Psychodynamic Approach | Sigmund Freud | AQA Psychology

Summary

This video delves into Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic approach to psychology, highlighting the unconscious mind's influence on behavior. It explores the id, ego, and superego as the tripartite structure of personality, constantly in conflict, and Freud's psychosexual stages of development, emphasizing childhood's impact on adult life. The video also discusses defense mechanisms like repression, denial, and displacement, which the ego uses to manage the id-superego conflict, often distorting reality as a coping strategy.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Freud's psychodynamic theory suggests that human behavior is influenced by unconscious processes and childhood experiences.
• 💭 The mind, according to Freud, can be divided into the conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious, with the unconscious being the most influential part.
• 🤔 Freud proposed that the unconscious mind can be revealed through Freudian slips, dreams, and childhood memories.
• 🌊 The structure of personality consists of the id, ego, and superego, which are in constant conflict and determine our behavior.
• 🍼 Freud's psychosexual stages of development include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages, with each stage presenting a conflict that can impact adult behavior if unresolved.
• 👶 The resolution of the Oedipus complex in boys and the Electra complex in girls is crucial for normal development and formation of the superego.
• 🛡 Defense mechanisms like repression, denial, and displacement are unconscious strategies used by the ego to manage conflicts between the id and superego.
• 🚫 Freud's theories, while influential, have been criticized and are not universally accepted, highlighting the importance of a critical approach to psychological theories.
• 🔍 Understanding Freud's work provides a framework for appreciating how unconscious processes might influence our behavior and personality development.
• 🌱 Freud's emphasis on the impact of childhood experiences on adult behavior has been influential in the field of psychology and beyond.

Q & A

How did Sigmund Freud use the image of an iceberg to describe the mind?

Freud compared the mind to an iceberg, where the conscious mind represents the tip of the iceberg above water, the pre-conscious is the part just under the water and still partly visible, and the unconscious is the largest part beneath the surface, which we cannot see and is the most significant in influencing our behavior.

What are the two roles of the unconscious mentioned in the script?

The two roles of the unconscious are: 1) It serves as the driving and motivating force behind our behavior and personality, containing our biological instincts and drives. 2) It protects the conscious self from anxiety, fear, trauma, and conflict by storing painful or distressing memories or ideas that are too much for the conscious mind to deal with.

Name each part of Freud's structure of personality and the principle associated with each.

The three parts of Freud's structure of personality are the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id operates on the Pleasure Principle, demanding instant gratification. The Ego operates on the Reality Principle, mediating between the Id and Superego. The Superego operates on the Morality Principle, representing our morals, ideals, and standards.

If someone had a dominant Id and a weak Superego, what behaviors might they display?

A person with a dominant Id and a weak Superego might display impulsive behavior, lack self-control, and potentially engage in criminal behavior due to their strong drive for immediate satisfaction without the moral constraints that a strong Superego would provide.

Name all the psychosexual stages of development in order.

The psychosexual stages of development in order are: Oral Stage (0-1 years), Anal Stage (2-3 years), Phallic Stage (3-5 years), Latency Stage (6-12 years), and Genital Stage (from 13 years into adulthood).

If a child was fixated at the Oral stage, how might this show itself in their adult behavior?

An adult who was fixated at the Oral stage might exhibit behaviors such as thumb-sucking, smoking, excessive drinking, or overeating as a way to gain oral stimulation, reflecting their unresolved dependency on the caregiver for satisfaction.

What conflict do boys and girls go through during the Phallic stage?

Boys go through the Oedipus complex, where they see their same-sex parent as a rival for the opposite-sex parent's affection, leading to castration anxiety. Girls go through the Electra complex, where they develop penis envy and see their mother as a rival for the father's affection.

What two key processes happen during the successful resolution of the Oedipus and Electra complexes?

The two key processes are identification and internalization. The child identifies with their same-sex parent and internalizes their moral standards, values, and characteristics, which helps resolve the conflict and leads to normal development through the Phallic stage.

Define what is meant by defense mechanisms.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies used by the ego to manage the conflict between the id and superego. They involve some form of distortion of reality and serve as coping mechanisms, although they are not considered healthy or desirable as long-term solutions.

Identify which defense mechanism is being used in each of the following scenarios: a) A child refuses to believe their parents are getting a divorce. b) A person who is constantly late for work blames traffic.

a) Denial: The child is refusing to accept the reality of their parents' divorce to avoid the painful feelings associated with it. b) Displacement: The person is redirecting their feelings of anxiety or inadequacy about being late onto an external factor, such as traffic.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Introduction to Sigmund Freud and Psychodynamics

The video introduces Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychodynamic psychology, and his theories on interpreting dreams and the unconscious mind. It sets the stage for exploring the psychodynamic approach, which emphasizes the role of the unconscious, the structure of personality (id, ego, superego), and defense mechanisms. The video aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Freud's work and its impact on psychology.

05:02

🌊 The Unconscious Mind and Its Influence

This section delves into the concept of the unconscious mind, which Freud believed to be the driving force behind our behavior and personality. It discusses how the unconscious contains biological instincts, drives, and repressed memories that can influence our actions. Freudian slips and dreams are introduced as windows into the unconscious, with dreams being particularly significant for understanding repressed desires and conflicts.

10:03

🤔 The Tripartite Structure of Personality

The video explains Freud's model of personality structure, consisting of the id, ego, and superego. The id represents our primal desires, the superego our moral conscience, and the ego acts as a mediator between the two. The constant conflict and resolution among these components shape our behavior. The section also addresses how an imbalance in this structure can lead to psychological issues.

15:04

👶 Psychosexual Stages of Development

Freud's psychosexual stages of development are outlined, detailing how experiences in childhood can impact adult behavior. The stages include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital, each with specific conflicts that, if not resolved, can lead to fixations. The Oedipus and Electra complexes are highlighted as critical conflicts during the phallic stage, affecting the development of gender identity and moral standards.

20:06

🛡 Defense Mechanisms and Their Role

The final section discusses defense mechanisms, which are unconscious strategies used by the ego to manage conflicts between the id and superego. Key mechanisms include repression, suppression, denial, and displacement. These mechanisms serve as coping strategies but can be maladaptive if relied upon excessively. The video concludes with a series of questions to test the viewer's understanding of Freud's psychodynamic theory.

Keywords

💡Psychodynamic approach

The psychodynamic approach is a theoretical framework in psychology that emphasizes the role of unconscious mental processes in influencing behavior and personality. In the video, this approach is central to understanding Sigmund Freud's work, which explores how unconscious desires and instincts shape our conscious experiences and actions. The approach is illustrated through concepts like the unconscious mind, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual stages of development.

💡Unconscious mind

The unconscious mind refers to the part of the human psyche that is not directly accessible to conscious awareness but influences thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In the video, Freud's psychodynamic theory posits that the unconscious is a reservoir of repressed memories, instincts, and desires that significantly impact our conscious actions. For instance, the script mentions that the unconscious contains biological instincts and drives that control our behavior.

💡Id, Ego, and Superego

These are the three components of Freud's structural model of the psyche. The 'Id' is the primitive, instinctual part of the mind that seeks immediate gratification. The 'Ego' is the rational part that mediates between the desires of the Id and the external world. The 'Superego' represents moral standards and ideals, often internalized from parents and society. The video explains these concepts by describing how they are in constant conflict and how their interactions determine our behavior.

💡Libido

Libido, in Freudian theory, refers to the psychic energy associated with sexual instincts and desires. It is the life force that drives individuals towards experiences of pleasure and satisfaction. The video script mentions libido in the context of the psychosexual stages of development, where it is directed towards different areas of the body at different stages of life.

💡Psychosexual stages of development

Freud proposed that personality development occurs through a series of stages, each associated with a specific erogenous zone: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. These stages are critical as unresolved conflicts at each stage can lead to fixations that influence adult behavior. The video script provides examples, such as how difficulties in the oral stage might manifest in adult behaviors like overeating.

💡Defense mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies that the ego uses to protect the individual from anxiety, fear, and conflict. They involve distorting reality to manage the tension between the id and the superego. The video script discusses several defense mechanisms, including repression, denial, and displacement, and explains how they operate to shield the conscious mind from distressing thoughts or feelings.

💡Repression

Repression is a defense mechanism where the ego pushes threatening or painful memories, thoughts, or feelings into the unconscious mind, effectively 'forgetting' them. The video uses the example of a child who has been abused and has no conscious memory of the event but may struggle with relationships in adulthood due to repressed memories influencing their behavior.

💡Oedipus and Electra complexes

These complexes, named after Greek mythological figures, describe the psychosexual conflicts that Freud believed children experience during the phallic stage. The 'Oedipus complex' refers to a boy's desire for his mother and rivalry with his father, while the 'Electra complex' refers to a girl's desire for her father and rivalry with her mother. The video script explains how the resolution of these complexes is crucial for the development of the superego and gender identity.

💡Freudian slips

Freudian slips, or 'parapraxes,' are unintentional errors in speech or action that Freud believed revealed unconscious thoughts or desires. The video script gives an example from the TV show 'Friends,' where Ross accidentally says 'Rachel' instead of 'Emily' during his wedding vows, suggesting that his unconscious desire was for Rachel, not Emily.

💡Latency stage

The latency stage is the fourth of Freud's psychosexual stages, occurring between the ages of six and twelve. During this period, sexual energy is relatively calm, and the child's ego and superego continue to develop. The video script notes that this stage is typically calm and free from fixations, as the child's libido is not as active, and they are focused on learning and social development.

Highlights

Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic approach explores the role of the unconscious mind in human behavior.

The psychodynamic approach includes understanding the id, ego, and superego as the structure of personality.

Defense mechanisms like repression, denial, and displacement are key to Freud's theory.

Freud's psychosexual stages of development include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

The unconscious mind, according to Freud, is the driving force behind our behavior and personality.

Freud's case study of Anna O. influenced his understanding of the unconscious forces at play in the mind.

Freud's theory suggests that childhood memories can influence our behavior in adulthood.

The psychodynamic theory compares the mind to an iceberg, with the unconscious being the largest part.

Freudian slips, or slips of the tongue, can reveal unconscious thoughts and desires.

Dream analysis is a way to gain insight into the unconscious mind according to Freud.

The id represents the pleasure principle and is present at birth, demanding instant gratification.

The superego, developing around age four to five, represents our morals and ideals.

The ego acts as a mediator between the id and superego, aiming to reduce conflict.

Freud's psychosexual stages emphasize the importance of libido and sexual energy in development.

The Oedipus and Electra complexes are central to the psychosexual development during the phallic stage.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious resources used by the ego to manage conflict between the id and superego.

Repression, denial, and displacement are key defense mechanisms that protect the conscious self from distress.

Transcripts

i wonder what you've heard about sigmund

freud something to do with interpreting

dreams perhaps or lying on a couch and

sharing your innermost thoughts and

wasn't he the guy who said everything

was to do with sex and i'm sure somebody

said he was on cocaine welcome back to

barity mind my name's tom and i'm a

psychology teacher and on this channel

we explore the world of psychology so

that we can better understand ourselves

and others in this video we're going to

explore the psychodynamic approach in

psychology and the work of sigmund freud

this video is part of a series looking

at the topic called approaches in

psychology each of these approaches

explains human behavior from a different

perspective for the psychodynamic

approach you need to understand the role

of the unconscious the structure of

personality with the id ego and superego

defense mechanisms including repression

denial and displacement and the

psychosexual stages of development and

stick around towards the end where as

usual we'll look at some questions about

the content of this video so that you

can check your understanding let's dive

in

so let's talk about sigmund freud i've

often found having taught many students

over the years that not only do they

have a large number of questions once

they hear about freud's ideas and i'm

sure you will too by the end but also

that having some understanding of the

context of sigmund freud and his work

can help you to have a bigger picture a

framework a story with which you can

better appreciate freud's ideas for

those of you studying a level psychology

this contextual information i'm about to

give is not something you need to know

for the exam and you won't be asked

questions about it it's just to give you

some background information to help your

overall understanding of what we are

about to explore sigmund freud was from

austria born in 1856 and died in london

in 1939. it would be quite the

understatement to say that sigmund freud

was an interesting bloke for example

when he was 17 years old he published

his first ever research paper at the

university of vienna medical school on

the topic of the sexual organs of eels

maybe an early sign of where some of his

future theories might end up once freud

completed his undergraduate studies at

the university of vienna he specialized

in researching the brain and the nervous

system freud's background in biology led

him to consider how unconscious

biological drives and desires influence

our conscious mind and our behavior one

man who had a significant impact on

freud's thinking was physiologist ernst

brooker he suggested that human beings

are basically energy systems and as such

must follow the principles of the

conservation of energy according to the

laws of thermodynamics i know

bear with me the idea here is that

energy cannot be destroyed only moved or

transformed

the total amount of energy stays the

same

freud applied this concept to the mind

and called it not thermodynamics but

psychodynamics

he saw the mind as psychological energy

something he called libido something we

will come back to later it was freud's

first case study of a patient referred

to as anna oh that went on to shape

freud's understanding of the mind and

the underlying unconscious forces that

might be at play a friend of freud by

the name of joseph brewer was trying to

treat anna oh who appeared to be

suffering from a range of symptoms what

they noticed was that anao was unable to

talk about or explain where her symptoms

may have originated but when in a dreamy

hypnotic state this all changed she

could talk about it and it emerged that

many of these memories related to

childhood

taking all the ideas of psychic energy

freud proposed that their memories that

anna oh had from childhood must be

painful perhaps traumatic and no longer

accessible to the conscious mind and

instead we're in the unconscious the

psychic energy of the trauma had been

pushed into the unconscious and was

showing itself in physical symptoms the

physical symptoms were related to the

psychological issues a few years later

freud then went on to write one of his

most famous books the interpretation of

dreams in 1900 which was in part thought

to be brought about following the death

of his father to summarize from the

observations and case studies of several

people whether that be anao or others

freud's ideas around the unconscious

mind and how it influences our behavior

developed into his psychodynamic theory

in particular the events that occur in

our childhood can remain in our

unconscious and greatly influence our

lives as adults

so with all that said let's now explore

freud's psychodynamic theory

the mind is like an iceberg it floats

with one seventh of its bulk above water

the psychodynamic approach compares the

mind to an iceberg

our conscious mind what we are aware of

at any one time represents only the tip

of the iceberg that is above the water

that we can see the pre-conscious

includes thoughts that may become

conscious at some point for example

through dreams and slips of the tongue

the pre-conscious is the part of the

iceberg that is just under the water but

still partly visible and the largest

part of the iceberg is what is under the

surface the part we can't see

this represents the unconscious the part

we are unaware of it is the unconscious

that is the most significant part in

influencing and shaping our behavior

according to freud one role of the

unconscious is that it is the driving

motivating force behind our behavior and

personality the unconscious contains our

biological instincts and drives and

these instincts and drives control our

behavior there's more to say on this

than i'm covering in this video but some

of these instincts include survival and

sexual instincts as well as aggression

later on childhood memories can become

part of our unconscious too which can

influence our behavior one way to get a

glimpse into the unconscious mind is

through what are called freudian slips

or slips of the tongue i'm sure at some

point you've experienced this a freudian

slip is when we make a mistake in our

speech that reveals our unconscious

thoughts and desires for example if you

have ever seen the tv show friends you

may remember this famous scene when ross

is about to get married to emily ross

repeat after me

hi ross

i ross

take the emily

take the rachel

here we see a freudian slip rossi's deep

unconscious desires are for rachel not

emily and at the moment of saying his

vows the slip of the tongue reveals

what's really going on deep down in his

unconscious

according to freud these slips of the

tongue can provide insight into the

underlying desires in our unconscious

another role of the unconscious is that

it protects the conscious self from

anxiety fear trauma and conflict the

unconscious is where memories or ideas

that are too painful or too much for the

conscious mind to deal with are placed

think back to the case of anna oh i

mentioned earlier these traumatic

memories which can often occur in

childhood are placed there by the

psychological defense mechanism

repression defense mechanisms

coming up another way we can catch a

glimpse of our unconscious mind

according to freud he's through

analyzing our dreams freud suggested

that the events that took place in our

dreams are symbolic and can give us

insight into the unconscious meaning

behind them freud wrote the

interpretation of dreams is the royal

road to a knowledge of the unconscious

activities of the mind and he also wrote

that dreams are disguised fulfillments

of repressed wishes if some of our fears

anxieties and worries have been

repressed out of the conscious mind and

into our unconscious mind they may show

themselves in our dreams all of this to

say that for the psychodynamic approach

the role of the unconscious mind is

crucial to understanding human behavior

later on freud's view of the mind in

terms of the conscious pre-conscious and

unconscious was developed into a

three-part structure of the mind which

we come to next

freud believed that the personality had

a three-part structure to it the id the

ego and the super-ego that's why it's

sometimes referred to as the tripartite

structure of personality these three are

in constant conflict with each other and

the outcome of this interaction

determines our behavior the id is known

as the pleasure principle only the

eighties present at birth and it's

entirely unconscious and demands instant

gratification or we might say immediate

satisfaction i want it and i want it now

my pocket is

[Music]

it drives you to act on your urges and

desires without restraint to fulfill

your basic drives for things like food

comfort and sex these instincts are

coined to freud are the survival and

sexual instincts something freud

referred to as libido a psychic energy

the superego is known as the morality

principle mainly in our unconscious but

can influence our conscience thoughts

we're not born with the superego it

develops around the age of four to five

years during the phallic stage of the

psychosexual stages of development and

more on that shortly the superego

represents our morals our ideals and

standards that we've internalized and

become part of us from parents society

and other significant figures in our

lives it acts as the conscience our

moral guide if we fail to live up to the

morals of the super ego we feel guilt

and shame there's an awful thing to say

the super ego is trying to suppress the

unacceptable urges of the id when the

superego develop it conflicts with the

id's demands then there is the ego this

is known as the reality principle its

job is to control the urges and desires

that they are expressed in acceptable

ways it develops after the id as the

child interacts more with the world the

ego begins to develop the job of the ego

is to reduce the conflict between the

two opposing forces of the aid and the

superego he acts as the mediator for

example imagine you're a student who's

working part-time in a local restaurant

you're about ready to head home after a

long shift when the owner of the

restaurant says you need to stay an

extra couple of hours because they are

understaffed no

absolutely not the libido psychic energy

that is driving his desires might want

you to respond by saying something

unprofessional and storm out

your superego on the other hand may

respond by saying that you should stay

and do the extra work because that's

what a good employee does and to ignore

the owner he's disrespectful and may

cost you your job the ego is the reality

principle must try to balance this

conflict so the ego might lead you to

say to the restaurant owner i'll stay

the extra couple of hours but i want the

hours back next week so i can leave

early and still get paid according to

the psychodynamic approach if either the

id or the superego are dominant then

this can lead to anxiety and other

psychological unhealthy states someone

with a dominant id might develop to be a

person who's highly impulsive who lacks

self-control and might end up being

involved in criminal behavior

[Applause]

on the other hand someone with a

dominant superego might be very

judgmental critical and self-righteous

or equally someone highly anxious and

depressed at their failures to meet the

morals ideals and standards set by the

superego

healthy personality according to freud

is a balance with the ego moderating the

demands of both the id and the superego

we will now explore the outworking of

the role of the unconscious and the

structure of the personality in the next

sections on the cycle sexual stages of

development and defense mechanisms

we said early that one role of the

unconscious is that it is the driving

and motivating force behind our behavior

and personality we learned with the

tripartite structure of personality that

the id is present from birth with the

ego and superego developing later freud

claimed that personality development

took place through a series of five

stages they're called the psychosexual

stages to emphasize the importance of

libido and specifically the expression

of sexual energy as the driving force in

development these stages are called the

oral anal phallic latency and genital

stages for a daft way to remember them

just think old age people like gardening

libido is active at every stage but

directed to different areas of the body

normal development for the child is to

pass through one stage successfully and

on to the next at each stage there's a

conflict that needs to be resolved some

individuals get fixated they get stuck

at a particular stage due to an

unresolved conflict to any of the stages

this means that the libido energy is

fixed or stuck at that developmental

stage

if this is the case freud suggested that

the child carries behaviors or conflicts

from that stage through to adult life

first stage oral stage zero to one years

libido energy is directed towards the

mouth the mouth is the first area to be

associated with pleasure and

satisfaction mainly because of feeding

at this stage the conflict to be

resolved relates to weaning the child

must become less dependent on the

caregiver for food for example the

mother's milk and transition to other

foods if weaning is not handed

sensitively the child will become

fixated at this stage as an adult this

may show itself in behaviors such as

sucking a thumb smoking drinking and

overeating to gain oral stimulation

second stage anal stage two to three

years libido energy is directed towards

the bladder and bowels basically

wee-wees and poo-poos this time the

pleasure and satisfaction come from

controlling bladder and bowel movement

at this stage the conflict is toilet

training which enables them to develop

control and independence if toilet

training is not handled sensitively by

which you mean the parents who are not

supportive and encouraging whilst the

child goes through the process of toilet

training then the child could become

fixated at this stage perhaps the

parents punished the child or made them

feel shame and embarrassment if they

made a mess and as an adult this could

be seen in what freud called having an

anal expulsive personality where they

are messy and wasteful individuals or

having an anal retentive personality

where they may be excessively organized

tidy obsessive and concerned with bodily

cleanliness third stage phallic stage

three to five years the libido energy is

on the genital area of the body the word

phallic relates to the word phallus

which means penis for freud this is the

central focus of this stage this time

the pleasure and satisfaction come from

the genitals at this stage the conflict

involves either the oedipus or electra

complex you need to know both

specifically because they become

important in other parts of the a-level

course where freud's theories are

applied to different topics and bear

with me because this is going to get a

bit weird and uncomfortable but you can

blame freud for that

for both the edu person electra complex

the child sees their same-sex parent as

a threat and rival for the opposite sex

parents affections so the boy sees his

dad as a threatened rival because the

boy desires his mother and wants her

love and affection and the vice versa

the girl sees her mother as a threat and

rival because the girl desires her

father and wants his love and affection

the boys go through the oedipus complex

whilst the girls go through the electra

complex now the oedipus complex gets its

name from greek mythology oedipus

accidentally fulfilled the prophecy that

he would end up killing his father and

marrying his mother his true father had

sent him a way to die in a mountainside

so the prophecy wouldn't come true but

eventually the prophecy comes true and

it's only after oedipus has killed his

father and married his mother that he

learned who they were from that idea

freud proposed that during the phallic

stage of development the boy desires his

mother and is afraid because he

recognizes the father as a powerful

rival the boy develops castration

anxiety because he fears his father will

castrate him both literally you know

where and figuratively in terms of his

role as a man for desiring his mother to

resolve this anxiety the boy gives up

the love for his mother and identifies

with his father identifying with the

stronger aggressor this identification

with his father results in the boy

adopting the male identity and assuming

male characteristics hopefully you're

still with me you're really weird now

let's consider the electra complex the

electra complex also gets its name from

greek mythology elektra and her brother

planned the death of their mother

because of her murder of their father

the electra complex was given to

describe a girl's sexual competition

with her mother for sexual possession of

the father from that idea the

psychodynamic approach proposed that

during the phallic stage of development

the girl becomes aware that she does not

have a penis and believes she's already

been castrated the girl blames her

mother for her lack of her penis and

sees herself and her mother as powerless

the girl desires a penis the symbol of

male power this penis envy leads her to

desire the father because he has what

she desires however the girl then

converts her desire for penis into the

desire for a baby she identifies with

her mother and adopts the female role to

bring us back to the structure of

personality it is during the phallic

stage that the superego is thought to

develop when the child identifies with

their same-sex parent through the

resolution of the edo person electra

complexes they then go on to internalize

the moral standards values and

characteristics of their same-sex parent

the process of both identification and

internalization are key this

identification with the same-sex parent

resolves the conflict and leads to

normal development through the phallic

stage however if the adidas and electro

complexes are not successfully resolved

i.e they do not identify with their

same-sex parent freud suggested in later

adult life this can be seen in men

always looking for a mother figure and

women for a father figure i.e they

become overly dependent on their mother

or father relationship and freud also

suggested it could lead to having

confusion with gender identity fourth

stage latency stage six to 12 years

latent means existing but not yet

developed hidden or concealed at this

stage the libido sexual energy is

generally calm it's not active the

development of the ego and superego at

this point helps to make this stage calm

and fixation does not normally occur at

this stage fifth stage genital stage 13

years on into adult life libido becomes

more active again during the onset of

puberty at this stage you develop strong

sexual interest in the opposite sex and

the development of the ego and superego

continue to control and balance the

urges to help behavior be appropriate to

the expectations of parents and society

in summary whilst what freud proposed

about the cycle sexual stages of

development might make you seriously

consider whether he did actually take

cocaine one thing freud has been

credited for is how he recognized the

impact of childhood experiences on adult

development

finally we come to defense mechanisms we

said earlier that one role of the

unconscious is that it protects the

conscious self from anxiety fear trauma

and conflict it is important to note

that these defense mechanisms are

unconscious resources used by the ego to

manage the conflict between the id and

the superego they can provide breathing

space in which to come to terms with

conflict are alternative ways of coping

however they often involve some form of

distortion of reality and as a long-term

solution they're regarded as unhealthy

and undesirable there are numerous

different types of defense mechanism

three of which you need to know that

we'll cover now repression this is where

a distressing memory is forced out of

the conscious mind into the unconscious

mind for example a child who is abused

by a parent may have no recollection of

these events but has trouble forming

relationships when they're older rather

than staying quietly in the unconscious

these repressed thoughts and impulses

continue to influence behavior without

the individual being aware of the

reasons behind their behavior quick side

note here

sometimes students confuse repression

with suppression repression is entirely

unconscious the unwanted thoughts and

desires are pushed out of awareness

suppression on the other hand is about

consciously intentionally trying to

forget or not think about something

denial this is when you refuse to

acknowledge some part of reality in

other words you refuse to accept reality

to avoid having to deal with any painful

feelings that might be associated with

the event you act as if the painful

event never happened for example an

alcoholic will often deny they have a

drinking problem even after being

arrested several times for being drunk

and disorderly displacement this is when

you transfer feelings from the true

source of the distressing emotions onto

a substitute target

it involves redirecting the thoughts or

feelings in situations where the person

feels unable to express them in the

presence of the person they should be

directed towards instead they may take

it out on someone else or an object for

example a student may be upset and angry

about the ending of a long-term

relationship and when they come home

they are disrespectful angry and slam

the door when their parents ask them to

tidy their room housekeeping

i'll come back later

so now let's test your understanding of

what we've covered about sigmund freud

and the psychodynamic approach a

question will appear with a few seconds

for you to pause the video before the

answer appears here we go question one

explain how freud used the image of an

iceberg to describe the mind

question two

name two roles of the unconscious

question three name each part of the

structure of personality

question four

what principle was given to each part of

the structure of personality and can you

name what they are responsible for

question five if someone had a dominant

id and a weak superego what behaviors

might they display

question six

name all the psychosexual stages of

development in order

question seven if a child was fixated at

the oral stage how might this show

itself in their adult behavior

question 8 what conflict do boys and

girls go through during the phallic

stage

question nine what two key processes

happen during the successful resolution

of the oedipus and electra complexes

question 10 define what is meant by

defense mechanisms

question 11 can you identify which

defense mechanism is being used for each

in the list below

[Music]

so hopefully now you've got something of

a better understanding of the

psychodynamic approach and sigmund freud

and i'm sure you've probably got a whole

host of questions to ask about freud too

which parts of his theory did you find

that made the most sense that you can

actually relate to and perhaps which

parts would you find the weirdest from

freud's work perhaps it will make you

bear in mind how much your behavior may

be influenced by your unconscious

processes and what happened in your

childhood

and if you're interested in a critical

analysis of freud's work and theory then

check out this next video where we go on

to evaluate it i hope you found this

video helpful

and we'll see you in the next one