Difficulty: Intermediate | Prerequisites: Psychodynamic Foundations (tripartite model, psychosexual stages).
The psychodynamic approach does more than describe the structure of the mind. It also attempts to explain specific behaviours and disorders. This set of notes covers how Freud's model is applied to two key topics: schizophrenia and aggression. Both explanations draw heavily on the tripartite model (Id, Ego, Superego), ego defence mechanisms, and the concept of fixation at psychosexual stages. If you are revising for an exam that asks you to "explain [behaviour] using the psychodynamic approach," this is the material you need.
Schizophrenia, from a psychodynamic perspective, results from a weak Ego that cannot manage the Id, leading to a loss of contact with reality. Aggression is explained through the Id's dominance (containing both sexual and aggressive drives), displacement of impulses onto safer targets, and unresolved conflicts during the phallic stage (the Oedipus complex). Both explanations rely on the idea that when the Ego fails, primitive impulses take over.
Psychosexual stages
Freud's five stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital), each centred on a different source of pleasure. Problems at any stage can lead to fixation.
Fixation
Becoming psychologically "stuck" at a particular stage of development because needs were either over-gratified or frustrated. The person carries characteristics of that stage into adulthood.
Think of it as getting stuck at a developmental checkpoint.
Ego defence mechanisms (EDMs)
Unconscious strategies the Ego uses to manage anxiety caused by conflicts between the Id and Superego. Examples include repression, denial, projection, and regression.
Regression
A defence mechanism where a person reverts to behaviours typical of an earlier psychosexual stage when under stress.
In simple terms, acting like a child again when things get difficult.
Displacement
A defence mechanism where impulses (often aggressive) are redirected from a threatening target onto a safer one.
Think of it as kicking the cat after a bad day at work.
Eros
The life instinct, encompassing sexual drives and the urge towards survival, pleasure, and reproduction. Part of the Id.
Thanatos
The death instinct, encompassing aggressive and destructive drives. Also part of the Id. Freud proposed it as a counterbalance to Eros.
Oedipus complex
During the phallic stage (ages 3 to 5), boys develop unconscious sexual feelings towards their mother and rivalry towards their father. Resolution comes through identification with the father. Unresolved, it can lead to weak moral development.
Tags: psychosexual stages, fixation, oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, ego defence mechanisms, EDM, regression, displacement, Eros, Thanatos, Oedipus complex, schizophrenia, aggression
Central explanation (CE):
The first three psychosexual stages are critical. Freud suggested schizophrenia was a result of early conflict in the oral stage, leading to fixation.
Unconscious mind (UM) explanation:
Ego defence mechanisms are aimed at reducing anxiety. However, overuse of EDMs can result in abnormal behaviour.
Regression (reverting to a childlike stage to cope) leads to childish fantasies and self-centred behaviour, which can present as delusions.
Tripartite model (TP) explanation:
In the tripartite model: Id operates on pleasure, Ego on reality, Superego on morality.
If the Ego is not strong or well-developed, it cannot manage the Id, leading to a loss of contact with reality.
Fixation at the oral stage prevents the Ego from developing properly, resulting in a weak Ego and "lost reality."
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking) are, in this view, due to the Id running freely without the Ego's restraint.
Central explanation (CE):
Aggression can be explained as a result of fixation in the anal stage, leading to "messy" or reckless behaviour.
During the phallic stage, boys feel aggression towards their father (the Oedipus complex), which they resolve through the identification process. If there are unresolved conflicts at this stage, it can lead to weaker moral development and a less effective Superego.
Unconscious mind (UM) explanation:
Displacement can be used to explain aggressive outbursts: the person redirects aggressive impulses from the true target (which feels dangerous) onto a safer one.
Displacement can also be used to satisfy impulsive desires in a less threatening way.
Tripartite model (TP) explanation:
The Id is the most dominant part of the mind and contains both sexual (Eros) and aggressive (Thanatos) drives.
When the Id dominates, the result can be aggressive or impulsive behaviour.
A weak Superego also contributes, because it cannot control the Id. This leads to aggressive outbursts with little guilt or moral restraint.
Students often treat the psychodynamic explanation of schizophrenia as if it is widely accepted today. It is largely a historical perspective; modern explanations focus more on biological and cognitive factors. You need to know it, but you should also be able to critique it.
Displacement is sometimes confused with projection. Displacement redirects an impulse onto a different target. Projection attributes your own unwanted feelings to someone else.
Students sometimes write that the Id "causes" aggression on its own. The psychodynamic explanation is about the balance between Id, Ego, and Superego. A strong Ego and Superego keep the Id in check; aggression results when that balance fails.
The Oedipus complex applies specifically to boys during the phallic stage (ages 3 to 5). Freud proposed a parallel process for girls (the Electra complex), though he developed it less fully.
⚠️ For both schizophrenia and aggression, be able to structure your answer around the three levels: central explanation (CE), unconscious mind (UM), and tripartite personality (TP). This mirrors common mark schemes.
⚠️ Know the specific psychosexual stage associated with each behaviour: oral for schizophrenia, anal and phallic for aggression.
⚠️ Be ready to evaluate: these explanations are difficult to test scientifically (unfalsifiable), rely on case studies rather than experiments, and are largely historical. Examiners expect you to note these limitations.
⚠️ Displacement and regression are the most commonly tested defence mechanisms in this context. Know a clear definition and example of each.
True or False: Freud linked schizophrenia to fixation at the anal stage.
Fill in the blank: The Id contains both sexual (______) and aggressive (______) drives.
True or False: Displacement involves redirecting impulses onto a safer target.
What happens when the Ego is too weak to manage the Id, according to the psychodynamic explanation of schizophrenia?
True or False: A weak Superego contributes to aggression because it cannot control the Id.
Answers: 1. False (oral stage). 2. Eros, Thanatos. 3. True. 4. The person loses contact with reality, and positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) emerge. 5. True.
Q: Using the psychodynamic approach, explain schizophrenia with reference to the tripartite model.
A: Fixation at the oral stage prevents the Ego from developing properly, resulting in a weak Ego. A weak Ego cannot mediate between the Id and reality, so the Id runs unchecked. This leads to a loss of contact with reality, producing positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. The person may also regress to childlike behaviour as a defence mechanism.
Q: How does the psychodynamic approach explain aggressive behaviour?
A: The Id contains aggressive drives (Thanatos). When the Id is dominant and the Ego or Superego are weak, aggressive impulses are not kept in check. Unresolved conflicts during the phallic stage (the Oedipus complex) can lead to a weaker Superego, reducing moral restraint. Displacement allows aggressive impulses to be redirected from a threatening target onto a safer one.
Q: Evaluate the psychodynamic explanation of aggression.
A: Strengths include its recognition that unconscious processes influence behaviour and that early experiences shape personality. Weaknesses include the difficulty of testing these ideas scientifically (they are largely unfalsifiable), reliance on case studies rather than controlled experiments, and the fact that more modern approaches (biological, social learning) offer explanations with stronger empirical support.
This material builds directly on the psychodynamic foundations (tripartite model, psychosexual stages). It connects to the debates around attachment and parenting (since early childhood experience is central to the explanations here). It also links to the broader question of how different psychological approaches explain the same behaviours: compare the psychodynamic explanation of aggression with the biological explanation (testosterone, brain structures) or the social learning theory explanation (observational learning).
Psychodynamic explanation of schizophrenia, psychodynamic explanation of aggression, Freud, tripartite model, Id Ego Superego, ego defence mechanisms, regression, displacement, fixation, oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, Oedipus complex, Eros, Thanatos, life instinct, death instinct, positive symptoms, weak Ego, General Psychology, Ohio State