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The Psychodynamic Approach To Psychology

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When comparing and contrasting the psychodynamic and behaviourist approach to psychology similarities can be noted in early learning experiences and how this effects adult personalities. The differences can be seen in their views on mental process and in testing each theory.
“The psychodynamic perspective searches for the causes of behaviour within the inner workings of our personality emphasizing the role of unconscious process”. (Passer, 2009 p11) Whereas, “The Behaviourist perspective focuses on the role of the external environment in governing our actions” (Passer, 2009, p13)
Sigmund Freud developed the extremely influential and controversial theory of psychoanalysis. Despite the controversy, he had a huge impact on the field of psychology …show more content…

This involved allowing the patient sit and talk, the aim being that they eventually say what the issue is. He proposed that people use psychological techniques called defence mechanisms to help us cope with certain situations. For example, the ego will defend itself against anxiety using defence mechanisms to keep unacceptable thoughts and anxious feelings out of consciousness. (Eysenck, 1998). Freud’s psychosexual theory developed out of his belief that problems people had in later life resulted from early childhood experiences such as the relationship with their parents. There are five stages to the theory. Freud maintained that, if there is a bad experience at one of the stages it could lead to fixation for example if the child is not properly toilet trained. Fixation is essentially when the child will stay in that stage into adulthood, they are unable to develop passed this stage. According to Freud a person still in this stage in adulthood would be characteristically anal for instance very controlling or organised. The first stage is the oral stage, here the child associates the mouth with satisfaction. During the anal stage, the …show more content…

The Id is based on a want or pleasure principle, it is mainly unconscious. The ego tries to realistically satisfy the wants of the id and the superego. The ego develops during the first two years of life. ‘Conflicts between the id and the superego are especially frequent because the id’s demands for immediate gratification are often inconsistent with the moral standards of the superego.’ (Eysenck, 1998, p433). The superego is the part of the personality that deals with right and wrong. ‘These conflicts, and the unreasonable demand if the id and the superego, create the unpleasant emotional state of anxiety’ (Eysenck, 1998,

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The concept that the id, ego, and superego control

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One of Freud’s theories is that the “Id – Ego combination dominates a person’s behavior until social awareness leads to the emergence of the superego, which recognizes that

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The ego seeks gratification unconsciously but in accordance with what is known as the reality principle, and the superego extends from the ego and is the part that makes us feel good when we uphold certain values unconsciously passed on from our parents. Freud also came up with developmental stages that serves as a basis to show where a person is at developmentally or if they are stuck at a certain stage in life. These stages are known as the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages of life. People are given challenges and go through life facing different situations and based on Freud’s stages, a person will either become fixated to one stage or progress moving throughout all of the stages. However, a person can also revert to an earlier stage of life if the adjustments are

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It takes all the information given from the Id and superego and gives the person the correct output on what to do. The ego is the only conscious personality, as the person in question can affect the outcome of the ego's choices (Mcleod, 2021). Eli presents the use of the ego when confronting the boy in the middle of the desert, “Showing him the gold, I told him ‘This will get you back home…’” (DeWitt, 112). As said in the section above on the Id, Eli’s first thoughts were to harm the boy to shut him up.

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Each part of the psyche exhibits traits that are essential in decision making. The Id, having only regards for immediate pleasure, would make decisions that result in instantaneous satisfaction. The superego takes morals and reason into account, often bringing guilt upon the Id. The Ego serves as the mediator and voice of reason between the two. These factors of the psychodynamic play a significant role in decision making.

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In this assignment I will be looking at the Behaviourist perspective with Ivan Pavlov’s (1902) theory about classical conditioning and Bandura’s (1961) Social Learning Theory with observational learning. I will be discussing how I have used human development and learning perspectives in my placement to support young people in their personal and social development with providing a case study about them. I will be writing about how the theories demonstrates effective youth and community work practice including the five pillars of youth work. Behaviourists look at behaviour as a response to a certain event.

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When applying Freud’s theories in everyday life, I believe it is helpful for an initial evaluation that would set the base line. I believe it is necessary to move forward from Freud and begin constructing one’s psych package in increasing stages of complexity. I am not one that believes there is a simple explanation for any particular person in regards to their psyche, rather I believe that there are so many components to which to consider under the evaluation of either a particular person or a population. Overall, Freud’s findings provide an excellent starting point in the analysis of the human condition, but are not the complete

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As restrictions are placed on external aggression, such aggression must turn inward so as not to impede the advancement of civilization. Yet such internalized suffering goes beyond the repression of released aggression; it extends to all regulated instincts, resulting in the creation of a superego. As explained by Herbert Marcuse, consciousness exists in three different “layers”: id, ego, and superego. Id exists without the restraints of civilization; it consists of natural instincts on their basest levels, untouched by societal norms or expectations. When such expectations arise, so does the ego, serving to keep the id in check so as not to allow instinct to disturb society.

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Greenberg (1986) believes Freud’s case studies do not place enough stress on revealing the outcome of the treatment and that Freud’s aim was more to illustrate his theoretical points (p.240). In cases, Greenberg asserts that many of the presented cases would not even be considered acceptable examples of psychoanalysis and, in short, that virtually all of the cases studies had basic shortcomings (p.240). Furthermore, many other powerful criticisms about Freud inaccurate and subsequently flawed evidence have been published. These critics contend that Freud’s evidence is flawed due to the lack of an experiment, the lack of a control group, and the lack of observations that went unrecorded (Colby, 1960, p.54).

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Over the years, many theories have been developed to study the human personality. Some of the notable theories are psychoanalytic theory, trait theory, humanistic theory and behavioural theory. In this assignment, we have chosen to compare and contrast the psychoanalytic and humanistic theories. Psychoanalytic Theory

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Psychoanalysis depends on the idea that people are unconscious of the numerous variables that cause their behaviour and feelings. These oblivious elements can possibly deliver misery, which thus is communicated through a score of discernable side effects, including aggravating identity attributes, trouble in identifying with others, or unsettling influences in self-regard or general manner. Sigmund Freud was the first psychoanalyst and a genuine pioneer in the acknowledgment of the significance of oblivious mental movement. His hypotheses on the internal workings of the human personality, which appeared to be so progressive when the new century rolled over, are currently generally acknowledged by most schools of mental thought. In 1896, Freud instituted the expression "therapy," and for the following forty years of his life, he dealt with altogether building up its fundamental standards, destinations, strategies, and technique.

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The common use of the this theory has been well set up. In a book named Introduction of Psychodynamics, during 1988 the psychologist, HoroWits mentions that his interest and eagerness for psychodynamic began during the 1950s. Hornist widely explained neurotic behaviour and unconscious mental condition are directly correlated with the psychodynamic theory in the daily life. Sigmund Freud focused mainly on sexual feelings and thoughts. Emotional issues generate during the childhood.

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In other words, ego mediates between the urges of the id and the moral strictures of others in the super-ego. It is the decision making component of personality. Ideally the ego works by reason. Yet Freud states that “In popular language, we may say that the ego stands for reason and circumspection, while the id stands for the untamed passions.” Another province, of the psyche, which he called the superego, is really a projection of the ego.

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In 1923, Sigmund Freud proposed his theory that the make-up of an individual’s personality is largely governed by three fundamental components: the id, the ego, and the superego. Working through the unconscious and shaping behavior according to psychological fixations and conflicts or lack thereof, these elements evolve through five levels of psychosexual development (Freud, 1962). However, in spite of its compelling approach to the phenomenon, Freud’s structural theory of personality is riddled with limitations and as such, is subject to much criticism. The mind is layered into three states: the conscious, referring to the thoughts currently in our forefront; the preconscious, idle thoughts that can be easily accessed and brought to the conscious; and the unconscious, which houses the more instinctual drives that are repressed because it threatens the conscious’ equilibrium (Cloninger, 1996).

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Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic perspective of personality was the first comprehensive theory of personality, explaining a wide variety of both normal and abnormal behaviors. According to Freud, unconscious drives influenced by sex and aggression, along with childhood sexuality, are the forces that influence our personality. Freud attracted many followers who modified his ideas to create new theories about personality. To explain the concept of conscious versus unconscious experience, Freud compared the mind to an iceberg. He said that only about one-tenth of our mind is conscious, and the rest of our mind is unconscious.

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