psychodynamic approach Flashcards
(46 cards)
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