the person from those thoughts, wishes and desires, and the ego does not have to deal with them
- they can emerge as symptoms of anxiety
are defence mechanisms conscious or unconscious
unconscious, we are unaware of what we are doing
why is there a lack of testability for defence mechanisms
they are unconscious so cannot be studied directly
what can defence mechanisms only be inferred from
behaviour or reported thoughts or experience
what are the stages of psychosexual development
oral - 0 to 1
anal - 1 to 3
phallic - 3 to 5
latency - 6 to 12
genital - puberty to adulthood
Old Age Pensioners Love Guinness
what is fixated
if the child is deprived or over satisfied at a particular stage then they may become fixated and this will have effects on their adult behaviour
what did freud believe
that children are not born with a libido- not necessarily a sexual (pleasure) urge
why does a child need to complete each stage successfully
to be psychologically healthy
what happens if a stage is not completed successfully
mental abnormality can occur- become fixated
oral stage
- mouth is the focus of pleasure- id
- newborn will have instant pleasure from the mouth from feeding or sucking their thumb
- the id is in control
- successful completion is demonstrated by weaning
- fixation occurs at this stage if a child is weaned too soon or is not weaned soon enough makes adult gain pleasure from oral gratification, can lead to activities such as smoking, drinking or eating
what is oral receptive
passive, needy, sensitive to rejection- over eats, bites nails may smoke
what is oral aggressive
hostile, anger management problems
anal stage
- when potty training is completed
- focus for pleasure is the anus
- if this stage is not resolved then it will lead to anal character
- parents might be too strict or too lenient which causes the fixation
- defecation is the main source of pleasure
- successful completion marked by potty training
what is anally retentive
very tidy ( OCD ), likes order and being in control
what is anally expulsive
generous but disorganised doesn’t like to follow rules
why is the anal stage important
- child can have control over its environment- going to the toilet
- he or she can show obedience
- fixation at this stage may lead to an obsession with hygiene and cleanliness perhaps OCD
phallic stage
- superego develops
- focus of pleasure and sexual energy is the genitals
- boys experience the oedipus complex
- girls experience the electra complex
- gender differences are noticed and psychosexual development differs between sexes
case study: little hans
freud believed this case study supported his theory of psychosexual stages
oedipus complex
boys experience the oedipus complex= sexual curiosity comes from being close to the mother which leads to intense affection and desire for the mother
- boy then sees his father as a rival which then creates a fear of losing his fathers love, to cope with these conflicting feelings the boy identifies with his father and absorbs his moral attitudes, this is the foundation of his superego
electra complex
because penis envy is not a fearful and castration anxiety, the girl does not identify with her mother as strongly, and so has a weaker superego
- according to freud, females never completely resolve the oedipus complex, and so are not as moral as boys. the girl replaces her penis envy with a desire for a baby
- resolving the electra complex ultimately leads to identification with the same-sex parent
the latency stage
- sexual urges sublimated into sports and other hobbies
- focus on developing same sex friendships
- no particular requirements for successful completion
genital stage
- focus on genitals but not to same extent as phallic stage
- task is to develop healthy adult relationships
- should happen if earlier stages have been negotiated successfully
what is psychic determinism
belief that everything including human thought and behaviour is predetermined by the law of nature
what is free will
the belief that we have total control over our own lives
electra complex
- girls develop electra complex
- realise they have no penis
- produces a state of penis envy, which leads her to develop more affection to the father
- girls sense of competition with her mother for the affections of her father. comparable to the male oedipus
- but she realise she doesnt have a penis like her father
- becomes hostile towards her mother because she believes her mother has castrated her
- however because penis envy is not a fearful and castration anxiety, the girl does not identify with her mother as strongly and so has a weaker super ego
- freud said that females never completely solve the oedipus complex so are not as moral as boys
