psychodynamic approach

freud
a perspective that describes the different dynamics, most of which are unconscious that operate on the mind and influence human behaviour and experiences
the unconscious
1. can't access it consciously
2. biological drives and instincts
3. disturbing memories that have been repressed
4. can access in dreams and 'slips of the tongue'
the preconscious
1. just under conscious
2. can access if desired
conscious
1. things we are aware of
  1. tip of the ice burg
the structure of personality
1. id
  1. entirely unconscious made up of selfish aggressive instincts
  2. only present at birth
    1. babies are 'bundle of ids'
2. ego
  1. 'reality check'
  2. balances the conflict between the id and the superego
    1. manages this by employing defence mechanisms
  3. works around age 2
3. superego
  1. moralistic part of our personality which represents the ideal self- how we ought to be
  2. end of phallic stage (around age 5)
psychosexual stages
1. oral (0-1)
  1. pleasure of mouth mothers breast is the object of desire
  2. anal (1-3)
    1. focus please in the anus
    2. phallic (3-6)
      1. pleasure in genital area
      2. latency
        genital
        sexual desires become conscious alongside the onset of puberty
defence mechanisms
1. repression = forcing a distressing memory out the mind
2. denial = refusing to acknowledge some aspects of reality
3. displacement = transferring feelings from a true source of distressing emotion onto a substitute target
A03
1. +real world application as introduction of psychotherapy (compared to physically treatment) freud brought a new form of therapy. therapy used range of techniques to try and access the unconscious, such as dream analysis. psychologist say help bring repressed memories into the conscious so they can be dealt with. shows value in the psychodynamic approach in creating new treatment.
  1. -can not be applied to all mental disorders such as schizophrenia as they have paranoia and delusional thinking, meaning that they have lost grip with reality and can not articulate their thoughts in the way required by psychoanalysis. therefore this cannot be applied to all mental disorders
2. + ability to explain human behaviour. used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, abnormal behaviour, moral development and gender identity. the approach significant in drawing attention to the connection between childhood, such as our relationship with parents and our later development. overall suggests has positive impact on society.
3. - limitation of psychodynamic approach is that much of it is untestable. Karl popper argues that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification. it is not open to empirical testing (possibility of disproved) unconscious level, impossible to test. idea based off subjective study of single individuals which make universal claims about human behaviour freud not a real science but rather established facts.
4. -ignores free will as free says no accidents. slip of the tongue was processes going on in unconscious mind

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psychodynamic approach

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	Created by Romany Tune over 3 years ago