Psychodynamic Theories of

Behavior
ALBA
BACORRO
BARDOLASA
ELANO
LOR
VILLADOS

 Freud used the term psychodynamics to

describe the processes of the mind as flows
of psychological energy (libido) in an
organically complexbrain.

 In the 1950s, American psychiatrist Eric

Berne built on Freud's psychodynamic
model, particularly that of the "ego states",
to develop a psychology of human
interactions called transactional analysis.

 physician James R. Allen, is a "cognitive

behavioral approach to treatment and that it
is a very effective way of dealing with
internal models of self and others as well as
other psychodynamic issues.

 The theory was popularized in the 1964

book Games People Play, a book that sold
five million copies, giving way to such
catch phrases as Boy, has he got your
number!.

 This principle is at the very root of Freud's

ideas, wherebylibido, which is primarily
seen as sexual energy, is transformed into
other behaviours. However, it is now clear
that the term energy in physics means
something quite different from the term
energy in relation to mental functioning.

 Psychodynamics was initially further

developed by Carl Jung, Alfred
Adler and Melanie Klein.[5][6] By the mid1940s and into the 1950s, the general
application of the "psychodynamic theory"
had been well established.

 In his 1988 book Introduction to

Psychodynamics - he vividly described
neurotic behavior and unconscious mental
processes and linked psychodynamics
theory directly to everyday life.

Freuds Theories, in Context

Freud was originally trained as a
Neurologist- biological approach to illness
Treated mostly Hysteria (conversion
disorders)
Applied findings from abnormal patients to
normal development

Freud: A Sign of the Times?

Time period: late 1800s
Victorian times: conservative, repressed
society
Prohibitions against sex

Key Contributions of Freud

Psychic Determinism/ Dynamic Model
Topographical Model of the Mind
Unconscious, Preconscious, Conscious

Stages of Psychosexual Development

Structural Model of the Mind
Defense Mechanisms
Transference and Countertransference

Basic Principles of
Psychodynamics
Freud sees people as passive; behaviors
determined by interaction of external reality
and internal drives
Psychic Determinism: all behaviors driven
by antecedent events, experiences. There
are no accidents; nothing happens by
chance

Basic Principles
Pleasure Principle: constant drive to reduce
tension thru expression of instinctual urges
Mind is a dynamic (changing/active)
process based on the Pleasure Principle

Basic Principles
Libidinal (sexual, aggressive) instincts drive
people
In children libido isnt purely sexual, its
pleasure thru sensations (oral, anal gratification,
etc.)

Behaviors result from conflicts:

Between instinctual libidinal drives (aggression,
sex) and efforts to repress them from
consciousness)

More Basic Principles

The Cathartic Method

Primary vs. Secondary Gain
Transference and Countertransference
Ego-Syntonic vs. Ego-Dystonic

Cathartic Method
Therapy benefits thru release of pent-up
tensions, catharsis
Some inherent value in the talking curebeing able to unload, or get stuff off
your mind

Primary vs. Secondary Gain

Primary Gain: symptoms serve a purpose:
they function to decrease intra-psychic
conflict and distress by keeping such
unpleasantries from conscious awareness

Primary Gain: Examples:

Comfort of being taken care of thru
assumption of the sick role
Conversion Disorder- psychological
conflict is converted into physical symptom
that allows for more acceptable expression
of an unacceptable wish

Secondary Gain
Actual or external advantages that patients
gain from their symptoms, or from being ill:

Relief from duties, responsibilities (work)

Prescription drugs (ex. Opiates)
Manipulation in relationships
Deferring of legal proceedings, exams
Food, shelter, money (financial gain)

Transference
Displacement (false attribution) of feelings,
attitudes, behavioral expectations and
attributes from important childhood
relationships to current ones

Transference
Traditionally refers to what the patient
projects onto the therapist, but applies to
other situations as well- ex. relationships in
general
Aka emotional baggage
Occurs unconsciously (persons unaware
theyre doing it)

Countertransference
Feelings toward another are based on your
own past relationships/ experiences.
Traditionally refers to the therapist
projecting their own feelings (issues,
emotional baggage) onto their patient

Ego-syntonic vs. dystonic

Neurotic symptoms are distressing to the
person, or ego-dystonic
Vs.

Character pathology, which is ego-syntonic;

patient doesnt perceive as a problem; only
problematic in dealings with others/
external world

Topographical Model
Freuds first model of psychopathology
Division of the mind into three different
layers of consciousness:
Unconscious
Preconscious
Conscious

Unconscious
Contains repressed thoughts and feelings
Unconscious shows itself in:
Dreams
Hypnosis
Parapraxes (Freudian slips)

Driven by Primary Process Thinking

Primary Process Thinking

Not cause-effect; illogical; fantasy
Only concern is immediate gratification
(drive satisfaction)
Does not take reality into account
Seen in dreams, during hypnosis, some
forms of psychosis, young children,
psychoanalytic psychotherapy

Freudian Slips (Parapraxes)

A slip of the tongue
Errors of speech or hearing that reveal ones
true but unconscious feelings

Preconscious
Accessible, but not immediately available
Always running in the background/ behind
the scenes

Conscious
Fully and readily accessible
Conscious mind does not have access to the
unconscious
Utilizes Secondary Process Thinking:
Reality-based (takes external reality into
consideration), logical, mature, time-oriented

Psychosexual Development
Children pass thru a series of age-dependent
stages during development
Each stage has a designated pleasure zone
and primary activity
Each stage requires resolution of a
particular conflict/task

Psychosexual Stages
Failure to successfully navigate a stages
particular conflict/ task is known as
Fixation
Leaving some energy in a stage

Specific problems result from Fixation,

depending on which stage is involved
Fixation may result from environmental
disruption

Stages of Development
Oral:

Anal:

Phallic:

(Birth to 12-18 months) (12-18 m to 3 years)

Latency:

(3 to 5-6 years)

Genital:

(5-6 years to adolescence)

(Adolescence to adulthood)

It is astonishing that the human race could have for so long clung to the belief that children were
asexual beings. Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures

Psychosexual Stages
Freud's stages are based on clinical
observations of his patients
The Stages are:

Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latency
Genital

Oral Stage
Birth to 18 months
Pleasure Zone: Mouth
Primary Activity: Nursing
Fixation results in difficulties with trust,
attachment, commitment
Fixation may also manifest as eating disorders,
smoking, drinking problems

Anal Phase
18months- 2yrs
Pleasure Zone: Anus
Primary Activity: Toilet training
Failure to produce on schedule arouses parental
disappointment

Anal Phase
18months- 2yrs
Parental disappointment, in turn, arouses
feelings in child of anger and aggression
towards caregivers, which are defended against
Fixation may result in either:
Anal retentiveness: perfectionism, obsessivecompulsive tendencies
Anal expulsive: sloppy, messy, disorganized

Phallic (Oedipal) Phase

Ages 3-6
Pleasure Zone: Genitals
Primary Activity: Genital fondling
Must successfully navigate the Oedipal Conflict

Oedipal Conflict
Boys want to marry mom and kill father,
aka Oedipal Complex, but fear retaliation
from father (castration anxiety); ultimately
resolved thru identification with father
Girls have penis envy, want to marry dad,
aka Electra Complex; identify with mom
to try to win dads love

Phallic (Oedipal) Phase:

Ages 3-6
Resolution of the Oedipal Conflict results in
formation of the Superego
Fixation results in attraction to unattainable
partners

Latency Phase
Ages 6-11
Pleasure Zone: Sex drive is rerouted into
socialization and skills development
Primary Activity: Same sex play; identification
of sex role
Dont like opposite sex (has cooties)
Fixation results in lack of initiative, low self
esteem; environmental incompetence

Genital Phase
Ages 13- young adulthood
Pleasure Zone: Genitals
Primary Activity: Adult sexual relationships
Fixation results in regression to an earlier stage,
lack of sense of self

Structural (Tripartite) Theory

Freuds second model of the mind to
explain psychopathology
Developed in the early 1900s

The ID

Home of instinctual Drives

I want it and I want it NOW
Completely unconscious
Present at birth
Operates on the Pleasure Principle and
employs Primary Process Thinking

To Review:
Pleasure Principle: constant drive to reduce
tension thru expression of instinctual urges
Primary Process Thinking: Not causeeffect; illogical; fantasy; only concern is
immediate gratification (drive satisfaction)

The Superego
Internalized morals/values- sense of right
and wrong
Suppresses instinctual drives of ID (thru
guilt and shame) and serves as the moral
conscience

The Superego
Largely unconscious, but has conscious
component
Develops with socialization, and thru
identification with same-sex parent (via
introjection) at the resolution of the Oedipal
Conflict
Introjection: absorbing rules for behavior
from role models

The Superego- 2 Parts:

Conscience: Dictates what is proscribed
(should not be done); results in guilt
Ego-Ideal: Dictates what is prescribed
(should be done); results in shame

The Ego
Created by the ID to help it interface with
external reality
Mediates between the ID, Superego, and
reality
Partly conscious
Uses Secondary Process Thinking:
Logical, rational

Ego Defense Mechanisms

The Ego employs ego defense
mechanisms
They serve to protect an individual from
unpleasant thoughts or emotions
Keep unconscious conflicts unconscious

Defense Mechanisms are primarily

unconscious

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Result from interactions between the ID,
Ego, and Superego
Thus, theyre compromises:
Attempts to express an impulse (to satisfy the
ID) in a socially acceptable or disguised way
(so that the Superego can deal with it)

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Less mature defenses protect the person
from anxiety and negative feelings, but at
price
Some defense mechanisms explain aspects
of psychopathology:
Ex. Identification with aggressor: can explain
tendency of some abused kids to grow into
abusers

Primary Repression
Conflict arises when the IDs drives
threaten to overwhelm the controls of the
Ego and Superego
Ego pushes ID impulses deeper into the
unconscious via repression
Material pushed into unconscious does not
sit quietly- causes symptoms

Classification of Defenses

Mature
Immature
Narcissistic
Neurotic

Mature Defenses
Altruism
Anticipation
Humor
Sublimation
Suppression

Immature Defenses

Acting Out
Somatization
Regression
Denial
Projection
Splitting
Displacement

Dissociation
Reaction Formation
Repression
Magical Thinking
Isolation of Affect
Intellectualization
Rationalization

Psychodynamic

Not so ambitious goals

Focused
Not so intensive
Less intensive therapist
training
Flexible

Psychoanalytic

Ambitious
Global
Intensive
Intensive therapist training
Focus on understanding
origins
More rigid

Erik Erikson

Born 1902 in Germany

Died 1994
Enrolled in art school
Taught art to American children who
had come to Germany for Freudian
training
Admitted into Vienna Psychoanalytic
Institute
In 1933 came to U.S. and became
Bostons first child analyst
Obtained position at Harvard Medical
School
Later on became clinician and
psychiatric consultant

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology
The Personal and the Collective Unconscious
Jung referred to the personal unconscious as a
collection of personal experiences
Coined the term complex to reflect personal
tension
Referred to a collective unconscious to reflect
spiritual influences, composed of various
archetypes, that are inherited and universal

59

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology
Specific Archetypes
The mandala refers to the goal of a
developing unified self that is a unique
process (individuation)
The anima refers to the feminine side of
males, whereas the animus refers to the
masculine side of females
The shadow archetype refers to the dark side
of humanity
60

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology
Popular Applications of Jungian Concepts
Jungs archetypes have been depicted in
popular film, books, and movies
Jung was heavily influenced by Chinese
thought and derived the term
synchronicity from Asian culture to depict
the co-occurrence of random events as
seemingly nonrandom
61

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology
IntroversionExtroversion
Jung was the first person to make the
extroversionintroversion distinction
Jung viewed extroversion as energy habitually
directed outward and introversion as energy
habitually directed inward
Jung viewed extroversion and introversion as
different cognitive states that affect attention and
objectivity
62

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology

IntroversionExtroversion
Jung linked personality to cultural differences
Jung referred to individual differences in
personality that reflect psychological
functions (ways a person relates to others, the
world, and information)
Jungs four psychological functions are
sensing, intuition, thinking, and feeling that
combine to form 16 different psychological
types
63

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology

64

The Neo-Freudians: Carl Jungs

Analytical Psychology
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers- Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) is
used worldwide and in various settings
The MBTI shows incremental validity when
used with the five-factor model on a socialcognitive task
Concerns with the MBTI include its
categorical approach and problems with
translating content into other languages
65

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Adlers perspective views each person as
unique, and he represents a movement
called individual psychology
Adler refuted Freuds notion that sexual
urges motivate people
Adler believed that people try to overcome
a sense of inferiority that arises from a
biological weakness (organ inferiority) or
from a psychological weakness
66

Erik Eriksons Theory

1st stage: Trust vs. Mistrust

2nd stage: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
3rd stage: Initiative vs. Guilt
4th stage: Industry vs. Inferiority
5th stage: Identity vs. Identity Confusion
6th stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation
7th stage: Integrity vs. Despair

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust

Birth- 1 or 2 years
A child needs to experience trust in early
life
If a child learns to mistrust more than trust,
the child will become frustrated, withdrawn,
suspicious and will lack self-confidence

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame &

Doubt
2-3 years old
Parents need to be supportive so the child can
develop a sense of self-control without a loss
of self-esteem
If a child experiences an overly controlling
parent they will not be able to do anything on
their own

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

3-5 years old
Develops sense of responsibility
Encouraged children to be as independent as
possible
Set expectations that are in line with childs
individual abilities
Key strength that grows out of the stage is
purpose

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

5-12 years old

Time of great adventure
Problems arise when a child feels inadequate
Teacher or parent who overemphasizes
mistakes can make child not want to learn
Essential for child to learn to do things with
others

Stage 5: Identity vs. Identity

Confusion
Adolescence
Seek true identity
Either follow a crowd to be a part of
something or develop sense of individuality

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young adulthood
Only able to form intimate feelings with
others if they succeed in finding their
identity (stage 5)
Either find intimacy in partner, friendship or
family or they lead a life of isolation

Stage 7: Integrity vs. Despair

Late adulthood
Either feel like they have contributed to
society or havent
Decides whether elderly person will be
happy or discontent with life

Lev Vygotsky

Born in 1896 in Byelorussia

Graduated from Moscow
University
Studied literature and psychology
Worked at Institute of Psychology
in Moscow
Died of tuberculosis at age 38, in
1934

Sociocultural
(Social Development Theory)

Focuses on how values, beliefs, skills and

traditions are transmitted to the next generation
Fundamentally cultural
There is a zone of proximal development that
reveals a pattern
Consciousness and cognition is the end product
of social behavior
More Knowledgeable Other

Zone of Proximal Development

(ZPD)
The variation between a student being able
to perform a task independently or being
able to do it will adult/peer help

More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

Refers to anyone whose learning/cognition
level is above the students level
Could be a parent, teacher, coach, older
sibling, tutor, computer etc.

Social Interaction
Social learning precedes development
Every function in the childs cultural
development appears twice: first on the
social level, and later, on the individual
level; first between people and then inside
the child. (said by Vygotsky)

Comparison
Believed in
connection
between culture
and
development?

Main Focus

Famous For

Erik Erikson

Yes, he came to find

that culture had a massive
influence on behavior. He
focused his cultural
studies on the external
world, including things
such as wars in his
studies.

He focused on the stages

a person goes through in
life and their outcomes.
The stages focus on
behavior.

He was famous for his

studies on behavior and
creation of the stages of
behavior a person goes
through in life.

Lev
Vygotsky

Particularly believed in
interpersonal connection
between the child and
other important people.

Believed that social

interaction (cultural)
shaped how a child will
learn and what they will
be able to learn.

He was famous for

coming up with the zone
of proximal development
and studying the effects of
culture on learning.

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
The Inferiority Complex
Adler believed that we strive to overcome
an inferiority complex by aiming for
superiority and perfection
Organ and inferiority complexes were
universal concepts for Adler, but
differences in biological and environmental
factors accounted for individual differences
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The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Styles of Life and the Meaning of Life
Styles of life are unique patterns of life
expression that are the result of early life
experiences
Meanings that are gravely mistaken
result from situations that involve organ
inferiority, pampered children, and
neglected children
83

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Styles of Life and the Meaning of Life
Organ inferiority contributes to humiliation
and defensiveness from social comparisons,
but can be overcome
Pampered children feel prominent and may
react when they no longer feel this way
Neglected children may become cold and
hostile due to their mistrust of others

84

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler

Social Interest
Social interest develops in childhood and is
influenced by the interaction with the mother
Adler referred to the superiority complex to
describe persons having more interest in personal
goals than in social interest, and
overcompensating for feelings of inferiority
Research has reported low intercorrelations
among measures of social interest

85

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Adlerian Analysis of the Unabomber
Leeper, Carwile, and Huber (2002) cite the
Unabomber as a classic case of the
superiority complex
Unabomber shows a lack of social interest
Overcompensates for inferiority by
expressing grandiose goals

86

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Birth Order
Adler supported a link between birth order
and personality and outlined several types:
Only children are pampered and lack social
interest
First-born children are conservative and
obedient
Second-born children are best adjusted
87

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler

Birth Order
Ernst and Angst (1983) found a low association
between birth order and personality, and
identified several flaws in this type of research
Sulloways (1996) niche model of personality
describes first borns as high achievers and
second borns as rebellious
Most research in this area is inconsistent, but
beliefs about birth order are still held by most
people
88

The Neo-Freudians:
Alfred Adler
Evaluation of Adlers Contributions
The inferiority complex is regarded as central
to identity
The role of social interest is key to an
understanding of maladaptiveness
Identifying pampered and neglected children
has contributed to research on parental roles
in shaping personality

89

Psychodynamic Approaches with

Children
Assume that the child has deviated from
normal development
Play is used as the childs way of
communicating
More focused on the development of a
relationship with the child
Anna Freud, Melanie Klein

Change in
Psychodynamic Therapies

Catharses & Labeling Feelings

Corrective Emotional Experiences
Insight and Working Through
Learning Coping Techniques
Development of Internal Structure
Other variables

Psychodynamic Approach

How does it work?

Primary consideration raise awareness

of leaders and followers
to their own personality types
implications of these types on their work &
relationships

Assessments accomplished:
Psychological types MBTI or similar method
or questionnaires
Ego states TA model, ego states is used

Psychodynamic Approach

How does it work?

Application determine the most

favorable kind of work for an individual
based on preferences in terms of
gathering information
making decisions
structuring work efforts
dealing with people

Strengths
Results in an analysis of the relationship
between a leader and a follower
Is based on a search for universal truth
Emphasizes the leaders need for insight
Discourages manipulative techniques in
leadership

Criticisms
Based on the psychology of the abnormal
rather than the normal
The MBTI may have reliability or validity
problems
TA has limitations as there is no
standardized assessment each person
evaluates own ego states

Criticisms
Focuses primarily on personalities of leader &
followers that dictate nature of relationship
between them
Rejection of notion that emotional reactions occur
toward leaders, followers & coworkers, and that
those reactions arise from predispositions in
individuals
Does not lend itself to traditional training
paradigm

PSYCHODYNAMIC
ASSESSMENT

Psychodynamic Assessment
Techniques

Dream Analysis
Psychodynamic assessments are
techniques to uncover unconscious themes
and derive from the projective hypothesis
Dream analysis involves dream workdetermining the manifest content
(symbols) and latent content (hidden
meaning) of a dream
98

Psychodynamic Assessment
Techniques

Dream Analysis
According to Freuds(1955) dream
symbolism theory, dreams contain objects
that depict male and female sexuality
Freud believed that unconscious desires
and unfulfilled wishes are expressed
through jokes and slips of the tongue
(came to be known as Freudian slips)
99

Psychodynamic Assessment
Techniques
The Rorschach Inkblot Test
The Rorschach Inkblot Test consists of
colour and back-and-white inkblots of
ambiguous stimuli
A participant is presented with 10 inkblots
and required to state what is seen in each
stimulus
Personality is thus projected onto the
inkblot
100

Psychodynamic Assessment
Techniques

The Rorschach Inkblot Test

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
requires participants to tell a story about
what they see in photographs of scenes
Projective tests, such as the Rorschach,
have both staunch proponents and harsh
critics

101