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Assumptions (Psychodynamic approach (The unconscious mind- the mind is…
Assumptions
Psychodynamic approach
The unconscious mind- the mind is separated into three parts the conscious mind, preconscious mind and the unconscious mind and the unconscious is the least reachable part. The mind is described to be like an iceberg and the unconscious mind is below the surface, which is why we cannot reach it. The unconscious mind determined the majority of our adult personality. We may repress upsetting memories into our unconscious mind where we can effectively forget about them.
Tripartite personality- this shows that the mind is split into three, the id, the ego and the superego. We are said to be born with our id, and develop the ego in early childhood, then we develop the superego later. The id and the superego are often in conflict so the ego has to act as a referee to resolve the conflicts. Depending on our tripartite personality we may develop different personality traits.
Influence of childhood- this assumption shows that our different experiences during childhood have a dramatic affect on our adult personality. These can be explained using Freud's theory of psychosexual stages which include, the oral stage, phallic stage and anal stage. If there are any problems at these stages then a child can either become frustrated (if they get too little) or overindulged (if they get too much).
Biological approach
Localised brain function- this is based on the principle that our actions are caused by different parts of the brain. The brain has many different structures which are responsible for different behaviours. The four lobes are frontal, temporal, parental and occipital. Broca's area is known to explain language and how we process it.
Neurotransmitters- they are responsible for a lot of our emotions and our relationships that we form. An example of a neurotransmitter that might affect who we enter a relationship with is dopamine. Dopamine is associated with pleasure seeking so when we set out to find a partner it releases a 'hit' of dopamine.
Evolution- this assumption shows how we have evolved over thousands of years and our behaviours have adapted depending on our environment. Darwin showed the theory of natural selection means the fittest will survive, therefore we pass on our genes to the next generation, but only the adapted genes will be passed on.
Cognnitive approach
Internal mental processes- they allow us to make sense of our environment and make sense of everything in order to respond. Some of the processes include; perception, attention and memory.
Schemas- they are organised pockets of information that we use to understand different situations. For example, we have a dog schema that may include; fur, four legs, fluffy and barks. These schemas are derived from our past experiences and they are built up from social exchanges. There are different types of schemas known as scripts (going to a restaurant) and roles (a job for example a nurse).
Computer analogy- this is the assumption that compares out functions to those of a computer. They compare how we take in information (input), how we process information (process) and how we are able to recall information (recall). Also, the hardware of a computer is compared with our mind and the software is compared with out cognitive processes.
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Positive approach
Goodness and excellence- feelings of anxiety and depression are just as natural as feelings of happiness and goodness. Seligman shows that we all have our own signature strength which we nurture over time. It has been shown that those who are the happiest have recognised their SS. In life we should celebrate the goodness and ignore the negativity to promote happiness. The role of the therapist is not to 'fix' any issues but to facilitate for happy emotions and goodness such as, focussing on traits like altruism (martial arts example).
The good life- there are 3 stages of the good life known as the pleasant life, the good life and the meaningful life. Seligman suggests we follow these 3 combinations to achieve the good life, positive connections, life regulating qualities and enhancing personal traits (nun example). The pleasant life is when we can find pleasure in things like relationships. the good life is when we can use our SS to enhance our lives. The meaningful life is when we can employ our SS to something much greater the ourselves.
Free will- we are all in charge of our own happiness and have the will do change it. Seligman claims that happiness isn't a result of genes or good luck. Diener's study into happiness showed that those students who had more positive relationships were the happiest and there was a negative correlation between happiness and depression.