The psychodynamic approach Flashcards
What does the term psychodynamic refer to?
describes any theory that emphasises change and development in the individual
what is the role of unconscious?
Freud believed in the existence of a part of the mind that was inaccessible to conscious thought
he believed that everyday behaviours were controlled by this which reveals itself in the slip of the tongue
He also believed that the unconscious extended its influence into every part of our waking (and sleeping) lives
What did Freud find out about the structure of personality?
He divided the mind into three structures
the id - it solely operates in the unconscious which contains the libido (biological energy created by reproductive instincts) the id operates according to the pleasure principle i.e it demands gratification regardless of circumstances
The ego - meditates between the impulsive demands of the id and the reality of the external world (reality principle) it may delay the id until there is a more appropriate opportunity to satisfy its demands as well as compromising between the impulsive demands of the id and the moralistic demands of the super ego
the superego - it is divided into the conscience which is the internalisation of societal rules and determines whether behaviour are permissible and causes feelings of guilt when rules are broken. The ego-ideal is what a person strives towards and is most likely determined by parental standards of good behaviour
what are defence mechanisms?
unconscious strategies that protect our conscious minds from anxiety. Defence mechanisms involve a distortion of reality in some way so that we are able to better cope with a situation. The following types are listed below:
Repression - refers to the unconscious blocking unacceptable thoughts and impulses i.e a child abused by a parent may have no recollection of these events but trouble creating relationships
Denial - the refusal to accept reality to avoid dealing with painful feelings associated with an event. i.e denying you have a drinking problem
Displacement - the redirection of thoughts and feelings ( hostile) in situations where the person feels unable to express them in the presence of the person they should be directed towards
What are the psychosexual stages?
freud believed personality developed through these stages
Oral - aged 0-2 the mouth is the focal point of sensation and it is in this way the child expresses early sexual energy (through sucking and biting)
Anal - ages 2 - 3 years old the beginnings of ego development as the child becomes aware of the needs of the demands of reality and need to conform the demands to others. The major issue is toilet training as they control their bladder
Phallic - aged 3-6 sexual energy is focused on the genitals and the major conflict of this stage is oedipus complex as a result of this boys experience castration anxiety (punishment from the father) and in an attempt to resolve this the child identifies with the father
Latent - aged 6-12 years old the child develops their mastery of the world around them and the conflict and issues in the previous stages are repressed with the consequence that children are unable to remember much from their early days.
Genital - aged 12+ the culmination of psychosexual development and the fixing of sexual energy in the genitals . This directs us towards sexual intercourse and the beginnings of adult life
name an evaluation point for the approach
it is a culture-biased approach
Sue and Sue in 2008 argued that it has little relevance for people in non-western cultures
Psychoanalysts believed that mental disorders are the result of memories being repressed and locked in the unconscious and that in freeing them in therapy the individual is giving the chance to deal with them effectively.
However, some cultural groups do not value insight in the same way as the western world . In China, someone who is depressed and anxious avoids thoughts cause distress rather than discuss them openly
name an evaluation point
it is a gender biased approach
Freud’s view of woman’s sexuality was less developed than men’s
Freud seemed to remain ignorant of female sexuality and how it may differ to male sexuality
Psychologists such as Karen Horney break away from Freudian theory to criticise his work particularly on women and their development
name an evaluation point
there is scientific support for the psychoanalytic
Fisher and Greenberg in 1996 summarised 2,500 of these studies for the psychodynamic approach concluding that experimental studies of psychonanalysis compare well studies relevant to other areas of psychology
name a final evaluation point
it is a pioneering approach to understanding human behaviour
it suggested new methodological procedures for gathering evidence (case studies) and the development of the approach was based on observations of behaviour rather than relying on introspection
For these observations Freud and his followers were the first to demonstrate the potential of physiological rather than biological treatments for disorders such as depression and anxiety
