PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES

I. Psychoanalytic Theory –

Sigmund Freud “Turn your eyes inward, look into your own depths, learn to first

know yourself.” Psychoanalysis Attempt to explain personality, motivation and

psychological disorders by focusing on the influence of early childhood

experiences, on unconscious motives and conflicts, and on the methods people use

to cope with their sexual and aggressive urges FOCUS: unconscious – people are

not aware of the most important determinants of their behaviour/body language; and

such contains the unresolved issues of one’s self *the dynamic unconscious has the

motivations or energies that can influence behaviour and experience Freud:

Psychoanalysis emphasized unconscious forces, biologically based drives of sex

and aggression and unavoidable conflicts in early childhood Satisfaction of the

libido Heredity + environment = personality unconscious consists of sexual and

aggressive instincts that are unacceptable to the conscious personality

Levels of Personality (The ICEBERG)

1. Conscious

Includes all the sensations and experiences of which we are aware at any

given moment A portion above the surface of the water – tip of the iceberg

Freud: conscious is a limited aspect of personality because only a small portion

of our thoughts, sensations and memories exists in conscious awareness at any

time

2. Preconscious
 Between the conscious and the unconscious, The storehouse of memories,

perceptions and thoughts, of which we are not consciously aware at the

moment but that we can easily summon into consciousness

3. Unconscious

Home of the instincts, those wishes and desires that direct our behaviour

Contains the driving power behind all behaviors and is the repository of forces

we cannot see or control.