1) Outline the main assumptions of the psychodynamic approach

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 first assumption of this approach is of the importance of the unconscious mind and motivation. Freud believed that much of what determines our behaviour is on a mental level that is hidden to us, and that there are three levels of consciousness:
1) The conscious mind – Thoughts we are aware of
2) The preconscious mind – Memories we can invoke
3) The unconscious mind – Hidden thoughts, as well as instincts

Freud used the iceberg analogy to describe our mind, in that the tip of the iceberg (conscious) is much smaller than the......

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Title: Key Assumptions And One Theory Of The Psychodynamic Approach To Psychology
Approximate Word Count: 906
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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