Psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Psychodynamic approach
assumptions
an approach where different dynamics (mainly unconscious) operate the mind and direct human behaviour and experience
Psychodynamic approach
person
Sigmund Freud
Psychodynamic approach
parts
Role of the unconscious
Structure of personality
Psychosexual stages
Defence mechanisms
Role of the unconscious
└conscious
└preconscious
└aware of in dreams/parapraxes (slips of tongue)
└unconscious
└part of mind we are unaware of but directs much of our behaviour
└threatening/disturbing memories- represses/forgotten
Structure of personality
list
Id
Ego
Superego
Structure of personality
id
└primitive
└pleasure principle
└present from birth
Structure of personality
ego
└mediator- defence mechanisms
└reality principle
└present from 2
Structure of personality
superego
└how we ought to be
└morality principle
End of phallic stage
Psychosexual stages
list
Oral Anal Phallic Latency Genital
Psychosexual stages
oral
0-1
└FOP= mouth
└wants mothers breast
Psychosexual stages
anal
1-3
└FOP= anus
└withhold/expel faeces
Psychosexual stages
phallic
3-5
└FOP= genital area
└oedipus/electra complex
Psychosexual stages
latency
└earlier conflicts repressed
Psychosexual stages
genital
└conscious sexual desires
consequence of unresolved conflict
oral
Oral fixation
└nail biting, smoking
consequence of unresolved conflict
anal
Anal retentive
└perfectionist
Anal expulsive
└messy
consequence of unresolved conflict
phallic
Phallic personality
└reckless
└homosexual
consequence of unresolved conflict
genital
└difficulty forming heterosexual relationships
Defence mechanisms
list
Repression
Denial
Displacement
Repression
forcing distressing memory out of conscious mind
Denial
refusing to acknowledge an aspect of reality
Displacement
transferring feelings from true source of distress to substitute target
Psychodynamic approach
strengths
Practical application └psychoanalysis └e.g. hypnosis, dream analysis └access unconscious └good for mild neurosis └harmful for schizophrenia etc.
Explanatory power
└dominant force in psychology for first half 20th century along with behaviourism
└explains phenomena
└personality development
└gender
└draws connection to childhood experiences and later development
Psychodynamic approach
limitations
Case study method └Freuds theory bases on single individuals └e.g. Little hans └subjective recordings └lack of scientific rigour
Unstable concepts
└Kar Popper
└psychodynamic approach doesn’t meet scientific criteria of falsification
└not open to empirical testing (can’t be disproved)
└concepts occur at unconscious level so impossible to test
└e.g. id and Oedipus complex
└pseudoscience > real science
