psychodynamic perspective Flashcards
what does freud’s psychodynamic theory suggest
- we all have an unconscious mind
-our behaviours are determined by past experiences which have been stored in the unconscious mind
-we are engaged in a constant struggle with our feelings and behaviour
describe the ID
-in the unconscious mind
-the only part of our psyche which were born with
-wants everything satisfied straight away
-the most unrealistic element of our personality
-no logical morals
describe the ego
-has the ability to use defence mechanisms e.g denial, repression and displacement
-age 2-3 the ego emerges
-shaped based on real life experiences
-very realistic
describe the superego
-a collection of moral lessons weve learnt from our environment
-wants moral perfection
-in all areas of the mind
-emerges at 5-6 (phallic stage)
describe denial
blocking external events from awareness
-if a situation is too difficult to handle, the person just refuses to experience it
-happens more commonly when in combination with other mechanisms
e.g smokers refusing to believe smoking is bad for them
describe repression
an unconscious mechanism that keeps disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious
-thoughts that are often repressed are ones that may result in guilt from the superego e.g aggressive thoughts about the same sex parent are repressed (oedipus/ electra complex)
-not very successful as repressing will create anxiety
describe displacement
the redirection of an impulse onto a powerless substitute target
e.g someone who is annoyed with their superiors at home may go home and kick the dog
describe the oral stage of psychosexual development
age 0-1
libido is centred around the baby’s mouth- putting things in the mouth to satisfy the libido e.g breastfeeding/ bottle
- coming off these too early/ late can lead to oral fixations later in life e.g smoking, chewing gum or nail biting
describe the anal stage
age 2-3
ego has developed
conflict is bladder and bowel control
-early/ harsh potty training can lead to an anal retentive personality- obsessively tidy and obedient to authority
-late/ relaxed potty training can lead to anal expulsive personality- messier and more impulsive
describe the phallic stage
age 3-6
oedipus/ electra complexes emerge
describe the latency stage
age 6-puberty
no further psychosexual development
-sexual impulses are repressed and channeled into picking up new skills and becoming friends with children of the same sex
describe the genital stage
puberty onward
sexual instinct is directed to heterosexual behaviour rather than self pleasure e.g by wanting to settle into a relationship and start a family
fixations can prevent this e.g an oral fixation may mean you get more pleasure from kissing than sexual intercourse
describe the oedipus complex
boys in the phallic stage unconsciously desire their mother and wishes their father would die so they can express their desires for their mother. they have castration anxiety as a result of fearing their father will find out about their desires and punish them. to overcome the oedipus complex, boys identify with their fathers and internalise their morality, gender and sexuality
describe the electra complex
girls in the phallic stage have an unconscious desire for their father and has a fear of losing their mothers love if they find out about this desire. they experience penis envy and wish for a baby. girls resolve the electra complex by identifying with their mother and internalising her morals, gender and sexuality
what are strengths of the psychodynamic perspective
hollistic as it acknowledges the interaction between nature and nurture- how life experiences interact with our internal unconscious mind and natural progression through the psychosexual stages of development
useful as it has highlighted how the unconscious mind and repressed traumas and anxieties may play a role in ill mental health. consequently, treatments such as psychotherapy which may incorporate dream analysis and hypnosis have been devised to access repressed traumas/ anxieties to focus on processing these memories to help a person progress healthily
what are weaknesses of the psychodynamic perspective
the perspective is based on assumptions that cannot be measured in a scientific way- we cannot see the unconscious mind so how can we measure it if we are unsure of its existence
the nature of the perspective is very subjective and relies on interpretation. e.g two different psychoanalysts may interpret the same information shared by a client differently
