...*Picture from Psychotherapy (2004)Personality: Psychodynamic Theories BrochureMaria Lydda GabrielPSY 405April 6, 2015Angela Snelling | | | What is Personality?“Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (Feist & Roberts, 2013, p. 4). | | | | | | | | Psychodynamic TheoriesFreud’s Theory * There are three provinces of the mind: A. The id * The id’s sole function is to seek pleasure without regard for what is proper and just, hence, serving the pleasure. Has no contact with reality, yet it strives to constantly reduce tension by satisfying basic desires (Feist & Roberts, 2013). B. The ego * Is governed by the reality principle. It is the only province of the mind in contact with reality. * When the ego becomes anxious, it uses repression and other defense mechanisms to defend itself against this anxiety (Feist & Roberts, 2013). C. The superego * Represents the moral and ideal aspects of personality and is guided by the moralistic and idealistic principles. * Acts to control sexual and aggressive impulses through the process of repression. * It strives blindly and unrealistically toward perfection. | | | | | * Freud’s theory helped us understand the harmony and disharmony that happens in our mind. It also helped to explain...
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...Scott Johnson 1/28/2013 Psychodynamic theory is defined as the study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior. It is primarily the dynamic relations between our conscious and unconscious motivation. Sigmund Freud is noted as the Father of psychodynamic theories. Our unconscious processes shape who we are and what our personality is. Freud’s structure of personality is your Id, Ego and Super ego. Id is our basic want to need, an “I want it now” idea. It’s our unconscious instincts. Ego keeps us in reality, it is more of a research idea. It is the mediator between the ego and super ego. It manages our personality and our decision making. Super ego is what’s right vs. what’s wrong. It is our individual moral values. The psychodynamic theory is the interactions and battle of id, ego and super ego. A focus of psychodynamics is the forces that are in conflict in our subconscious that form our personality and behavior. Our conscious layer is thoughts and feelings we are fully aware of. Preconscious is info that is just beneath our awareness. Unconscious layer includes feelings we are not aware of but greatly influence our behavior. Defense mechanisms are largely unconscious reactions that protect us from painful emotions such as anxiety or guilt. I think this is the more interesting part of the psychodynamic theory. Defense Mechanisms include repression, denial, rationalization, displacement, projection, regression and reaction formation. For example, one of my friends...
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...Brief Psychodynamic Therapy This paper deals with my preference for Brief Time Limited Treatment vs. open ended treatment vs. open-ended or extended treatment. If I were to enter counseling I would prefer this treatment because it deals with the presenting problem quickly and would not require me to continue to come back and stay in treatment for an extended period of time. I am a person who prefers to deal with the problem head on and not draw it out through continue discussion of my family background and how this effects me today. I feel that this type of treatment promotes mindfulness and keeping me focused on what is pertinent in my life. However, the obvious limitations of this type of therapy would be that in the future I would not be able to engage in counseling again without changing therapist. I would have to start again perhaps, with a new therapist with whom I have no rapport and who is not familiar with my case. Open-Ended treatment would allow me to discontinue treatment when necessary such as during a latent period in my life. When a life crisis arises again I could start back up with a therapist who would understand my case and history without having to repeat these details again. Limitations with this type of therapy would be that there is no formal set goal of termination. I feel that this is so necessary as I have experience so many clients who are dependent on their case managers and clinicians to make most decisions in their life. Extended therapy...
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...Psychodynamic Personality Theories “An individual's self-concept is the core of his personality. It affects every aspect of human behavior: the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change. A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life” (Brothers, 2011, p. 1). Several psychologists have studied personality over the years, and with this research theories are applied. Theories have strengths and weaknesses and assist those who pursue further research regarding personality. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic theories provide for a better understanding of the human personality and human nature. Sigmund Freud began the revolution of research and developed the first modern theory of personality. Freud’s research became a test if the future and led many others to develop their own theories some of which were empirical and some philosophical speculation. * Freud is well known for the twin cornerstones of psychoanalysis, which are sex and aggression. Freud revised his concept of personality several times because he believed that a theory should be followed up with observation. Freud based his theory on his own dreams as well as encounters with patients. The psychoanalytic theory and dynamics of personality supported the idea that “motivation is derived from psychical and physical energy that springs from their basic drives” (Feist, J., & Feist, G., 2009, p. 2). Freud used the concept of motivation to explain the driving forces that...
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...Outline and evaluate psychological explanations of depression: at least two Psychodynamic theories: * Outline : * Fixation at the oral stage (over or under gratification at the oral stage) results in dependency on caregiver and on other people. The dependant personality makes the constantly seek love and approval of others. * if the needs are not met the anger turns inwards ( later in life events like death, relationship break-up, job loss results in regression to the oral stage) results in depression. * Freud explained how, when a loved one is lost there is first a mourning period and then, after a while, life returns to normal. For some people however, the mourning period never seems to come to an end, they continue to exist in a state of permanent melancholia (depression). * Bibring psychodynamic theory states that depression is due to poor parenting. The child develops low self-esteem in contrast to the ideal self because the parents expect perfection on the child and can be critical. Evaluation: * This theory shows that early childhood experiences can affect vulnerability to depression, in later life the effects of early childhood experiences is supported by bowlby where the child attachment whether secure or insecure can affect later life relationship. * Freud’s theory is a good theory and is linked to the theory of Bowlby, insecure parent attachment. * Freud’s theory lacks falsifiability, because it cannot be operationalized and is based on...
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...Psychodynamic Theories Jayme Terrigno PSY/405 October 6, 2014 Patti Tolar Psychodynamic Theories According to "Good Therapy" (2014), “The psychological interpretation of mental and emotional processes—is rooted in traditional psychoanalysis and draws from object relations, ego psychology, and self psychology” (para. 1). Psychodynamic theories draw most of their information from the idea of the unconscious, especially in the development of early childhood. This paper will describe personality, discuss the mail tenets of the theories presented, discuss how each theory applies to personality and behavior, and discusses the strengths and limitations of each theory. The degree to which individual humans vary from one another, both physically and psychologically, is quite astonishing and somewhat unique among species (Feist, Feist, & Roberts 2013). Personality id the physical characteristics of a person and how it reflects toward others. Personality is the thoughts and feelings that each person holds and shows to others. It is collection of a person, but these pieces of each person tend to remain the unchanged through the years. Psychodynamic theory was developed by a Sigmund Freud, a well-known theorist, and in his own words, scientist. Sigmund Freud began to combine philosophical speculations with a primitive scientific method. As a neurologist trained in science, Freud began to listen to his patients to find out what...
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...Jung was a follower of Freud and his theory held some similar traits. This theory includes the conscious, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. Carl Jung believed we are motivated by images passed down by our ancestors as well as our repressed experiences. The things we inherited from our ancestors he named the collective unconscious. His theory is full of past events and future expectations. Images we inherit from our ancestors are called archetypes. Personal unconscious holds repressed thoughts of one individual. Consciousness is a very small piece of personality. Jung believed personality comes from mostly unconscious. Just like Freud, Jung’s theory is hard to prove or disprove. Jung was a follower of Freud and his theory held some similar traits. This theory includes the conscious, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. Carl Jung believed we are motivated by images passed down by our ancestors as well as our repressed experiences. The things we inherited from our ancestors he named the collective unconscious. His theory is full of past events and future expectations. Images we inherit from our ancestors are called archetypes. Personal unconscious holds repressed thoughts of one individual. Consciousness is a very small piece of personality. Jung believed personality comes from mostly unconscious. Just like Freud, Jung’s theory is hard to prove or disprove. Carl Jung- Analytical Psychology Carl Jung- Analytical Psychology Adler-Individual...
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...Answer any five of the following questions. 2. What is the General Adaptation Syndrome, explain with an example. Scientist Hans Selye (1907-1982) introduced the General Adaptation Syndrome model in 1936 showing in three phases what the alleged effects of stress has on the body. In his work, Selye - 'the father of stress research,' developed the theory that stress is a major cause of disease because chronic stress causes long-term chemical changes. He observed that the body would respond to any external biological source of stress with a predictable biological pattern in an attempt to restore the body’s internal homeostasis. This initial hormonal reaction is your fight or flight stress response - and its purpose is for handling stress very quickly! The process of the body’s struggle to maintain balance is what Selye termed, the General Adaptation Syndrome. Pressures, tensions, and other stressors can greatly influence your normal metabolism. Selye determined that there is a limited supply of adaptive energy to deal with stress. That amount declines with continuous exposure. Going through a series of steps, your body consistently works to regain stability. With the general adaptation syndrome, a human’s adaptive response to stress has three distinct phases: ALARM STAGE - Your first reaction to stress recognizes there’s a danger and prepares to deal with the threat, a.k.a. the fight or flight response. Activation of the HPA axis, the nervous system (SNS) and the adrenal glands...
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...Psychodynamic Approach Carl Jung had a unique personality theory. When we compare it to Freud, they each thought that consciousness and unconsciousness had an effect on the mind. Jung created eight types of personalities that were then divided into four categories of functions. The foundation comes from Jung’s introversion and extroversion experiences. Erik Erikson developed his theories from an observational predetermined order. Unlike Freud he did not focus on sexual development but on children’s socialization skills and how they impact the child. Erikson has eight stages and each one has two results. If you were to complete every stage successfully it was seen as a healthy personality. If one did not complete each stage successfully then it is said that you have an unhealthy personality. Sigmund Freud studied the psychosexual model. Freud said that this stage starts in early childhood and goes through adulthood. As we are exposed to the environment a child forms an ego, which is seen as one of the strongest characteristics of a personality Psychodynamic Theories Brochure There have been many different theories throughout the years. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to explaining individual behavior. This brochure will summarize psychodynamic theories and how they influence our lives. Theorists include Sullivan, Freud, Adler, Jung, Horney, Klein, Fromm and Erikson. All eight of these theorists mentioned have very unique personalities and life...
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...Psychodynamic Theory Debate Janice Birdsong, Melissa Johnston, and Helene Torres Psy/405 November 10, 2014 Instructor Krasner Psychodynamic Theory Debate Jung and Klein, I think for the purpose of this debate we get a quick description of your theories. Klein, let us start with you. In my theory of object relation, we focus on the importance of the mother child relationship. My theory was built on my interpretations of childhood during the first four to six months where most children begin showing behavior traits toward specific people in their lives. Yes, my theory was built from Freud’s idea of instincts just as most psychoanalytical psychologists work, but my work emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships, we focus more on the significance of mothers, and the key motivation in my theory is human connection and how we relate. I believe we are all predisposed to certain personalities. Something Freud and I both accepted was the “existence of phylogenetic endowment” (Feist and Roberts, 2013, p. 144). I also believe that young children adopt defense mechanisms such as introjection, splitting, projective identification, and projection to protect themselves from destructive fantasies and the anxiety that follows. Jung, please give us a description of your theory as well. I, too, was a colleague of Freud and some of my work also was built on ideas he formed. When I went in my own direction I coined the idea of analytical theory. My theory was based on “the...
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...Psychodynamic Theory Name Course Institution Psychodynamic Theory entails the interaction of several conscious and unconscious emotional or mental processes that have great effects since they influence attitudes, personality, and behaviors. The processes that take place are, usually, motivational forces that are fundamental in determining a person’s character in terms of attitudes and behaviors. Psychodynamic also entails the present and past experiences that are related to certain motivations. Psychodynamic Theory is important since various propositions are made hence enabling a comprehensive understanding of peoples’ experiences, behaviors and how they view the world. One of the propositions of the theory is that the functionality of a person mostly unconscious is based on the interaction of forces and drives within him or her (Higdon, 2012). Other propositions made are that someone’s feelings and behaviors are greatly affected and influenced by unconscious motives. It is, therefore, evident that the theory stipulates the importance of unconscious motives and processes since they strongly influence someone’s personality. The childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping up the feelings and behaviors of someone when he or she becomes an adult. According to the theory, some people behave in a certain manner because of some pleasant or unpleasant experiences that are rooted in them from their childhood (Higdon, 2012). The proposition that any behavior is determined...
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...Psychodynamic theory, which is also called psychoanalysis, is a type of psychotherapy that explores the individual's emotions and unconscious thoughts so that the person can be understood better. The psychodynamic theory describes persona concerning unconscious psychological courses that we are not fully aware such as wishes, fears, and ambitions. Learning psychodynamic principles enable students to navigate a complex client characteristic and behavior including defenses and relationships. It also can help students realize and understand why their sincerity may not be enough to prevent the chaos that is happening in clients’ life. Furthermore, acquiring knowledge and understanding of developmental psychology and the emotional stages that people...
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...Personally, I like psychodynamic theory because it gives you a chance to connect with your client on a personable level. Since most of the theory revolves around being open with your client and openly communicating with them I really appreciate that aspect of it. I think individuals can also benefit from the briefness of psychodynamic therapy. In just a few sessions people often feel better and that will give them a sense of relief. If something works people are going to continue doing it and also will be more likely to recommend it to others as well. Psychodynamic theory works to link past events to the future linking a lot of unconscious behavior to the way an individual behaves. The idea of healing from the inside out during psychodynamic...
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...Psychodynamic & Humanistic/Existential Approaches Psychodynamic & Existential/Humanistic Theories Psychodynamic and existential/humanistic theories vary greatly in their approach, dynamic, and assumptions. The succeeding compares and contrasts the two theoretical approaches paying attention to the assumptions presented by each approach, motives for behavior, and whether the approach is deterministic or not. To gain more perspective into each approach it is essential to learn about the different theories and theorists that developed and contributed to each. The key psychodynamic theorists presented include Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, Karen Horney, and Harry Stack-Sullivan. On the other side, the theorists that contributed to the existential/humanistic approach include Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May. Psychodynamic Theorists and Theories The founder of the psychodynamic approach to personality and psychoanalysis was Sigmund Freud. Freud’s views were focused mainly on sex and aggression as the basis for human motivation (Feist & Feist, 2009). According to Freud there are three distinct parts of human personality; the id, the ego and the super ego. And also three levels of consciousness; unconscious, preconscious and conscious. The two sets of three coincide with the id being part of the unconscious, the ego a part of both pre-consciousness and consciousness and the super ego also a part of the unconscious. A general assumption...
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...still have an individual personality to call his or her own. The study of personality is quite complex and involves many ideas and theories from wide variety of scholars. Personality is also something people can share and relate to with one another. According to Allport, “Personality is about what is unique to the individual, but it is also about what is shared across people” (Allport, 1962). Although there are several approaches to the personality analysis, this paper will specifically focus on the psychodynamic, humanistic and existential approaches. This paper will compare and contrast these theories, explore the characteristics that accompany these theories, and explain the interpersonal relational aspects associated with these particular theories. Psychodynamic Theory The theory of psychodynamics is the basic study of all psychological abilities that place an influence on human behavior (Feist & Feist, 2009). This may especially include the compelling relationships among the motivation of the conscious and unconscious, which were the ideas of Sigmund Freud. Although Freud established the ideas of “psychodynamics” to explain the mind flow of the libido, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Melanie Klein should also be accredited for laying the foundation for the psychodynamic theory (Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., 2011). The ideas behind psychodynamics are often divided into two sections. The first is the interaction of emotional forces, which is the correlation between the emotional...
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