1. Psychodynamic Approach
Freud

2. Main Ideas
Abnormalities are
the result of
Things you’re not
aware of unconscious
processes

3. Introductory Stuff

4. The Psyche
The ID The SUPEREGO
•Pleasure principle •Moral principle
•Born with it •Develops around 5/6
•Libido – sexual •Child internalises
energy moral of society
•Fights with the •Fights with the ID
Superego ID SUPEREGO
EGO
The EGO
•Reality principle
•Develops in childhood
•Balances the demands of the ID and the moral rules of the SUPEREGO

5. Main Assumptions
Abnormalities are caused by...
1. Intra-psychic conflict (ego failing
to balance ID and SUPEREGO)
2. Overuse of defence mechanisms
3. Fixation during psychosexual
development

6. 1. Intra-psychic conflict
If within the psyche, the ego fails to balance the
demands of the ID and the SUPEREGO, conflicts may
arise and this can result in the development of
psychological disorders
If the SUPEREGO is not
If the ID is not kept in kept in check by the EGO –
check by the EGO – then the then a person deprives
person acts on their themselves of any sort of
immediate desires/impulses, desires (even socially
whatever they may be. accepted ones).
Can result in destructive Can result in anxious
behaviour, pleasurable acts behaviour, for example
and uninhibited sexual Obsessive Compulsive
behaviour Disorder

7. 2. Overuse of defence
mechanisms
If intra-psychic conflict occurs anxiety can
occur. In order to protect itself against this
anxiety, the EGO tries to balance the ID and the
SUPEREGO – to do this the EGO uses defence
mechanisms
Can you think of any
defence
mechanisms?

8. Defence Mechanisms
Repression
• Threatening impulses are pushed into the unconscious
Displacement
• Unacceptable drive is displaced from its primary
target to a more acceptable target
Denial
• Refusal to accept that a particular event has
occurred

9. Defence Mechanisms
Defence Mechanisms protect our conscious
self from the anxiety produced by the
unconscious intra-psychic conflict – it this
is unsuccessful, the anxiety may reveal
itself through clinical disorders e.g.
Phobias, anxiety disorders

10. 3. Fixation during Psychosexual
Development
Freud believed that children goes through a
series of stages where the instinctive energy
of the ID looks for gratification from
different areas of the body – erogenous
zones.
If a child is under or over gratified at any
stage the child may become ‘fixated’ and this
could affect their adult behaviour

11. Oral Stage
• Birth to 18 months
• Pleasure from mouth (via eating and drinking)
Anal Stage
• 18 months to 3 years
• Pleasure from anus (via withholding or expelling faeces)
Phallic Stage
• 18 months to 4/5 years
• Gender differences are noticed – child relates to same sex parent
Latency Stage
• 4/5 years to adolescence
• Sexual drives lay dormant
Genital Stage
• Adolescence
• Sexual urges reawaken, interest turns to relationships

12. How would the psychodynamic
approach investigate abnormality?
Case Studies
Much of Freudian theory of
psychoanalysis was based on
case studies
What is a case study?
An in-depth, detailed investigation of an individual or group. It would
usually include biographical details, as well as details of behaviours or
experiences of interest to the researcher.
What is the problem with using case studies?
Difficult to generalise
Often uses retrospective data

13. Influential
The Psychodynamic approach to
psychopathology has influenced many
treatments, e.g. Dream analysis, free
association
This is a strength because many
therapies/treatments based on the
psychodynamic approach are still used
today to help people

14. Deterministic
For example, according to this
approach, if someone was
overindulged or deprived at a
psychosexual stage of development
than they would develop an
abnormality
This is a weakness because the approach
suggests our behaviour is ruled by our
unconscious processes only and ignores
free will

15. Reductionist
For example, it suggests that
the complex mental disorders
are caused solely by our
experience as a child
This is a weakness because it ignores the
role of other factors in the development
of mental illness, such as adult
experience

16. Unscientific
For example, concepts such as the ID,
EGO, and SUPEREGO and processes
such as repression etc cannot be
scientifically tested
This is a weakness because it means that
many concepts proposed cannot be
directly observed and measured and the
theory proven or disproven

17. Key terms / Buzz words
Deterministic Retrospective Defence
Mechanism
Unconscious Repression
The Psyche Conflict
Fixation
ID
Reductionist Psychosexual
Childhood Case Studies stages
EGO Unscientific
SUPEREGO
Little Hans
Influential
Anna O

18. Psychodynamic
Therapies/Treatments
•Free Association
•Word Association
•Dream Interpretation

19. Quick recap of the psychodynamic
approach – what can you remember?
Unconscious processes
Intra-psychic conflict –
EGO fails to balance the demands of the ID and the
SUPEREGO
Overuse of defence mechanisms –
Failure to deal with an event can cause anxiety
Fixation at a psychosexual stage –
Stuck due to over/under indulgence at a stage

20. If the psychodynamic approach believes that all
abnormalities are the result of unconscious
processes– what treatments do you think the
approach would use to treat disorders?
(Or, what would the treatments focus on ?)
Accessing the unconscious!!!

21. Psychoanalysis – how it works
Used for OCD, phobias, general anxieties
• Revealing the unconscious
• Lifting defence mechanisms
• Focus on childhood experiences
• NOT cure to ASSIST coping with unconscious conflicts
•It is a long-term therapy – some
patients will meet with their analysand
4/5 times a week for years – it is not
quick or cheap!

22. 3 main psychodynamic treatments
1. Free Association
Express anything
2. Word Association
Response to stimulus word
3. Dream Analysis
Investigating the symbolism in dreams

23. Free association
Client is encouraged to express anything that comes to
their mind
Therapist is to identify thoughts extending back into
the client’s (Analysand’s) childhood
Client mustn’t hold back
Aim is to lower ego defence mechanisms to gain access
to unconscious material

24. Word association
Client is read a list of words – one at a time
Client is asked to reply with whatever comes instantly
to mind
The therapist pays attention to unusual responses,
hesitation and mind blanks
The above indicate that repression has taken place in
the past

25. Dream Analysis
Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious
Manifest content – actual dream content
Latent content – meaning of dream
Dreams are symbolic-
e.g. Snake, train, sword = penis
Tunnel, cupboard = vagina
Symbols might highlight information regarding
psychosexual development

26. Psychoanalysis is effective
For example, Bergin (1971) found that 80% of clients
benefitted from psychoanalysis compared to 65% with
other therapies
This is positive because it suggest, compared to other
therapies, psychoanalysis can be useful

27. Case study evidence
For example, Anna O suffered from hysterical paralysis
and once Freud made her unconscious thoughts conscious
she was cured but later spent time in insitutions.
This is weakness as whilst psychoanalysis is a very
powerful treatment it doesn’t appear to have long-term
effects

28. False Memories
For example, research by Loftus (1975) shows that
retrospective memory is prone to bias/inaccuracy
A weakness because instead of helping patients to
recover ‘repressed’ memories, therapists might be
planting ‘false’ memories, meaning the therapy is unlikely
to work.