the psychodynamic approach Flashcards
key assumptions (5)
- unconscious forces in our mind determine our thoughts, feelings and behaviours
- our behaviour as adults is strongly influenced by our childhood experiences #
- abnormal behaviours is the result of mental conflict
- the mind can be divided into 3 levels of consciousness
- the unconscious mind, which is hidden below the surface, has the most influence on our personality
what is the structure of the psychodynamic personality ?
3 parts to our personality (tripartite model of mind )
- the way they develop affects the person we become
Id - age it forms ?
birth to 18 months
id- also known as ?
the pleasure principle
id - the role ?
to seek pleasure
id- brief description ?
it is the child like , selfish and hedonistic part of your personality, which focuses on the self
ego - age it forms ?
18 months - 3 years
ego - also known as ?
the reality principle
ego - role ?
delay the id’s drive for pleasure + keeps the balance of the influence between id and super ego
why should neither the id or super ego become dominant in a personality ?
because it can adversely affect behaviour and mental health of the individual so the role of the ego is to prevent this from happening
what is located in the ego ?
defence mechanisms
super ego - age it forms ?
3 years to 6 years old
super ego - also known as ?
morality principle
super ego - role ?
to act as an individuals conscience
super ego - brief description ?
- opposite of id
- feels guilt + holds someone back from behaving a certain way it is thought to be wrong
- helps personality form a moral code
what are defence mechanisms ?
defence mechanisms are methods we use unconsciously to reduce anxiety .
what are the 3 defence mechanisms ?
- repression
- denial
- displacement
description of repression ?
- an unpleasant memory is pushed into the unconscious mind where it is not accessible to the conscious mind so it cannot cause anxiety but still affects behaviour in the unconscious mind.
what is the repressions effect on behaviour ?
- there is no recall of the event or situation
description of denial ?
- refusal to accept the reality of an unpleasant situation
- reduces anxiety caused by that situation
what is denials effect on behaviour ?
someone may believe that the situation is not negative and therefore it should not cause anxiety
- this is not positive thinking but merely a resistance to accept reality
displacements effect on behaviour ?
someone may exhibit very strong emotion but focus it into an uninvolved person or object
what kind of analogy is associated with the role of the unconscious ?
the ice berg analogy
what is the iceberg analogy ?
Freud said that the conscious mind is merely the tip of the ice berg
what is the role of the conscious ?
the part of our mind we can access
what is the role of the pre-conscious ?
just below the surface of our conscious
what is the role of the unconscious ?
it drives instincts that influence our behavior and personality