Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
Main assumptions of psychodynamic approach
- Unconscious processes which we are unaware of control our behaviour
- Early childhood experiences determine adult experiences
- Personality has 3 parts: id, superego, ego
3 parts of the mind
conscious
preconscious
unconscious
what is the conscious
the small amount of mental activity we know about
what is the preconscious
things we could be aware of if we wanted to or tried to
what is the unconscious
things we are unaware of and cannot become aware of
What is the tripartite personality
• id - instincts
• égo - reality
• superego - morality
What is the id
- primitive part of our personality.
- operates on the pleasure principle > gets what it wants
- only the id is present at birth
- id is selfish and requires instant gratification of needs
what is the ego
- works on the reality principle
- mediator between other two
- reduces conflicts between id and superego by developing defence mechanisms
what is the superego
- formed at the end of the phallic stage
- based on morality principle > internalised sense of what’s right or wrong
- represents moral standards of the child’s same sex parent and punishes who for wrongdoing
what is intra - psychic conflict
conflicts between the components of of the psyche can lead to anxiety
what are the 3 defence mechanisms
repression, denial and displacement
what are defence mechanisms
unconscious strategies to protect ego from id-superego conflicts
what is repression
forcing an unpleasant memory out of your conscious mind
what is denial
fail to acknowledge some aspect of reality
what is displacement
transferring feelings from the true object of anxiety onto a substitute object
what are the 5 psychosexual stages
- oral stage
- anal stage
- phallic stage
- latent stage
- genital stage
what is fixation
failure to successfully navigate a stages conflict
- determines adult character and personality traits
- traces of the stage can be found in adulthood
Oral stage
• Involves the mouth - feeding swallowing sucking etc
• conflict = forceful feeding, early weening
fixation = smoking , overeating
Anal stage
• Involves anus, child derives pleasure from withholding or expelling faeces
• conflict = toilet training
• fixation = anal retentive ( obsessive tidiness) and anal expulsive ( sloppiness)
Phallic stage
• penis or clitoris - child derives pleasure from masturbation
• conflict = abnormal family set up leading to unusual relationship with mother or father
• fixation = (MEN) feelings of anxiety and guilt about sex, fear of castration, self obsession, narcissism. (WOMEN) feelings of inferiority and envy
Latency stage
• sexual drives are repressed
• conflict = interacting with same sex peers
• no fixation
Genital stage
• the genitals. adult derives pleasure from intercourse and masturbation
• conflict = establish intimate relationship with opposite sex
• fixation at this stage is what shoukd happen
Case study used by Freud
Little Hans
Little Hans case study ~ method and results
• observed by his father who gave Freud information
• results = he was afraid of horses becuase they might bite him. He developed an interest with his penis during the study - mum said she woukd cut it off if he played with it. Had a dream where he was married to his mum
Little Hans conclusion
• Hans had reached the phallic stage- wanted an exclusive r relationship with his mother and was jealous of his father
• Horse symbolised hans’ father as to him they both had big penises
• Fear of horses = displacement > protected him from real fear of father
• sifdeeed from castration anxiety - his father would castrate him if he found out his feelings
Little Hans A03
• source could have been biased as information was forwarded by his father
• psychosexual stages had already been published > researcher bias
• horse falling coukd have classically conditioned him > coukd be source of phobia
• provides in depth information
A03 of psychodynamic
• useful theory > used to explain personality development such as phobias
• Freuds study’s were in depth but often conducted on people in therapy so can’t be generalised
• can be applied to real life > psychoanalysis therapy
• theory is difficult to test so less scientific
