The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
What is the psychodynamic approach?
The focus on the unconscious mind and how it drives emotions and actions.
Childhood events have a great influence on adulthood, shaping personality.
Who constructed the Psychodynamic theory?
Sigmund Freud.
What are the three levels that consciousness can be divided to?
•Conscious.
•Preconscious.
•Unconscious.
What is consciousness?
Current thoughts and perceptions (what we’re aware of at any given time).
What is preconsciousness?
Memories that we can recall when required (readily available to the conscious mind, although not in immediate use).
What is unconsciousness?
Memories, desires and fears that cause extreme anxiety, being suppressed out of conscious awareness.
What are key words for consciousness?
Thoughts, perceptions.
What are the key words for preconsciousness?
Memories, stored knowledge.
What are the key words for unconsciousness?
Fears, desires.
What are the defence mechanisms?
Denial, displacement, repression.
What is the reason for these defence mechanisms?
Defence mechanisms are used subconsciously to reduce anxiety.
What is denial?
A non conscious process where a person refuses to accept that an event has happened (usually traumatic).
What is displacement?
A non conscious process where one redirects feelings of anger to another target in order to express those feelings.
What is repression?
A non conscious process when thoughts are kept in the unconscious mind and are not allowed into the conscious mind (they can emerge as symptoms of anxiety).
What can an overuse of defence mechanisms result in?
Psychosis.
What is psychosis?
A mental health problem that causes people to interpret things differently from those around them. People lose sense with reality.
What is the tripartite of the mind?
Id, ego, superego.
What does Freud claim about the tripartite of the mind?
The ego must be dominant for a balanced personality, so anxiety and mental abnormalities aren’t formed.
When is the id developed?
It is present from birth, and develops from birth to 1 year.