Psychodynamic perspective Flashcards
Main defining principles of the psychodynamic perspective: the unconscious mind
The unconscious mind that we have no control over influences a lot of our behaviour
There are parts of the mind, conscious and unconscious, that struggle in influence over behaviour, this struggle is important in understanding behaviour
Defining principles of the psychodynamic area - emotional drives
Behaviour is motivated by sexual and aggressive drives
Creates psychic energy that builds up and creates tension + anxiety if not released in some form
Defining principles of the psychodynamic perspective - development
Personality is shaped by relationships, experience and conflict over time
Specifically in childhood
Concepts of the psychodynamic perspective
The different levels of Conscious
Ways the unconscious is revealed
Instinctual drives
Tripartite model of personality
The different levels of consciousness
A model of how someone’s mind is divided into 3 depending on the awareness you have over
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
Conscious
What we have immediate awareness of in the presence moment
Perception and thoughts
Preconscious
A ‘holding space’ for memories and stored knowledge
We can access it if we are prompted to or try, however these aren’t always on our mind
The unconscious
We have no awareness to this: contains irrational, primitive and emotional impulses, thoughts and desires that must be kept at bay and not leak into the conscious
What is hidden in the unconscious mind?
Fears, violent motives, unacceptable desires, traumatic experiences, selfish desires etc
What 3 methods does the unconscious mind reveal itself?
Free association
Projective tests (Rorschach tests/ink blot tests)
Slips of the tongue
Free association
Form of therapy: laying on a sofa and speaking whatever comes to mind until the unconscious is revealed (eg hidden impulses and thoughts)
Projective tests include…
Roscharch tests/ ink blot tests = show blotches of ink and asked what they immediately see
Why does the inkblot test reveal the unconscious?
What they see may be reflective of violent impulses, desires etc
Eg: constantly seeing violent imagery of dead animals
Freudian slips
When someone says something on accident when they meant to say something else
Because the unconscious was revealed in these hidden desires and thoughts
2 primitive, instinctual drives
Eros
Thanatos
What are the instinctual drives?
Drives in the unconscious mind that must be released in some form
Can be positive or negative
Creates tension as the conscious mind (based in reality) is aware that one of these drives are bad
Eros
Driving force behind feelings/thoughts/images/impulses of love, life, creativity and species preservation
Thanatos
Death instinct
Driving force for thoughts/feelings/emotions/impulses of aggression, destruction, sadism, violence
The triparte model of personality
There are 3 parts of personality:
Id
Ego
Superego
Are mostly present at different levels of the conscious
Ego
Mostly conscious aspect of personality
Attempts to reconcile the thoughts, feelings and impulses of both the superego and id within the unconscious
Superego
The morality principal that is mostly unconscious
Always tries to do good: causes feelings of guilt when unbalanced with the id
Contains thoughts and feelings driven by Eros
Id
The impulse+ pleasure principle that is fully unconscious
Demands immediate gratification above all else over others
Contains thoughts and feelings driven by Thanatos
How is the psychodynamic perspective applied?
Through psychoanalyst/dyanmic therapy
How does psychodynamic therapy work?
Mental distress is caused by unresolved problems from childhood that cause fears, impulses and irrational desires
Conflict between the conscious and unconscious to prevent someone from realising these
Therapy causes realisation of the unconscious into the conscious so they can be resolved
Strengths of the psychodynamic perspective
Offers explanations for mental disorders (unresolved conflict causing distressing thoughts in the unconscious) that come from psychological factors
Offers applications in treatment eg free association which influenced modern counselling
Popularised method of case study on 1 individual to collect data
Weaknesses of the psychodynamic perspective
Almost impossible to test whether these theories are right or wrong in scientific method (because it’s not falsifiable)
Most evidence is based on case studies: subjective evidence lacks in validity, limited generalisation, hard to test for consistent effect
Why is Freud’s study part of the psychodynamic perspective?
Freud found that Little Hans had phobias of horses which was a result of his unconscious hatred of his father caused by the Oedipus complex
The unconscious is revealed by free association, talking freely to his dad which reveals phobias/ fantasies
Also through slips of the tongue
Why is Hancock’s study part of the psychodynamic perspective: language and the unconscious
Language used by psychopaths is a result of their repressed violent and selfish feelings in the unconscious being revealed
Eg using subordinating conjunctions shows they view the world for their taking
Why is Hancock’s study part of the perspective?: the 🆔
Psychopaths have lowest level of ego development
Meaning they have literal control over mediating the id with the superego
So, the id makes up most of their unconscious mind: selfish impulses for immediate gratification
Resulting in high drives of Thanatos that need to be released in some form
Shown by more references to low level physiological needs
Why is Hancock’s study part of the perspective?: the 🆔
Psychopaths have lowest level of ego development
Meaning they have literal control over mediating the id with the superego
So, the id makes up most of their unconscious mind: selfish impulses for immediate gratification
Resulting in high drives of Thanatos that need to be released in some form
Why is hancocks study in the perspective: the ego defence mechanism?
Psychological distancing = using more past tense and articles (instead of possessive pronouns) distances themselves from their crime
So shows attempts made by ego unconsciously to not accept responsibility
This is how they are prevented from feeling bad for crimes because their superego doesn’t need to produce guilt if the ego does this
