psychodynamic approach Flashcards
psychodynamic approach definition
a perspective that describes the different forces (dynamics), most of which are unconscious, that operate on mind and direct human behaviour and experience
the unconscious definition
the part of the mind that we are unaware of but which directs much of our behaviour
the Id definition
entirely unconscious, the Id is made up of selfish and aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification
ego definition
the reality check that balances the conflicting demands of the Id and the superego
superego definition
the moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self - how we ought to be
defence mechanisms definition
unconscious strategies that the ego uses to mange the conflict between the Id and superego
psychosexual stages definition
5 developmental stages that all children pass through. at each stage there is a different conflict, the outcome of which determines future development
what are the 5 psychosexual stages
-oral
-anal
-phallic
-latency
-genital
what age is the oral stage
0-1 years
what age is the anal stage
1-3 years
what age is the phallic stage
3-6 years
description of the oral stage
focus of pleasure is the mouth, mother’s breast can be the object of desire
description of the anal stage
focus of pleasure is the anus. child gains pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces
description of the phallic stage
focus of pleasure is genital area
description of latency stage
earlier conflicts are repressed
description of genital stage
sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty
consequence of unresolved conflict of the oral stage
oral fixation - smoking, biting nails, sarcastic and critical
consequence of unresolved conflict of the annal stage
anal retentive - perfectionist, obsessive
anal expulsive - thoughtless, messy
consequence of unresolved conflict of the phallic stage
phallic personality - narcissistic, reckless
consequence of unresolved conflict of the genital stage
difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
who is the main psychodynamic psychologist
Freud
what did Freud suggest about consciousness
the part of the mind that we know about and are aware of, the conscious mind, is the tip of the iceberg. most of our mind is made of the unconscious- a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and personality
what is in the unconscious
also contain threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, or locked away and forgotten
how can unconscious be accessed
during dreams of Freudian slips (freud called parapraxes) an example is calling a female teacher mum
preconscious
under the surface of the conscious mind is the preconscious which contains thoughts and memories which are not currently in conscious awareness but we can access of desired
how did Freud describe the structure of personality
tripartie - composed of 3 parts
what are the 3 parts of personality
-Id
-Ego
-Superego
what is the Id
primitive part of personality. it operates in the pleasure principle - the Id gets what it wants. it is seething mass of unconscious drives and instincts. only the Id is present at birth ( Freud described babies as being bundles of Id). throughout life the Id is entirely selfish and demands instant gratification of its needs
what is the ego
works on reality principle and the the mediator between the other two parts of the personality. the ego develops around the age of 2 and role is to reduce the conflict between the demands of the Id and the Superego. it manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms
what is the superego
formed at the end of the phallic stage, around the age of 5. it is our internalised sense of right and wrong based on morality principle it represents the moral standards of the child’s same-gender parent and punishes the Ego for wrongdoing
when do each stage of personality develop
-Id at birth
-Ego around age 2
-Superego end of phallic stage around age 5
what do the psychosexual stages show
child development
what does each psychosexual stage have
a different conflict (except latency) the child must resolve in order to progress successfully to next stage
unresolved psychosexual conflict results in
fixation where the child becomes stuck and carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with the stage through to adult life
what are the 3 defence mechanisms of the ego
-repression
-denial
-displacement
what is repression
forcing a distressing memory out of the conscious mind
what is denial
refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality
what is displacement
transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
why does ego use defence mechanisms
Ego has a difficult job balancing the conflicting demands of the Id and Superego
what are defence mechanisms
unconscious and ensure that the Ego is able to prevent is form being overwhelmed by temporary threats or traumas.
what can defence mechanisms result in
often involve some form of distortion of reality and as a long-term solution they are regarded as psychologically unhealthy and undesirable
who did Freud do a case study of
Little Hans
what did Freud claim about the oedipus complex
in the phallic stage, boys develop incestuous feelings towards their mother and murderous feeling towards their father. fearing that the their father will castrate them, boys repress their feelings for their mother and identify with the father, taking on his gender roles and moral values
what did Freud claim about the Electra complex
suggest girls of the same age (phallic stage) experience penis envy they desire their father as the penis is the primary love object and hate their mother. although Freud was clear about processes for girls, they are thought to desire their father over time and replace this desire for a baby (identifying with their mother in the process)
how did little hans support Freuds theory of the oedipus complex
Hans was a 5 year old boy who developed a phobia of horses after seeing one collapse in the street. Freud suggested that Hans’s phobia was a form of displacement in which his repressed fear of his father was transferred onto horses. Thus, horses were a symbolic representation of his Han’s real fear - the fear of castration experienced in the Oedipus complex
strength of the psychodynamic approach - real-world application
-introduced the idea of psychotherapy (as opposed to physical treatments)
-Freud also bought to the world a new form of therapy -psychoanalysis. this was the first attempt to treat mental disorder psychologically rather than physically. the new therapy employed a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious, such as dream analysis. psychoanalysis calms to help clients by bringing their repressed emotions into the conscious mind so they can be delt with. psychanalysis is a forerunner to many modern day talking therapies such as counselling –> shows the value of psychodynamic approach in creating a new approach to treatment
limitation of the psychodynamic approach - counterpoint to real world application
-although Freudian therapists have claimed success for many clients with mild neuroses, psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate, even harmful, for people experiencing more serious mental disorders (such as schizophrenia) many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as paranoia and delusional thinking, mean that these with the disorder have lost their grip on reality and cannot articulate thoughts in the way required by psychoanalysis –> suggests that Freudian therapy (and theory) may not apply to all mental disorders
strength of the psychodynamic approach - explanatory power
-ability to explain human behaviour
-Freud’s theory is controversial in many ways, an occasionally bizarre, but has had a huge influence of psychology and contemporary thought. alongside behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach remained a key force in psychology for the first half of the 20th centaury and ahs been used to explain a wide range if phenomena including personality development and gender identity, the approach is also significant in drawing attention to the connections between experiences in childhood , such as relationship with our parents and our later development –> suggests that overall approach has had a positive impact on psychology - and also literature, art and other human endeavours
limitation of the psychodynamic approach - untestable concepts
-much of it is untestable
-philosopher of science Popper argues that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification. it is not open to empirical testing and possibility for being disproved. many of Freud’s concepts (such as Id and Oedipus complex) are at an unconscious level, making it difficult, if not impossible to test. furthermore, his ideas were based on the subjective study of single individuals, such as little Hans, which makes it difficult to make universal claims about human behaviour –> suggests Freud’s theory was pseudoscientific (not a real science) rather than established fact
evaluation of the psychodynamic approach - psychic determinism
the psychodynamic approach suggests that much of behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood. Freud believed there is no such thing as an accident. even something as random as a slip of the tongue is driven by unconscious forces and has deep meaning. critics claim this is an extreme view because it dismisses any possible influence of free will on behaviour
