Psychodynamic approach Lesson 4

Lesson Objectives Understand To describe the key concepts, assumptions and theories of the psychodynamic approach.   Apply To explain behaviours using the concepts, theories and assumptions of the psychodynamic approach. Evaluate To discuss the strengths, weaknesses and evidence for the psychodynamic approach. You will be able to: Outline the assumptions of the psychodynamic approach Outline and evaluate psychodynamic qualitative methods Evaluate the contribution of psychodynamic approach in terms of strength, limitations, applications and ethical issues.

Big Picture Main focus is to explain what is happening within our unconscious and how this can have an impact on our behaviour in world. The four main areas we will be looking at is: The role of the unconscious The structure of personality that is ID, Ego & Superego Defence mechanisms including repression, denial and displacement Psychosexual stages. For more than 20 years, Duarte has developed presentations…

Main Assumptions The driving force behind our behaviour is our unconscious mind Instincts and drives motivate our behaviour Early childhood experiences (before the age of 5)

How can the mind be likened to an ice berg…? Approaches To Start – Icebergs? How can the mind be likened to an ice berg…?

The Mind… Freud uses 3 levels of thought to explain our behaviour. How far do you agree that most of our mind or behaviour is hidden? Conscious – have access to Pre-conscious (thoughts that may surface at any point into the conscious) – memories Un-conscious – thoughts that never surface/drives and instincts that motivate us)

The role of the unconscious Freud was the first to challenge the medical model, claiming that part of our mind that we know about and are aware of – the conscious mind- is merely the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Most of our mind is made up of the unconscious: a vast storehouse of biological drives and instincts that has a significant influence on our behaviour and personality. The unconscious also contains threatening and disturbing memories that have been repressed, or locked away and forgotten. Just bubbling under the surface of our conscious mind is the preconscious which includes thoughts and ideas which we may become aware of during dreams or through ‘slips of the tongue (Parapraxes). E.g. how many of you have called a female teacher ‘mum’ instead of ‘miss’! Do as an active listen, students to complete table in their work booklet

So how do we measure the unconscious? Watch the clip How do you think this shows how we could measure the unconscious? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc5G04nJecI Do as an active listen, students to complete table in their work booklet Slips of the tongue (parapraxes)

Freud’s Tripartite theory of the personality ID driving us to satisfy selfish urges EGO acts rationally, balancing the ID and the superego Freud viewed adult personality as having 3 basic components Freud described personality as a ‘tripartite’, meaning it comprises of three components. The Id – focuses on the self, hedonistic Instict. Source of our unconscious desires and impulses. Pleasure seeking principle (Selfish, Immediate gratification, sexual desire) – Present from Birth The Ego – conscious mind (2-3 years) reality principle – obeys society. Delay the ID drive for pleasure Nor the ID or superego should become the dominant force. This is the mediator between the ID and the Super-ego. It is left in charge of balancing the desires and requirements of both. The Ego develops around the age of two. It manages this conflict by employing defence mechanisms. The Super-ego – morality principle (act as an individual conscious) This develops during the Phallic Stage (around 3-6 years old). It is a reality based principle with all the notions of right and wrong internalised by the child (accepting moral principles and rules etc.). These are all absorbed through the interaction with the same sex parent. It punishes the ego if it doesn’t follow these rules Our behaviour comes from the conflict of the 3 SUPEREGO Concerned with keeping to moral norms

Which operates as the pleasure, reality and morality principle? Which are which? 1. Selfish, hedonistic (self-indulgent), seeks pleasure no matter what the cost, gets what it wants no matter what! 2. Considerate, rational, realistic, good sense of right and wrong. Mediates between the other two friends 3. Uptight, follows parents rules rigidly, worries constantly & wants to be in control Which operates as the pleasure, reality and morality principle?

Apply it… You have missed lunch and are walking past a cake shop Get yourselves into a group of three. Assign yourself the role of ID, Ego, Superego Act out these scenario’s depending upon how your part of the personality would act. Can you reach some form of decision? You have missed lunch and are walking past a cake shop You are just leaving work and your boss asks you to stay another hour. You are sat on a bus and you notice that someone has left a wallet of £50 You are driving home and a car pulls out in front of you nearly causing a collision.

What are defence mechanisms? Unconscious strategies that the ego uses to manage the conflict between the ID and super-ego. If we can’t deal with a situation we are confronted with, defence mechanisms are triggered.

Some examples… Defence Mechanism Description Example Repression Pushing memories deep into the unconscious so that they appear ‘forgotten’ Being unable to consciously remember a traumatic event from your childhood. To reject the reality of this trauma is an example of denial. Denial Refusing or rejecting reality. This reduces anxiety caused by the situation You deny being very mean despite evidence. Displacement This is when the focus of a strong emotion is redirected to an alternate safer place (neutral person/object). You slam doors rather than take it out on the person causing you frustration. You can see how the defence mechanisms differ depending upon the situation.

How would abnormal behaviour occur? Abnormal behaviour would be a result of the ID or Super-ego over powering a weak Ego.

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Old Age Pensioners Love Guinness! Oral stage Anal stage Phallic stage Latent stage Genital stage Students to make notes on each stage Students to then try to match a stage to a famous person in order to help them remember the stages Task: listen to the following clip and write notes on each stage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvOoYX45G_0

Stage Devisions within the stage Age Effect on behaviour in adults Oral Passive Aggressive 0-18m Smoking dependent Aggressive behaviour, chew pencils Anal Expulsive Retentive 18m- 3 years Generous, open with emotions Organise, neat and mean with money Phallic Oedipus or Electra Complex 3-6 years Homosexuality Latent No Division 6-11 years No fixation or effects of adult personality Genital 12 years

Where did Freud get his evidence from? TASK: Read the case of Little Hans and answer the following: Is Little Hans case study good evidence for the Oedpius Complex? If so how? Is this a scientific way of investigating phobias? Explain your answer How might a behaviourist explain Han’s phobia of horses? Explain…

AO3 Evaluation… Let’s play Devil’s Advocate… Write a ‘However’ counter argument for each of the following strengths of the psychodynamic approach… One strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it has explanatory power through providing explanations for a wide range of behaviours including gender, personality and abnormal development. As a result it had a great influence on Psychology in the 20th century. One major contribution that the psychodynamic approach has made to psychology is through the introduction of therapies used to access the unconscious. Psychoanalysis, dream analysis and free association are all used to find and treat unconscious conflicts. These are useful practical applications of the approach. Freud provided evidence for concepts through the use of detailed case studies. For example he used Little Hans to prove the existence of the Oedipus complex. He conducted observations and recorded them accurately, producing rich, detailed and externally valid data to support the psychodynamic assumptions. HOWEVER… HOWEVER…. In pairs – each have one OR all look at all 3 points. Explanatory Power Case Study method Untestable concepts Psychic Determinism Practical Application Make your ‘However’ points effective by referring to evidence or using point, evidence, explain…