Psychological Models

These methods are generally used by clinical psychologists working alongside psychiatrists in psychiatric hospitals and institutions.  Each method is based on one of the approaches to psychology.  Psychologists attempt to explain human behaviour (normal and abnormal) with one or more of these methods.

Psychodynamic Model of abnormality

The approach originally proposed by Sigmund Freud in the late nineteenth century and the first attempt to explain the complexities of human behaviour.  Other psychologists have based their theories around Freud’s original.

Assumptions

·         Abnormal behaviour is often the result of conflicts between different aspects of our unconscious mind such as the id and the superego or Eros and Thanatos.

·         Childhood is a crucial time in the development of personality.

·         Treatment requires that unconscious conflict is accessed and confronted using techniques such as free association, dream therapy and hypnosis.

Explanations

The explanations tend to be based around:

·         The three aspects of personality

·         The Psychosexual stages of development

·         Ego defence mechanisms such as repression

The Id, Ego and Superego

Freud believed there are three components to personality:

Id (Latin for ‘it’) is the selfish, uncaring aspect that seeks satisfaction and pleasure at whatever cost.  The Id operates on the pleasure principle. 

Superego (Latin for ‘above I’) is the caring, socially aware aspect that acts as our moral conscience. 

Ego (Latin for ‘I’) is the ‘piggy in the middle’ that operates using the reality principle to keep the other two aspects happy. 

The psychosexual stages of development in brief

The child is born into the oral stage and in possession of an id, no ego or superego at this stage.  The child is therefore pleasure seeking and selfish and the id derives pleasure by eating and sucking. 

During the anal stage the child is potty trained and for the first time its actions may bring it into conflict with its parents if it fails to behave appropriately.  The Id is demanding instant gratification and pleasure (now centred on pooing!) and parents would rather the child follows protocol and waits for potty time!  The Ego develops to resolve this conflict. 

The Superego develops during the Phallic stage to resolve the Oedipus Complex in boys or the Elektra Conflict in girls.  We each, according to Freud, develop an unconscious desire for the opposite sex parent and eventually realise that must identify with the same sex parent in order to grow up and satisfy our lust.

Defence mechanisms

The anxiety caused by unconscious conflict can be damaging to our psychological health.  In order to protect us from harm the Ego deploys a variety of defences 

Repression (as seen in memory) were unpleasant or traumatic thoughts and experiences are hidden in the unconscious mind. 

Regression were the adult may during stressful times return to an earlier psychosexual stage of development such as the oral stage. 

Reaction formation  were a person becomes ashamed of a particular desire and as an extreme form of denial takes an outward stance that is very anti to their desire.  Usual examples are men with homosexual desires developing very homophobic behaviours.

Sigmund Freud	Carl Gustav Jung
Alfred Adler	Erik Erikson

Causes of psychological ill-health

A weak Ego

According to Freud if the Ego is weak then either the Id or Superego can become dominant and cause abnormal behaviour.  A dominant Id will result in a disobedient child or a psychopathic adult whereas a dominant Superego will result in neurotic behaviours such as over anxiety.

Childhood repression

The young mind has a weak Ego so a lot of potentially harmful material has to be repressed.  In later life other events may trigger some of this repressed material and cause it to be re-experienced.  For example early loss of a loved one may be re-lived following a later loss and cause depression.

The unconscious mind

Although material in the unconscious is hidden it can create distress in the conscious mind with the person not understanding the cause of this distress. 

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