Psychodynamic Approach

You need to know… The psychodynamic approach: the role of the unconscious, the structure of personality, that is Id, Ego and Superego, defence mechanisms including repression, denial and displacement, psychosexual stages.

10 minutes of Explanation No writing needed. You will make notes on the different sections of Freud’s work afterwards.

Learn Psychodynamic as mini theories Psychological not Physical Personality – the self Psychosexual stages Childhood trauma Unconscious Defence mechanisms Oedipus complex - Little Hans

1. Psychological not Physical An individuals abnormal behaviour is determined by psychological conflicts of which they are largely unaware. (unconscious)

2. Personality

Personality-Three parts of the mind Id – (devil) first part to develop – selfish/impulsive (unconscious) Superego (angel) – develops when we internalise rules - moralistic part of the mind/ perfectionist Ego (referee) – realistic part of the mind – balances the superego and ID

Development of the 3-part Personality Id – instinctive drives, demands immediate satisfaction of needs, regardless of impact on others. Present from birth. Ego - rational part of mind based on reality principle Negotiates compromise between desires of id and reality Delays gratification of id Superego – Develops at the Phallic stage of psychosexual development Arises through identification with same-sex parent – internalise their moral standards via resolution of Oedipus / Electra complex

Link between personality and psychopathology If the ego is weakened, mental disorders can result from a dominant id or superego If Id dominant this may lead to disorders such as conduct disorders in childhood and psychopathic (dangerously abnormal) behaviour in adulthood. If superego dominant this would create neurosis, which could be expressed in the symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as phobias and obsessions.

3. Psychosexual stages According to Freud we develop through a number of psychosexual stages in childhood. If we fail to pass through a stage then we become fixated and this can cause abnormal adult behaviour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvOoYX45G_0

Mnemonic: OLD AGE PENSIONERS LOVE GUINNESS Psychosexual Stages During childhood the Id looks for gratification in different bodily areas Oral Anal Phallic Latency Genital If a child is deprived or over gratified they may become FIXATED. Mnemonic: OLD AGE PENSIONERS LOVE GUINNESS

Fixation In Freud’s theory of Psychosexual stages, failure to resolve one of the stages may lead to fixation at that stage.

e.g. Fixation at the anal stage may lead to OCD

4. Early Experiences cause Mental Disorder Trauma in childhood may be repressed (pushed into unconscious) in order to protect conscious mind E.g. Child may lose parent early in life Feelings are repressed into unconscious Later in life the feelings re-emerge causing depression

5. Unconscious Repressed emotions and traumas from the childhood unconscious mind exert a powerful effect on behaviour. This is distressing because the individual doesn’t understand why they are acting in that particular way.

6. Defence Mechanisms Ego develops strategies to protect conscious mind from threatening wishes Repression Threatening traumatic memories are repressed into the unconscious. These can emerge as emotional disorders in adult life. Denial Refusing to acknowledge some aspect of reality Displacement When an unacceptable drive is displaced from its primary target to a more acceptable target e.g. hatred towards your mother is socially unacceptable so the child displaces it, for instance, on to a brother or sister.

7. Oedipus Complex Boy’s sexual curiosity and close physical contact with the mother leads to intense affection and desire for the mother. The boy then sees his father as a rival (jealous) and this produces a fear of losing his fathers love and even of castration (as punishment). To cope with these conflicting feelings, the boy identifies with the father and internalises his moral attitudes. From this the super ego develops. We will deal with this again in the Gender Topic…..

Case Study Support: Little Hans Read the study of Little Hans and you can use this as evidence for the Psychodynamic approach. Be mindful that most of his work consists of case studies which has merits and limitations.

Your Job…… 1. Using the textbook hand out create notes on the 8 parts of Psychodynamic theory. Psychological not Physical Personality Psychosexual stages Childhood trauma Unconscious Defence mechanisms Oedipus complex - Little Hans 2. Complete the relevant sections of the glossary too.

Evaluation Strengths Weaknesses Supported by the case of Little Hans Psychoanalysis changed the way we treat the mentally ill Lacks Falsifiability: Impossible to test objectively Lack of supportive evidence/ problems with reliance on case study method In pairs, research, discuss and construct your evaluation point. Be prepared to share it with another group. Structure your response by Headline, Evidence, Elaboration Sprinkle with Psychodynamic key terms to enhance!

Psychoanalysis

What is it? A therapy developed by Sigmund Freud to make the unconscious conscious to enable the person to deal with abnormal behaviour.

Psychodynamic treatments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiLtQATY_1s

AIM OF PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPIES TO UNCOVER REPRESSED MATERIAL IN UNCONSCIOUS TO HELP CLIENT UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINS OF THEIR PROBLEMS TO MAKE THE UNCONSCIOUS, CONSCIOUS

Techniques used 1. Free Association 2. Dream Analysis

1. Free Association Therapist sits out of view Client encouraged to say whatever comes into their minds without censor Ego defences may be lowered allowing unconscious thoughts to be revealed Therapist identifies themes and ideas that can be analysed …e.g. client may talk about mother but not father

2. Dream Analysis Freud suggested that dreams were the ‘royal road to the unconscious’. However, even in dreams our conscious mind may still find some thoughts and wishes too frightening and so the ego disguises the true wishes by replacing them with symbolic representations of the true objects and people. Dreams have a manifest content (symbols) that represent the latent content (the real meaning) Dreams therefore require interpretation. 

Dream Analysis Dreams contain manifest content: the actual story that the dreamer recounts. Dreams also contain latent content: the underlying meaning of the dream – the hidden content within the manifest content. Unconscious desires ‘leak’ into the dream via symbols to protect the sleeper. Freud thought that the latent content of dreams could be uncovered by analysing symbols in the manifest content.

Example Omar reports he dreamt about falling down the stairs. An analyst explained this as anxiety about his school work. What’s the manifest content and who described it? What’s the latent content and who described it?

Dream Analysis Sarah has a dream of being in front of a big, ominous house on a hill. She is running away from the house down the hill. She is carrying lots of books and pencils, which she keeps dropping, and they slow her escape. What else would you ask her about the action in the dream? What would you want to know about her life? What latent content would you suggest? Identify the types of Dreamwork that are being used on the basis of your explanation.

What is the latent content of these symbols? What do you think these symbols may represent?  Peaches Melons Train going into a tunnel Being held up by gunpoint Flying

Comparison of Behaviourism and Psychodynamic Explanation of mental illness Ways of treating mental illness Scientific status strengths weaknesses