Psychodynamic approach
- Psychic determinism: nothing happens by accident or chance.
Everything we say, do, think and feel is an expression of our mind.
Believes free will is an illusion.
1. Behaviour is determined by the tripartite personality
o We are born with the ID part of our personality:
ID is impulsive
It is the unconscious part of our personality
Driven by the pleasure principle
Demands immediate gratification
Aims to gain pleasure at any cost
ID dominated mind: selfish, childish, greedy
o Ego
Second part of our personality
Develops at the around 2 years old
Driven by reality principle
Conscious part of our personality
Rational and logical part of the mind
Balances the demands of the ID and the superego
o Superego
Last part of the personality to develop
Develops at around 4 years old
The moral part of the mind
Knows the difference between right and wrong
Learned through identification of the same sexed parent
Superego dominated mind: highly moral, self-righteous
and guilt-ridden
o Inner conflict
Conflict occurs mainly between the ID and the superego
The ego acts are the referee to balance out the
demands of ID and superego
- Example: criminal behaviour
o Children who did not make the transition from being ID
dominant to being ego dominant are more likely to become
criminals
o Internalising the values of a criminal parent would result in a
weak superego
, 2. Iceberg analogy – behaviour is determined by the unconscious
mind
o The unconscious mind is NOT accessible, but it has the
biggest effect on our behaviour
o Contains our instincts, unacceptable urges and our passions
and fears
o It is where long-forgotten memories of personality-forming
experiences are held
o Subconscious level: contains memories and stored knowledge
o Conscious level: contains thoughts and perceptions
- Example: defence mechanism
o Conflict causes the ego to experience anxiety
o The ego protects itself from anxiety using defence mechanism
o These have an unconscious effect on our behaviour
o Repression
Prevents unacceptable desires, motivations and
emotions becoming conscious
Repressed memories do not disappear but remain in the
unconscious influencing behaviour
o Denial
Refusing to admit to or experience emotions that
provoke anxiety
E.g. an alcoholic may deny they’re dependent on alcohol
o Projection
People’s own fault is attributed to someone else
E.g. accusing someone of being angry, or thoughtless
when it is them who are angry or thoughtless
o Displacement
Diverting emotions onto someone else
E.g. a child feeling angry towards their parents may
bully a younger or weaker child at school
o Regression
Responding to anxiety in a childish way
E.g. adults who stomp their feet, behaviour which they
may have found effective as children
3. Childhood experiences determine our adult personality
o Psychosexual stages and fixation:
Frustration or overindulgence during any psychosexual
stage leads to fixation in that stage
o Oral stage (0-18 months)
Pleasure is gained by suckling and eating
Overindulgence: too much breast-feeding
- Psychic determinism: nothing happens by accident or chance.
Everything we say, do, think and feel is an expression of our mind.
Believes free will is an illusion.
1. Behaviour is determined by the tripartite personality
o We are born with the ID part of our personality:
ID is impulsive
It is the unconscious part of our personality
Driven by the pleasure principle
Demands immediate gratification
Aims to gain pleasure at any cost
ID dominated mind: selfish, childish, greedy
o Ego
Second part of our personality
Develops at the around 2 years old
Driven by reality principle
Conscious part of our personality
Rational and logical part of the mind
Balances the demands of the ID and the superego
o Superego
Last part of the personality to develop
Develops at around 4 years old
The moral part of the mind
Knows the difference between right and wrong
Learned through identification of the same sexed parent
Superego dominated mind: highly moral, self-righteous
and guilt-ridden
o Inner conflict
Conflict occurs mainly between the ID and the superego
The ego acts are the referee to balance out the
demands of ID and superego
- Example: criminal behaviour
o Children who did not make the transition from being ID
dominant to being ego dominant are more likely to become
criminals
o Internalising the values of a criminal parent would result in a
weak superego
, 2. Iceberg analogy – behaviour is determined by the unconscious
mind
o The unconscious mind is NOT accessible, but it has the
biggest effect on our behaviour
o Contains our instincts, unacceptable urges and our passions
and fears
o It is where long-forgotten memories of personality-forming
experiences are held
o Subconscious level: contains memories and stored knowledge
o Conscious level: contains thoughts and perceptions
- Example: defence mechanism
o Conflict causes the ego to experience anxiety
o The ego protects itself from anxiety using defence mechanism
o These have an unconscious effect on our behaviour
o Repression
Prevents unacceptable desires, motivations and
emotions becoming conscious
Repressed memories do not disappear but remain in the
unconscious influencing behaviour
o Denial
Refusing to admit to or experience emotions that
provoke anxiety
E.g. an alcoholic may deny they’re dependent on alcohol
o Projection
People’s own fault is attributed to someone else
E.g. accusing someone of being angry, or thoughtless
when it is them who are angry or thoughtless
o Displacement
Diverting emotions onto someone else
E.g. a child feeling angry towards their parents may
bully a younger or weaker child at school
o Regression
Responding to anxiety in a childish way
E.g. adults who stomp their feet, behaviour which they
may have found effective as children
3. Childhood experiences determine our adult personality
o Psychosexual stages and fixation:
Frustration or overindulgence during any psychosexual
stage leads to fixation in that stage
o Oral stage (0-18 months)
Pleasure is gained by suckling and eating
Overindulgence: too much breast-feeding
