sheila

12/10/2025

Psychology

Psychodynamic Approach

Subjects

Psychology

Personality

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory and the Structure of Personality

544

•

Dec 10, 2025

•

1 page

Psychodynamic Approach in Psychology

sheila

@study_withsheila

The psychodynamic approach reveals how your unconscious mind secretly drives... Show more

A03
Strength = practical application
→psychoanalysis therapy
→Structaralism = unconscious + conscious

Limitation science
→lack empiricism
→

The Psychodynamic Approach: Your Hidden Mind at Work

Ever wondered why you act certain ways without really knowing why? The psychodynamic approach argues that your unconscious mind influences nearly everything you do. Think of it like an iceberg - what you're aware of is just the tip, whilst the massive underwater portion represents all the hidden thoughts and feelings that actually steer your behaviour.

Your mind operates through three competing forces. The id contains your basic drives and desires (like hunger or attraction), whilst the superego acts as your moral conscience. Caught in between, your ego tries to balance these opposing forces. When this system gets out of whack, you might develop abnormal behaviours or mental health issues.

Defence mechanisms are your mind's clever ways of protecting you from psychological pain. Repression buries traumatic memories deep in your unconscious, denial helps you refuse to accept harsh realities, and displacement redirects your emotions onto safer targets (like snapping at your mate when you're really angry with your parents).

Freud believed everyone goes through psychosexual stages during childhood. The oral stage $0-1 years$ focuses on the mouth, the anal stage $1-3 years$ centres on toilet training, and the phallic stage $3-6 years$ involves the infamous Oedipus complex. Getting "stuck" at any stage supposedly creates specific personality traits in adulthood - though modern psychologists are pretty sceptical about this bit!

Quick Tip: Remember the three parts of personality with this: Id = "I want it now!", Superego = "That's wrong!", Ego = "Let's find a compromise."

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Subjects

Psychology

Personality

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory and the Structure of Personality

Psychology

•

544

•

Dec 10, 2025

•

1 page

Psychodynamic Approach in Psychology

sheila

@study_withsheila

The psychodynamic approach reveals how your unconscious mind secretly drives your behaviour, emotions, and personality. Developed by Freud, this fascinating theory suggests that childhood experiences and hidden mental conflicts shape who you become as an adult.

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The Psychodynamic Approach: Your Hidden Mind at Work

Quick Tip: Remember the three parts of personality with this: Id = "I want it now!", Superego = "That's wrong!", Ego = "Let's find a compromise."