The psychodynamic approach Flashcards
what is the psychodynamic approach
The psychodynamic approach is a perspective that describes the different forces, most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behaviour and experience.
the role of the unconscious
Sigmund Freud suggested most of our mind is made up of the unconscious – contains biological drives and instincts that have a significant influence on our behaviour and personality. The unconscious also contains repressed memories that have been locked away or forgotten. These can be accessed through dreams or parapraxes (slips of the tongue).
the structure of personality
Freud described personality as tripartite composed of three parts
id
ego
superego
id
entirely unconscious. It operates on the pleasure principle. The id is made up of selfish aggressive instincts that demand immediate gratification. Only the id is present at birth.
ego
works on the reality principle. The ego balances the conflicting demands of the id and superego. It manages this by employing a number of defence mechanisms. The ego develops at around 2 years old.
superego
our internalised sense of what is right and wrong. Based on the morality principle it represents the moral standards of the child’s same-gender parent and punishes the ego for wrongdoing through guilt. Superego is formed at the end of the phallic stage, at around 5 years old.
psychosexual stages
Five developmental stages all children must pass through. Oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. At each stage there is a different conflict (apart from latency), the outcome of which determines future development. Any psychosexual conflict left unresolved leads to fixation where the child carries certain behaviours and conflicts associated with that stage through to adult life. For example, the oral stage is between 0-1 years and focus of pleasure is the mouth. The consequence of unresolved conflict at this stage is an oral fixation I.e. smoking, biting nails, sarcastic, critical.
what are defence mechanisms
Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the id and the superego.
denial
repression
displacement
repression
forcing a distressing memory out the conscious mind.
denial
refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality.
displacement
transferring feelings from true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target.
Evaluation of the psychodynamic approach (brief)
strength - introduced psychotherapy HOWEVER, not for all disorders
strength - can explain human behaviour
weakness - untestable concepts
strengths of the psychodynamic approach
the psychodynamic approach introduced the idea of psychotherapy. Freud introduced psychoanalysis, which was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically. Psychoanalysis claims to help clients by bringing repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can be dealt with. Psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern day talking therapies. This shows the value this approach has had in creating new treatments. HOWEVER, psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate for people experiencing more extreme mental disorders I.e. schizophrenia. Many of the schizophrenia symptoms, such as paranoia and delusional thinking, mean that those with the disorder have lost their grip on reality and cannot articulate their thoughts in a way required by psychoanalysis. Therefore, this suggests that Freudian therapy may not apply to all mental disorders.
Freud’s theory has the ability to explain human behaviour. The psychodynamic approach has been used to explain origins of psychological disorders, personality development, moral development and gender identity. The approach is significant in drawing attention to the connection between experiences in childhood, such as our relationship with our parents, and our later development. This suggests that, overall, the psychodynamic approach has had a positive impact on psychology even though Freud’s theory is controversial in many ways.
weakness of the psychodynamic approach
the psychodynamic approach has many untestable concepts. The philosopher of science Karl Popper argued the psychodynamic approach doesn’t meet the scientific criterion of falsification. It isn’t open to empirical testing and therefore the possibility of being disproved. Many of Freud’s concepts are said to occur at an unconscious level making them almost impossible to test. Additionally, his ideas were based on the subjective study of single individuals, such as Little Hans, which makes it difficult to make claims about universal behaviour. This therefore suggests Freud’s theory was pseudoscientific rather than an established fact.
