The Psychodynamics of the Human Mind

Psychodynamic theory, although it is outdated, is the foundation for what we know as counseling today. It was first created by Freud and later expanded by Erikson and Jung. The focus of this therapy is mainly bringing the feelings and desires of the unconscious into consciousness and the unconsciousness’ role in behavior. It also postulates that there are different stages of personality development across the life span. Freud’s focus was on psychosexual development while Erikson used psychosocial stages as well. It concentrates mostly on childhood experiences, arguing that examination of the past leads to character development. This examination of the past and the unconscious can be accomplished through a number of techniques including

‘Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one’

Maslow's hierarchy of needs provides a foundational theory. It states that all employees have some basic needs that must first be satisfied in order to provide the framework for further motivation and empowerment.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs was introduced in the mid-1940’s by Abraham Maslow; it is one of the most popular theories of work motivation to this day. the theory was originally used specifically in a psychological setting, but was made more popular by Douglas McGregor in the late 1960’s and began to be used by not only psychologists but managers as well (Steers & Porter, 1983). The hierarchy is based on the fact that human beings have needs, Maslow took these needs and separated them into five categories: physiological needs, safety, belongingness or social needs,

The psychodynamic approach to psychology is the study of human behaviour from the point of view of motivation and drives. The original beliefs of this approach were created by Sigmund Freud in the 1800s. Although it is now generally seen negatively in the common view, sometimes comically, it has provided the inspiration for a few of the current leading approaches to psychology.

The psychodynamic perspective focuses on trying to get inside the heads of people to see what underlying cause for some of their behaviors might be. This perspective suggests that our behavior is influenced by unconscious motives. One of the approaches of the psychodynamic perspective is that childhood experiences are important in shaping our behavior as adults. A person who goes through a rough experience as a child will be affected by it in their adulthood. This approach splits up the mind into three different levels of conscious awareness: conscious, preconscious and unconscious. The conscious mind contains the information that we are aware of and can be easily accessed. The preconscious mind holds on to information that is easily retrievable

Psychodynamic theories may vary in their individual descriptions of intrapsychic and psychosocial processes and forces, but most follow concepts from Freudian psycho-analysis. There are five main key concepts regarding the psychodynamic theory. The first, the importance of early childhood experiences in personality development. Second, the existence of unconscious and preconscious motivation, unconscious is the part of the mind that holds ideas, thoughts, and memories that we cannot access and bring into our conscious awareness (Canda, Chatterjee, and Robbins, 2012). In contrast, preconscious holds ideas, thoughts, and memories that we are not currently thinking of, but if we concentrate, we can bring those to our conscious part of mind (Canda,

In my opinion, the psychodynamic theory makes most sense because it gives the background of sexual drive as far as the id, ego, and superego. Freud came up with a theory which explained the desire to want to do something and having balance. With this theory, most child molesters use their id and not their ego. They think about their wants and needs and not what is morally right. Also, cognitive distortion makes sense too because it breaks down the thoughts of a child molester. According to the research, molesters think if a person did not resist, then they wanted it and a lot of sexual offenders think like that by taking it as consent sex when it is not. For example, if a child just lays there and do not say stop they think the child must want

The psychodynamic approach is an approach to psychology that emphasizes systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions and how they might relate to early experience. Sigmund Freud the founder of the psychodynamic approach to psychology or psychoanalysis. While he led the process to look at subconscious thoughts and desires most of his beliefs were wrong. Some beliefs are that our behavior and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood experiences, Personality is made up of three parts: the id, ego and superego. Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and superego) are in constant conflict with the conscious part of the mind (the ego).

Often in the professional world occupations use different methodologies to guide people through their practice. As a social worker we are educated to use evidence based methods to provide a sound intervention or preventation process to help consumers address their barriers. In may practice as a social worker I would like to utilize both psychodynamic and cognitive behavior therapy when partnering with clients to address their barriers.

This approach recognizes the importance of the individual as well as the organization in order to reach the desired goal. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is simply stating that people are motivated by an unfulfilled need and people will work extra hard to fill a need that has not been met. McGregor’s X and Y theory of human motivation is that the average person dislike work and will avoid it whenever possible therefore an organization need a leader that can use authority when necessary, but on the other hand make the job satisfying so the workers will be committed to the organization .Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid represents the production and performance goal as well as the concern for human feelings .An employer must have concern for the people as well as the job (Peak 2007)

Osland, et al. (2007) provide a good introduction to three basic motivational content theories. The first theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that proposes man is motivated by a lack in the one or more of the five common needs. The needs that Maslow identifies are physiological, safety, social belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow believed that one fills needs from the most basic (like food and water) to the highest level (self-actualization). Maslow’s ideas are easy to relate to and attempt to provide an all-inclusive approach to the concept of motivation; however, there is little evidence to support the idea that man cannot have self-actualization without the other more basic needs first satisfied. The second content theory Osland, et al. discuss is McCelland’s learned needs. McCelland states that man is motivated by one of three things: achievement, power, or affiliation – or a mixture of the three. Each of these needs can possess a negative or positive connotation or implementation, but it is argued that people motivated by affiliation make better leaders. The third theory presented is McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. McGregor asserts that Theory X people or employees are inherently lazy and must be controlled and forced to act, whereas Theory Y people are self-controlled, motivated, and ambitious.

Per Maslow, these needs which are the run of motivation for an employee to work are arranged in a hierarchical order of increasing importance. This order is “prepotency”. It means satisfied need no longer remains a motivator and only the next greater needs can motivate an employee to perform further. This was later analyzed due to there is no certainty that these needs are consider as a motivation hierarchical order as recommended, therefore

It is difficult to satisfy individual demands because everyone would move to the next more advanced platform of the hierarchical pyramid that Maslow created frequently once the prior need is met, especially in modern society. Meanwhile, when setting Maslow’s model into the business to understand the motivation behind employees’ behaviours, it is not amazing to find that there are also have similar five levels of needs which including wages, safety, social belongingness, self-esteem and finally self-actualization. Maslow and Stephens (2000) have posited out that individuals will not spend an inordinate amount of time to think about their salaries if they are fairly paid. After being paid adequate salary, employee seeks safety physically and mentally on the jobs. And then the stage of needs moves to the third level subsequently-seeking social

As Douglas McGregor began working on his book, The Human Side of Enterprise, he encountered Abraham Maslow’s theory. Maslow believed that people had 5 basic ascending needs. It was this theory that not only supported McGregor’s thinking about a hierarchy of motivation, but it also provided a strong theoretical foundation for his assumptions (Bobic, 2003). With a firm foundation McGregor shared his theory with the world, and his theory has had a lasting impact on management theory.