Psychodynamic Psychology Flashcards
What is an explanation of Psychodynamic Psychology
The Psychodynamic approach believes that the majority, if not all, of our behaviour is impacted by unconscious feelings. And that all accidents cannot be accidents and are most likely an unconscious thought/feeling which we are repressing
What is a definition of Id?
Id can be defined as the primitive and instinctive component of personality. The Id is a component of our unconscious which contains all our impulses and urges.
What does Id consist of?/What motivates Id
Id consists of all the biological components of personality at birth, including our sexual instinct and our aggressive instinct.
The Id is the impulsive and unconscious component of our personality which directly responds to basic urges, needs and desires.
What does Id develop into?
Id is present within us since our birth till our demise, during the psychosexual stages of development it will develop into Ego, and then our Superego
What is Id’s process of thinking
The Id engages in Primary process thinking, which is:
- Primitive
- Illogical
- Irrational
- Fantasy orientated
What is a definition of Ego?
The ego is consciousness, it is what we are aware of when we contemplate upon ourselves. We attempt to project our Ego to others.
The Ego develops to mediate between the fantasy orientated Id and the external world.
Does Ego also seek pleasure just as Id? Or is there a difference?
The Ego additionally seeks pleasure and avoids pain, but unlike Id, the Ego is concerned with:
- Devising a realistic strategy to obtain this pleasure.
- The ego is seen as the decision-making component of personality.
How does Ego limit/mediate Id?
The ego applies the ‘reality principle’ upon the desires of Id. The reality principle is:
Ego’s attempt to satisfy Id’s needs/desires in a realistic and socially acceptable method.
The RP calculates the costs/benefits of an action before enacting or abandoning it.
Freud compares Id to the horse, and Ego to the rider.
Can Ego fail to apply the reality principle? if so, what occurs?
If Ego fails in it’s efforts to limit Id. If our Superego identifies the actions that occur as socially unacceptable in definition of our morals, the Superego would punish Ego via feelings of anxiety or guilt.
(Ego attempts to ward off these feelings with Ego defence mechanisms which all contain a distortion of reality)
What is Ego’s process of thinking?
The Ego engages in Secondary processing, which is:
- Rational.
- Realistic.
-Orientated towards problem solving (this meaning that if a plan does not work, it is rethought of until it does work).
Can our Ego be weakened? If so, what occurs?
Our Ego can be weakened due to types of ‘abnormal upbringing’
If this occurs, Ego may be weakened and when it attempts to control/contain Id ego may shatter by said attempt.
If Ego was to shatter, Id would become our psyche.
What is the definition of our Superego?
Our Superego is an incorporation of the values of society learned from a child’s parents at the ages of 3-5 during the phalic stage of psychosexual development.
Superego is seen as the warden of our personality due to how it will reward and punish behaviour it views as good, or bad.
If our Superego is the warden, how does this impact Ego and Id?
Superego vs Id: The super-ego controls Id’s impulses, especially those which society forbids such as sex and aggression.
Superego vs Ego: The superego has the function of persuading the Ego to turn to moralistic goals, opposed to simply realistic ones. And to strive for perfection.
What does our superego consist of?
(What is conscience)
1/3
Our conscience is our inner voice that attempts to apply a sense of right and wrong to us. When we do something it perceives as wrong the conscience can punish ego through feelings of anxiety and guilt.
What does Superego consist of?
(What is ego-ideal?)
2/3
The superego will attempt to portray what it wishes for the individual to do in grand, glowing terms. This is called Ego-ideal, which arises out of an individual’s first great love attachment (usually a parent).
