Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the Psychodynamic Approach?
Behaviour motivated by unconscious forces
Human personality comprised of id, ego, superego
Development of personality in 5 psychosexual stages
Use of defence mechanisms
What is the function of the id?
Drives us to satisfy selfish urges according to pleasure principle
Throughout life it remains completely selfish & demands instant gratification
What is the function of the ego?
Acts rationally, balancing id & superego & operates on reality principle
Develops around 2 y.o.
Reduces conflict between constant demands of id & superego
Employs use of ego defence mechanisms to help deal with conflict
Represents what conscious mind believes is real ‘us’
RADER
What is the function of the superego?
Develops during phallic stage as result of Oedipus/Electra
Internalised sense of right & wrong
Operates on morality principle & motivates us to behave in socially responsible manner
Attempts to control id with guilt
Freud believed strong ego crucial to psychological health
ID OAF
What are ego defence mechanisms?
Ego balances potential conflict between id & superego & tries to reduce anxiety in areas of significant conflict
Ego can redirect psychic energy using defence mechanisms
Repression - burying unpleasant thought/desire in unconscious
Displacement - emotions directed away from source/target, towards other things
Denial - threatening thought ignored or treated as untrue
DREED
What are the 5 psychosexual stages of development?
Oral - 0-2 yrs - Libido is mouth, sucking & eating behaviour - Fixation = sucking thumb, smoking
Anal - 2-4 yrs - Libido is anus (deification) - ego develops to resolve conflict between id & parents who require restraint - Fixation = expulsive/tidy
Phallic - 4-6 yrs - Libido is genitals - aware of sex differences & identification with same-sex parent (Oedipus & Electra)
Latency - 6 - puberty - Child learns social & gender-specific rules & patterns of behaviour. Sexual feelings repressed & redirected towards school, friends, etc.
Genital - puberty - death - Libido is genitals as sexual maturity begins - successful resolution of adolescent sexual experimentation is settling down into 1-1 relationship in 20s (Freud)
What are the weaknesses in the psychodynamic approach?
UNFALSIFIABLE - uses post-hoc reasoning - adult disorder determined by psychosexual stage
Theory cannot be proves/disproved, has limited validity & makes no meaningful predictions
OVER-RELIANCE ON CASE STUDIES - Little Hans - lack scientific rigour & empirical methods
KEY CONCEPTS NOT DIRECTLY OBSERVABLE - key concepts inferred, e.g. dream analysis
Methods need to be drawn from theoretical framework/taking position
Strong chance of differing results , resulting in lack of reliability
What are the strengths in the psychodynamic approach?
CASE-STUDY METHODOLOGY - idiographic approach = more rich, qualitative info
Idiographic approach doesn’t formulate laws for whole population - more in-depth understanding to HB than other methodologies
IMPORTANCE OF CHILDHOOD - only real approach which recognises importance of childhood experiences
