Psychodynamic approach: the unconscious mind Flashcards
What is the conscious mind?
what we are aware of
What is the preconcious mind?
what we could be conscious of if we turned on our attention
What is the unconcious mind?
the things that we are not aware of
What did Freud propose?
our mind is like an iceburg - used to represent the unconscious mind - believed what is going on inside our head is below the surface and unconscious - above water represents the conscious part of the mind - what we are aware of and is logical
What did Freud believe?
The unconscious mind has the biggest influence on behaviour
How can the unconscious mind be accessed?
We cannot access the unconscious mind our self - can be accessed through psychotherapy like dream analysis, Rorschach inkblot test, word association - thought dreams were the royal road to the unconscious mind
What did Freud suggest?
unconscious mind has unresolved conflicts - they influence our behaviour - the conflict between the Id,superego and ego create anxiety - he believed we have ego defence mechanisms.
What do these defence mechanisms include?
displacement: redirecting feelings onto something else less threatening, rationalisation - justifying ones failures on socially acceptable reasons instead of the real reasons, regression: returning to more primitive levels of behaviour, Denial: refusing to accept reality, Repression: burying painful memories into our unconscious mind, reaction formation: expressing the opposite of there true feelings
What is Freudian slips?
you say something that accidentally reveals your unconscious desire, this can often be sexual or violent - example “Let’s get some eggs from the shop” becomes “Let’s get some sex from the shop”
what do the defensive mechanisms cover?
The wild demands of the Id - all the defence mechanisms can be described as a combination of denial or repression with different ways of rationalisation - when rationalising we distort the facts to make the event less threatening - diluting anxiety to a manageable level
