psychodynamic approach Flashcards
psychodynamic approach
perspective that described the different forces, most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
the unconscious
the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which directs much of our behaviour
Id
entirely unconscious
selfish, aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
operates on pleasure principle
present at birth
Ego
the reality check that balances the conflicting demands of the Id and the superego
reality principle - mediator
age of 2 years
employs defence mechanisms to reduce conflict
Superego
the moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self
during phallic stage - age 5
internalised sense of right and wrong
morality principle
the role of the unconscious
repressed memories that can be accessed during dreams
preconscious which contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious awareness
psychosexual stages
oral - 0-1 - pleasure of mouth - oral fixation eg smoking
anal - 1-3 - anus eg faeces - anal retentive eg perfectionist - anal expulsive eg thoughtless
phallic - 3-6 - pleasure of genital area - phallic personality eg narcissistic
latency - earlier conflicts are repressed
genital - sexual desires from puberty - difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
fixation
where child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours
due to unresolved conflict in stage
defence mechanisms
repression, denial, displacement
unconscious strategies that ego uses to manage the conflict between Id and Superego
real-life application
P - strength is used in psychotherapy
E - freud - psychoanalysis - first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically
E - help clients bring repressed emotions and forerunner to modern-day talking therapies eg counselling
L - value of psychodynamic approach in creating a new approach to treatment
P - psychoanalysis regarded as inappropriate and maybe harmful for more serious disorders eg schizophrenia
E - paranoia and delusional thinking
E - cannot get drip on reality and articulate thoughts
L - freudian therapy not apply to all mental disorders
explanatory power
P - ability to explain human behaviour
E - huge influence on psychology - key force for first half of 20th C
E - explain wide range of phenomena eg personality development
L - the psychodynamic approach has had positive impact on psychology
untestable concepts
P - limited as not much of it is testable
E - Karl Popper - psychodynamic approach does not meet scientific criterion of falsification
E - not open to empirical testing due to unconscious and ideas based on subjective study of single individuals eg little hans
L - freud’s theory was pseudoscience
