The Psychodynamic Approach Flashcards
Assumptions of the psychodynamic approach
Behaviour is motivated by unconscious motives and events that happened in early childhood
The conscious mind
Consists of thoughts that we are aware of
Includes perception of everyday thoughts
The preconscious mind
Included memories and stored knowledge
The unconscious mind
Includes information which is very hard or impossible to retrieve
Can include fears, instincts, distressing material and shameful or traumatic past experiences
The role of the unconscious
Direct and motivate behaviour without conscious awareness
Protects us from distressing, painful or embarrassing material
The parts of personality
Id
Ego
Superego
The id
Unconscious mind
Controls primitive desires and need for immediate gratification
Operates on the pleasure principle
Innate
The ego
Conscious mind
Works on reality principle
Can delay gratification for realistic goals
Around 3 years old when begins to realise we are individuals with wants, needs and desires
The superego
Unconscious mind
Works on the morality principle
Responsible for moral and social constraints
Force that tells you how to be a better person
Develops around 5 years old after internalising role of same sex parent
Must overcome Oedipus / Electra complex
The role of defence mechanisms
Defend from harmful impulses , feelings or behaviours
Protect the ego by distorting reality
Motivated unconsciously
4 defence mechanisms
Repression
Denial
Regression
Displacement
Displacement
Unconscious redirection of an impulse onto a powerless substitute target
Target can be person or object that can serve as a symbolic substitute
Eg- child who is a bully may behave that way because they are unhappy at home - direct negative emotions onto a substitute
Repression
The id has impulses that the ego does not want to allow into the conscious mind - keeps them out using repression
Ego uses repression to protect itself from threatening or traumatic experiences
Push down memory / event deep into the unconscious mind so we do not have to deal with trauma
Happens unconsciously
Denial
Involves unconsciously blocking external events from conscious awareness
If a situation to too much to handle , the person unconsciously cannot accept it
Eg - drug addict - ego protects from accepting that you are a drug addict by being in denial - do not think there is a problem
Regression
Involves individual going back to ways of behaving that are associated with a safer, more carefree or happier time of life
When in situations of high anxiety , an adult may regress into the mental state of a child - show behavioural traits of the age they have regressed to
