The Psychodynamic Model

As we go through the power point, make sure you are reading through the multiple choice questions and answering them

You will need the answers to these questions later!

TASK

Our behaviour is driven by unconscious motives

Childhood is a critical period in development

Psychological disorders are caused by problems in the unconscious mind

These conflicts of the mind originate in childhood

Key Assumptions of the Psychodynamic Approach

The Unconscious Mind

Conscious: The part of the mind we are aware of – everyday thoughts and feelings

Preconscious: Thoughts and memories not accessible at all times, but easily recalled

Unconscious: The deep dark shameful part! Repressed thoughts, memories and feelings

You will be given the letter a, b or c

You need to design a character with the set of traits which match your letter

a) Selfish, seeks pleasure at any cost, can be aggressive, risky

b) Uptight, always follows rules, worries a lot, sensible

c) Considerate, rational and well-balanced, compromise

What job would your character be likely to do?What are their friends like?Would you want to be friends with them?Which character; a, b or c would your character argue the most with?

TASK

Freud believed we had 3 different personality structures in our mind

So we have character a, b and c in our mind all the time!!

Character a = idCharacter b = superegoCharacter c = ego

The Psyche

ID: Animal instincts Works on the pleasure principle Present at birth – baby is completely

selfish It wants to do what it wants and when

it wants to

The Psyche

SUPEREGO:

Moral part of psyche Acts like our conscience Wants to do what is right Develops around age 5

The Psyche

EGO:

Linked with reality (everyday life) It is conscious and rational Based on the reality principle Develops by age 3 – we are aware of

others Negotiates between id and superego

The Psyche

Normally, the id, ego and superego are in balance and the ego is in charge!

Balanced psyche:

Freud believed that an imbalance due to unresolved conflicts causes mental disorders

For example, conflicts between the id, ego and superego cause anxiety

The Psyche and Psychological Disorders

Anxiety is caused when the there is an imbalance and the superego is in control

e.g. anxiety and guilt – which may lead to depression or anxiety disorders

Risky behaviours which focus on pleasure occur when the id is in control

e.g. sex, food, drink and drugs – can be reckless behaviour with no care and lead to Schizophrenia

There are a number of stages of childhood, during which the child seeks pleasure from a different ‘object’

To be psychologically healthy, we must successfully complete each stage

Mental abnormality can occur if a stage is not completed successfully – the person becomes ‘fixated’

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Psychosexual Stages

Psychosexual Stages ORAL

ANAL

PHALLIC

LATENT

GENITAL

Mouth – sucking & eating

Anus – retaining & expelling

faeces

Genitals - masturbation

Social relationships – no sexual motivation

Genitals – sexual

intercourse

Optimistic Pessimistic

RetentiveExpulsive

MoralityGender identity

No lasting consequences

Must have successful

completion of stages

This occurs during the Phallic stage

According to Freud, the boy wishes to possess his mother and replace his father, who the child views as a rival for the mother's affections.

The stage for girls is known as the Electra complex in which girls feel desire for their fathers and jealousy of their mothers.

This is an important part of forming sexual identity; boys relate to their father and girls relate to their mother

Oedipus & Electra Complex

Boys experience castration anxiety: Freud believed that as the child becomes aware of the physical differences between males and females, he assumes that the female's penis has been removed and that his father will also castrate him as a punishment for desiring his mother.

According to Freud, this occurs when a girl realizes that she has no penis. "Girls hold their mother responsible for their lack of a penis and do not forgive her for their being thus put at a disadvantage,"

Oedipus & Electra Complex

The constant disagreements between the id, the ego and the superego can lead to a lot of anxiety

So the mind develops various methods of defending itself

We all use defence mechanisms on a daily basis They are unconscious – we aren’t aware of what

we’re doing But… if we over use them they can lead to

mental abnormalities – psychosis?

Defence Mechanisms

Displacement: you redirect your feelings to another target

It’s not my fault my marriage is over. It’s the newspapers’. And those women for selling their

stories… And Cheryl’s for not being there enough…

And my mum’s for not breastfeeding me. I hate

them all!

It’s not my fault my marriage is over. It’s the newspapers’. And those women for selling their

stories… And Cheryl’s for not being there enough…

And my mum’s for not breastfeeding me. I hate

them all!

Denial: You completely reject the thought or feeling

My Ashley would never cheat on

me…

My Ashley would never cheat on

me…

DEPRESSIONAggression against the parents turned against

self

ANXIETY

Fear of something (e.g. sex) and this is

projected onto something else

Psychological Disorders and Defence Mechanisms