Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Who laid the foundation of the psychodynamic approach?
Freud
What part of our mind really controls our behaviour?
The unconscious mind
What are the 3 aspects of personality?
ID - Ego - Superego
What are the development stages in the approach known as?
Psychosexual stages
What happens to traumatic memories?
They are suppressed into the unconscious part of our mind, inaccessible to the conscious part
What is the ID?
Rooted wholly in the unconscious mind it is the primal impulses which require instant gratification (present at birth)
What is the Ego?
It is the reality principle, taming the ID and balancing the demands of the superego. Not present at birth, developing at 2 years of age
What is the superego?
The morality principle, tells us what is right to do and when we have crossed boundaries. It develops around 5 years of age
What are the 3 defence mechanisms?
Repression
Denial
Displacement
Used by the ego to distort reality and allow us to continue with every day life
What is repression?
When a traumatic memory is forced out of the conscious mind and into the unconscious mind
eg: an adult who experienced neglect may be distrusting but not remember the neglect
What is Denial?
The refusal to accept the truth or reality of a situation
eg: Someone with a gambling addiction denying they have financial issues
What is displacement?
When feelings towards an individual cannot be expressed so they are transferred to something or someone else
eg: bullied at school so take it out on a younger sibling at home
What are the psychosexual phases?
Oral/anal/phallic/latent/genital
What drives the psychosexual phases?
The Oedipus complex in which boys relinquish desire for their mother and fear of castration from farther
What is the age and focus of the oral phase?
0-2 years
mouth
What is the description of the oral phase and the unresolved fiction?
Infant experiences pleasure through their mouth, sucking and biting
If it is unresolved they may bite their nails
What is the age and focus of the Anal phase?
2-3
anus
What is the description of the Anal phase and the unresolved fixation?
The child becomes aware if the reality principle and so undergoes potty training as the ego develops
if it is unresolved they may become an obsessive perfectionist or messy and thoughtless
What is the age and focus of the phallic phase?
3-6
genitals
What is the description of the phallic phase and the unresolved fixation?
This is where the boys overcome the Oedipus complex, overcoming sexual desire by identifying with the father as the Superego develops
If unresolved they may become reckless and narcissistic
what is the Age and the focus of the Latent stage?
6 to puberty
Hidden
What is the description of the latent phase?
Sexual energy can now be focused on the world around them through making friends etc
What is the age and focus of the Genital phase?
Puberty onwards
Forming heterosexual relationships
What is the description of the Genital phase and the unresolved fixation?
Energy takes residence in the genitals and is directed towards adult relationships
if unresolved they may struggle to form heterosexual relationships
Evaluation of the psychodynamic approach?
- Androcentric: only explains male behaviour
- Cultural bias: all his patients were middle class Viennese and so results cannot be generalised
