The psychodynamic approach

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  • The psychodynamic approach
    • Assumptions
      • Adult personality is constructed from early childhood resolutions or fixations of conflicts between the unconscious Id, Ego and Superego, through 5 psychosexual stages of development.
      • Behaviours and emotions are affected by repressed unconscious motives.
    • Unconscious
      • The unconscious forms around 90% of the brain, and the remaining 10% is conscious. You arent able to access the unconscious. Traumatic memories, inappropriate desires and unresolved conflicts are buried here by the defence mechanisms.
    • Id, Ego, Superego
      • The id - driven by the pleasure principle, only concerned with selfish satisfaction
      • The superego - our moral personality, sometimes referred to as the punishing parent
      • The ego - driven by the reality principle and has to balance the demands of the Id and Superego
    • Ego defence mechanisms
      • Repression - Unacceptable or traumatic desires are hidden in the unconscious mind
      • Projection - Person sees their personality traits in someone else
      • Denial - Person denies facts or events
      • Regression - Going back to childhood behavior as a response to anxiety or trauma
      • Displacement - Feelings towards someone are diverted to someone else
      • Sublimation - Process of transferring emotions to another person or situation onto something else
    • Psychosexual stages of development
      • Oral stage 0-1, Satisfaction is gained from putting things into the mouth, fixation can lead to nail biting, smoking, pen biting
      • Anal stage 1 - 3 focused on anus, can become anal retentive or anal expulsive
      • Phallic stage 3 -5, Genitals focus, conflict arises between attraction, resentment, rivalry, fear and jealousy. Oedipus complex and Electra complex
        • Little Hans
      • Latency stage 5-6 / puberty, No development at this stage, repressed at this stage
      • Genital stage puberty - adulthood, Adolescent sexual experiences
    • Strengths
      • 1.Extremely influential – paved the way for others
      • 2.Comprehensive framework of human personality
      • 3.Considers both nature and nurture 
    • Weaknesses
      • 1.Deterministic – suggests behaviour governed by unconscious mind which we have no control over
      • 2.Unscientific, relies on subjective interpretation based on small samples and case studies
      • 1.Time consuming and expensive

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