Psychodynamic Approach Freud

Defining Mind (psyche) Energy (dynamic) People have a certain amount of energy If too much is needed to deal with the past there might not be enough to move forward

Mentally healthy Release energy by exposing unconscious wishes and desires and making them conscious Neuroses are mental problems that can be understood by the individual Psychoses have no insight and therefore can not be treated

Freud Lived in high society in Austria treated wealthy women who had mental disorders Very little was know about mental health No treatment was available other than sanatoriums

Freud Theory is now mostly rejected Offered some insight about mental illness We use his terms in our daily conversation without really knowing what they mean Ego, id, superego, repression

Main Assumptions The major causes of behaviour have their origin in the unconscious. Psychic determinism: all behaviour has a cause/reason. Different parts of the unconscious mind are in constant struggle. Our behaviour and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood experiences

Area’s of Application Gender Role Development Therapy Attachment Moral Development Aggression (Displacement / Thanatos) Personality (Erikson, Freud) Highlighted the importance of the unconscious mind Dream Analysis

Strengths Made the case study method popular in psychology Defense mechanisms Free association Projective Tests (TAT, Rorschach) Highlighted the importance of Childhood Dream therapy

Limitations Case Studies - Subjective / Cannot generalize results Unscientific – can not be measured empirically Too Deterministic (little free-will) Biased Sample (e.g. middle aged women from Vienna) Ignores Mediational Processes (e.g. thinking, memory) Rejects Free will (e.g. Humanism believe free will exists) Unfalsifiable (difficult to prove wrong)

Freud’s Theory of Personality Id (unconscious) ▫0-5 years old ▫Instructive, pleasure principle, biological Ego ▫Rational part of personality ▫The id gets what it wants through the ego Superego ▫Moral principles, social component of mind

Theory in Action Healthy personalities ego’s balance the needs of the id and the requirements of the superego ▫Neurosis occurs when there is an imbalance and defence mechanisms develop  Stop thoughts and desires from becoming conscious

Role of the unconscious Conscious - we know about Preconscious- we don’t know about but can access- memories Unconscious- we can not access it through normal means. It needs to be tricked

Defence Mechanisms Protecting the ego ▫Repression: not remembering – it remains in the unconscious to protect the personality ▫Displacement: putting unacceptable thoughts or wishes onto something/someone ▫Denial: refusing to acknowledge threatening thoughts ▫Projection: blaming someone else ▫Regression: going back to a childhood state

Basic Freud Energy is an instinct contained in ▫Hunger, thirst, the need for warmth and a sex drive His patients were all wealthy so he could only focus on the last instinct

Stages of Life- erogenous zones Oral stage – birth to 18 months ▫If fixated here the adult is characterised as envious, pessimistic and sarcastic ▫If too much oral pleasure the adult will be optimistic, admiring of others and gullible

Stages of Life- erogenous zones Anal stage- toddlers- toilet training ▫If parents too lenient- adult will be anal expulsive, messy, reckless and disorganized ▫If child refuses to go- pleasure from holding back, adult will be obstinate, careful and precise- anal retentive

Stages of Life- erogenous zones Phallic stage – 3-5 years ▫Focus on the genitals ▫Superego develops ▫Oedipus complex (boys) Electra complex (girls)  Key for gender development ▫Adults fixed here will be self-assured, reckless, vain, and proud ▫Freud suggested that this was the reason for homosexuality

Stages of Life- erogenous zones Latency Period- resting time ▫sex friendships and focus on school and sport Genital stage- puberty ▫Libido focuses on genitals again ▫Formation of heterosexual relationships ▫If enough energy at this stage normal relationships can form

Oedipus Complex Boy’s natural love for his mother ▫Unconsciously boy feels aggression towards father as he stands in the way of his feelings for his mother ▫The resolution of this dilemma requires the boy to identify with his father and develop a superego ▫Castration fear ▫“little Hans” case study

Electra Complex The opposite of the Oedipus complex ▫Little girls have penis envy ▫Girls learn their gender role from the mother ▫Freud not that clear about how the Electra complex works

Assignment Read pages Focus on the aim, procedure, results and conclusions of the case study “Little Hans” Create a A4 poster to reflect the information found on these pages