“Discuss the contribution of psychodynamic theorists such as Freud to the
understanding of human behaviour.”
The psychodynamic approach is one of the earliest approaches in psychology,
and is mainly associated with Sigmund Freud. The approach assumes that
unconscious processes determine our behaviour, that early childhood
experiences ultimately determine our personality, and that the personality is
divided into 3 subsections: the id, ego and superego.
These overtly deterministic principles are indicative of Freud’s belief that free
will is merely an illusion. As such, Freud endorsed the theory of psychic
determinism, which states that unconscious forces and drives are inborn and
determine all behaviour.
The conscious refers to the small amount of mental activity that we do know
about, while the preconscious encompasses things that we could be aware of if
we tried, and the unconscious consists of things that we are unaware of, and of
which we cannot become aware. Freud used the metaphor of an iceberg when
describing the mind (the tip of the iceberg being the visible conscious, while the
much large – and hidden – underside represents the unconscious).
By uncovering this ambiguity regarding the unconscious, Freud essentially
facilitated the first apparent contribution of the psychodynamic approach in
regards to everyday applications that can be used to better understand the
thought processes and behaviour of individuals: dream analysis. The
psychodynamic approach puts forward the notion that repressed ideas are more
likely to appear in dreams than when we are awake; Freud referred to these
ideas as the latent content of dreams. A therapist interprets the dreams in order
to provide insight about what the dream really represents.
A further technique used in therapy that was inspired by Freud is the use of free
association; the client is encouraged to relax and say anything that comes to
mind, the idea being that the ego will be unable to carry out its normal role of
keeping threatening unconscious impulses in check. This conflict can thus be
brought into consciousness. Once verbalised, the therapist can interpret and
explain. Freudian slips may further reveal the subconscious aspect of one’s mind.
The notion behind this form of therapy is derived from Freud’s description of the
personality as tripartite; the id is the selfish part of the personality, contained in
the unconscious and operating according to the ‘pleasure principle’. It springs
from 2 instinctive drives that all humans possess: Eros (fuelled by libido) and
Thanatos. The superego, on the other hand, opposes the desires of the id,
enforcing moral restrictions and battling against id impulses. The superego
develops later in childhood through identification with a parent, at which point
the child internalises the moral rules and social norms. Finally, the ego acts as
the executive of the personality, using its cognitive abilities to manage and
control the id and balance its desires against the restrictions of reality and the
superego. The ego operates according to the ’reality principle’ and defends itself
understanding of human behaviour.”
The psychodynamic approach is one of the earliest approaches in psychology,
and is mainly associated with Sigmund Freud. The approach assumes that
unconscious processes determine our behaviour, that early childhood
experiences ultimately determine our personality, and that the personality is
divided into 3 subsections: the id, ego and superego.
These overtly deterministic principles are indicative of Freud’s belief that free
will is merely an illusion. As such, Freud endorsed the theory of psychic
determinism, which states that unconscious forces and drives are inborn and
determine all behaviour.
The conscious refers to the small amount of mental activity that we do know
about, while the preconscious encompasses things that we could be aware of if
we tried, and the unconscious consists of things that we are unaware of, and of
which we cannot become aware. Freud used the metaphor of an iceberg when
describing the mind (the tip of the iceberg being the visible conscious, while the
much large – and hidden – underside represents the unconscious).
By uncovering this ambiguity regarding the unconscious, Freud essentially
facilitated the first apparent contribution of the psychodynamic approach in
regards to everyday applications that can be used to better understand the
thought processes and behaviour of individuals: dream analysis. The
psychodynamic approach puts forward the notion that repressed ideas are more
likely to appear in dreams than when we are awake; Freud referred to these
ideas as the latent content of dreams. A therapist interprets the dreams in order
to provide insight about what the dream really represents.
A further technique used in therapy that was inspired by Freud is the use of free
association; the client is encouraged to relax and say anything that comes to
mind, the idea being that the ego will be unable to carry out its normal role of
keeping threatening unconscious impulses in check. This conflict can thus be
brought into consciousness. Once verbalised, the therapist can interpret and
explain. Freudian slips may further reveal the subconscious aspect of one’s mind.
The notion behind this form of therapy is derived from Freud’s description of the
personality as tripartite; the id is the selfish part of the personality, contained in
the unconscious and operating according to the ‘pleasure principle’. It springs
from 2 instinctive drives that all humans possess: Eros (fuelled by libido) and
Thanatos. The superego, on the other hand, opposes the desires of the id,
enforcing moral restrictions and battling against id impulses. The superego
develops later in childhood through identification with a parent, at which point
the child internalises the moral rules and social norms. Finally, the ego acts as
the executive of the personality, using its cognitive abilities to manage and
control the id and balance its desires against the restrictions of reality and the
superego. The ego operates according to the ’reality principle’ and defends itself
