The psychodynamic perspective
Assumptions
Our behaviour and feelings are powerfully affected by our unconscious motives.
Our behaviour and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in
our childhood experiences.
All behaviour has a cause (usually unconscious), even slips of the tongue. Therefore,
all behaviour is determined.
Personality is made up of three parts (tripartite) the id, ego and super-ego.
Behaviour is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (the sex drive and life instinct)
and Thanatos (the aggressive drive and death instinct). Both of these drives come
from the id.
Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and super-ego) are in constant conflict with
the conscious part of the mind (the ego). The conflict creates anxiety, which could be
dealt with by the ego’s use of defence mechanisms.
Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different conflicts at different
times in childhood (during psychosexual development).
Background information
Freud – tripartite structure of human personality
Our awareness is in layers, and we are not always aware of our thoughts as they occur
below the surface of the conscious mind (the unconscious.) It is made up of three parts: the
id, ego and super-ego.
Id
The id is the impulsive and instinctive part of the personality. Present at birth, it consists of
the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos). Governed by the pleasure principle,
demanding immediate gratification, operates on the basis that all impulses should be
satisfied regardless of the consequence and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality.
Ego
The ego or reality principle mediates between the irrational demands of the id and the real
world. Its purpose is problem solving – to devise realistic and reasonable solutions to the
id’s illogical demands. It develops between 1-3 and occurs because of the emergence of
society that requires us to bring our animal impulses under control.
Super-ego
The ego has no sense of right or wrong and so the super-ego develops (between 3-5). The
morality principle is focused on the morals of society instilled in a child through parenting
and how one was brought up. The super-ego controls the id’s demands through the
conscience and ideal self. Both of which may produce feelings of guilt for wrong doing or
praise, making us feel good about ourselves.
Freud believed that our personality, ‘psyche’, contained these parts that are continually at
war with each other. The conflict that arises between them, is what drives our behaviour.
Any abnormality in behaviour is a result of an imbalance between the three parts. For
Assumptions
Our behaviour and feelings are powerfully affected by our unconscious motives.
Our behaviour and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in
our childhood experiences.
All behaviour has a cause (usually unconscious), even slips of the tongue. Therefore,
all behaviour is determined.
Personality is made up of three parts (tripartite) the id, ego and super-ego.
Behaviour is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (the sex drive and life instinct)
and Thanatos (the aggressive drive and death instinct). Both of these drives come
from the id.
Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and super-ego) are in constant conflict with
the conscious part of the mind (the ego). The conflict creates anxiety, which could be
dealt with by the ego’s use of defence mechanisms.
Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different conflicts at different
times in childhood (during psychosexual development).
Background information
Freud – tripartite structure of human personality
Our awareness is in layers, and we are not always aware of our thoughts as they occur
below the surface of the conscious mind (the unconscious.) It is made up of three parts: the
id, ego and super-ego.
Id
The id is the impulsive and instinctive part of the personality. Present at birth, it consists of
the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos). Governed by the pleasure principle,
demanding immediate gratification, operates on the basis that all impulses should be
satisfied regardless of the consequence and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality.
Ego
The ego or reality principle mediates between the irrational demands of the id and the real
world. Its purpose is problem solving – to devise realistic and reasonable solutions to the
id’s illogical demands. It develops between 1-3 and occurs because of the emergence of
society that requires us to bring our animal impulses under control.
Super-ego
The ego has no sense of right or wrong and so the super-ego develops (between 3-5). The
morality principle is focused on the morals of society instilled in a child through parenting
and how one was brought up. The super-ego controls the id’s demands through the
conscience and ideal self. Both of which may produce feelings of guilt for wrong doing or
praise, making us feel good about ourselves.
Freud believed that our personality, ‘psyche’, contained these parts that are continually at
war with each other. The conflict that arises between them, is what drives our behaviour.
Any abnormality in behaviour is a result of an imbalance between the three parts. For
