The Psychodynamic approach

Question 1

Basic assumptions

Answer 1

The unconscious mind – this is believed to be the driving force behind our behavior, therefore if we have challenging behavior, we must access our unconscious mind to sort it out.

Instincts / Drives – these motivate our behavior; we are driven through stages of development of our behavior/personality.

Early childhood – believes this is pivotal in making us who we are, most of our psychological development is argued to have formed by the age of 6.

Question 2

the unconscious and conscious mind, preconscious.

Answer 2

The conscious mind is the part we can access and are aware of

The unconscious mind - thoughts that occur without any conscious awareness. Freud argues that these thoughts will not easily surface, and perhaps may never do so.

The preconscious mind: Just below the surface, made up of thoughts that may surface at any point in the consciousness.

Question 3

Defense Mechanisms

Answer 3

These are methods we use unconsciously to reduce anxiety.

Anxiety weakens the influence of the ego, which needs to be strong to meditate between the id and the superego.