Psychodynamic approach summary

Specification - Know the role of the unconscious, the structure of personality, defense mechanisms, psychosexual stages and EVALUATION

The role of the unconscious - The smallest part we are aware of is the conscious. We become aware of the preconscious through dreams or parapraxes. The unconscious directs our behaviour and supresses traumatic memories reaching our conscious awareness through defense mechanisms.

The structure of personality - Id is the primitive part of the personality that demands immediate gratification, Ego works on the reality principle and develops at the age of 2 when we have the ability to reason it mediats/balances conflicts between id and superego. Superego works on the morality principle and develops at the phallic stage it operates on our internalised sense of right and wrong. A healthy adult should have an ego that mediates when appropriate other wise the individual will either be a hedonist with no regard for morals or guilt ridden by even socially accepted pleasures.

Defense mechanisms - These are unconscious and ensure the ego prevents us from being overwhelmed in disturbing situations. Denial is refusing to accept reality. Displacement is redirecting feelings to a les threatening target. Repression is blocking difficult memories so they are pushed to the unconscious but they can still affect a person…