Difficulty: Introductory to Intermediate | Prerequisites: None, though basic familiarity with Freud and the idea that early childhood shapes later behaviour will help.
The psychodynamic approach is one of the major perspectives in psychology, rooted in Freud's work and extended by later researchers such as Bowlby. It argues that behaviour is driven by unconscious processes, internal conflicts between parts of the mind, and early childhood experiences. This topic sits at the foundation of your General Psychology module: you need it before you can understand how psychodynamic ideas explain specific behaviours like aggression or schizophrenia. If you have missed earlier material, start here.
Freud proposed that the mind has three parts (Id, Ego, Superego) that interact and sometimes conflict, shaping behaviour largely outside conscious awareness. Bowlby built on this by arguing that early attachment to a caregiver is critical for healthy development, and his 44 Thieves study provided evidence linking maternal deprivation to later behavioural problems. Supporting research from Bifulco and from Schaffer and Emerson added nuance to these claims.
Id
The most primitive part of the mind, present from birth. It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of drives and desires without regard for consequences.
Think of it as the part of you that wants what it wants right now, no filter.
Ego
The rational, decision-making part of the mind. It operates on the reality principle, mediating between the Id's demands and the constraints of the real world.
In simple terms, this is the part that figures out how to get what you want without getting into trouble.
Superego
The moral component of the mind, internalised from parental and societal standards. It operates on the morality principle, producing guilt when you violate its standards and pride when you meet them.
Think of it as your internal sense of right and wrong, the voice that says "you shouldn't do that."
Tripartite model of personality
Freud's structural model dividing the mind into Id, Ego, and Superego. These three components interact, and healthy functioning depends on a strong Ego that balances the other two.
Maternal deprivation
The absence of a continuous, warm relationship with a mother (or permanent mother substitute) during early childhood. Bowlby argued this could have lasting effects on emotional and behavioural development.
Attachment
A deep emotional bond between a child and a caregiver, characterised by a desire for closeness, distress on separation, and joy on reunion.
44 Thieves study
Bowlby's (1944) case study of 44 juvenile delinquents, examining the link between early maternal deprivation and later antisocial behaviour. A foundational study in attachment research.
Tags: psychodynamic approach, Freud, Id Ego Superego, tripartite model, pleasure principle, reality principle, morality principle, Bowlby, maternal deprivation, attachment theory, 44 thieves
The psychodynamic approach rests on several core assumptions:
Much of our behaviour is driven by unconscious motives and desires we are not aware of.
Early childhood experiences have a lasting impact on adult personality and behaviour.
The mind is in constant internal conflict between competing demands.
Freud's tripartite model breaks the mind into three structures:
Id (pleasure principle): operates from birth, demands immediate satisfaction of basic drives. It is entirely unconscious.
Ego (reality principle): develops in early childhood, mediates between the Id and reality. It finds realistic ways to satisfy the Id's demands.
Superego (morality principle): develops around age 5, represents internalised moral standards from parents and society. It produces guilt and self-criticism.
Healthy psychological functioning requires a strong Ego that can balance the demands of the Id and the standards of the Superego.
When the Ego is weak or underdeveloped, the result can be psychological disturbance. For example, if the Id dominates, a person may act impulsively; if the Superego dominates, they may be overwhelmed by guilt.
Sample: 44 juvenile thieves aged 5 to 17 (31 boys, 13 girls), matched on age, IQ, and economic status. Case studies conducted between 1936 and 1939.
Grading: Participants were graded 1 to 4 on severity of behaviour.
Key classifications of the 44 thieves:
Normal: 2
Depressed: 9
Circular: 2
Hyperthymic: 13
Affectionless: 14
Schizoid: 4
Key finding: 23 out of 44 were classified as Grade 4 (most severe). If not for certain environmental factors, these children would otherwise have developed normally.
What Bowlby's study confirmed:
The general assumption that childhood experiences shape later development.
That early maternal deprivation was linked to affectionless psychopathy and delinquency.
That this is not purely a psychological issue but a social and economic one as well.
Bifulco (bereavement study): Studied 250 women who had experienced bereavement. Found they were twice as likely to be depressed, supporting the idea that early loss and deprivation have lasting emotional effects.
Schaffer and Emerson (1964): Conducted observations in people's homes to study attachment bonds. Key finding: children formed multiple attachments, not just one. This challenged Bowlby's emphasis on a single primary attachment figure (monotropy).
Students often think the Id, Ego, and Superego are physical parts of the brain. They are not. They are theoretical constructs describing different aspects of psychological functioning.
Students sometimes assume Bowlby claimed all children who experience deprivation will become delinquent. His study showed a correlation and increased risk, not a guaranteed outcome.
The 44 Thieves study is sometimes treated as an experiment. It was a case study, which means it cannot establish cause and effect.
Schaffer and Emerson's finding that children form multiple attachments does not mean Bowlby was entirely wrong. It means his emphasis on a single primary caregiver was an oversimplification.
⚠️ Be able to describe each component of the tripartite model and the principle it operates on. This is a favourite short-answer question.
⚠️ Know the specific numbers from Bowlby's 44 Thieves study: sample size, age range, gender split, and the classification categories.
⚠️ You will likely be asked to evaluate Bowlby's study. Key evaluation points: it was a case study (no cause and effect), the classifications may have been subjective, and later research (Schaffer and Emerson) challenged monotropy.
⚠️ Be ready to link this material to debates about nature vs. nurture and individual vs. situational explanations.
True or False: The Id operates on the reality principle.
Fill in the blank: The Superego operates on the ______ principle.
True or False: Bowlby's 44 Thieves study was a controlled experiment.
How many of Bowlby's participants were classified as "affectionless"?
True or False: Schaffer and Emerson found that children form only one attachment.
Answers: 1. False (pleasure principle). 2. Morality. 3. False (case study). 4. 14. 5. False (multiple attachments).
Q: Outline the three components of Freud's tripartite model and the principle each operates on.
A: The Id operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification. The Ego operates on the reality principle and mediates between the Id and the real world. The Superego operates on the morality principle and represents internalised moral standards.
Q: Describe the key findings of Bowlby's 44 Thieves study.
A: Bowlby studied 44 juvenile thieves aged 5 to 17, matched on age, IQ, and economic status. He found that 14 were classified as affectionless and that early maternal deprivation was linked to later delinquency. 23 out of 44 were graded as the most severe category.
Q: How does Schaffer and Emerson's research challenge Bowlby's theory?
A: Schaffer and Emerson observed children in their homes and found that children formed multiple attachments, not just one. This challenges Bowlby's concept of monotropy, which held that a child has one primary attachment figure whose bond is qualitatively different from all others.
Q: What does Bifulco's research add to our understanding of early deprivation?
A: Bifulco studied 250 women who had experienced bereavement and found they were twice as likely to become depressed. This supports the psychodynamic view that early loss has lasting effects on emotional wellbeing.
This material connects directly to the psychodynamic explanations of specific behaviours (schizophrenia, aggression), where the tripartite model is applied to explain symptoms and behavioural patterns. It also links to the debates around attachment, including whether mothers or fathers are the primary caregivers and whether feeding or emotional comfort drives attachment.
More broadly, the psychodynamic approach can be compared with other perspectives in psychology (biological, behavioural, cognitive) as part of the "approaches" topic in most General Psychology syllabuses.
Psychodynamic approach, Freud, Sigmund Freud, Id Ego Superego, tripartite model, pleasure principle, reality principle, morality principle, unconscious mind, Bowlby, John Bowlby, 44 Thieves, maternal deprivation, attachment theory, monotropy, Schaffer and Emerson, Bifulco, bereavement and depression, early childhood experience, affectionless psychopathy, General Psychology, Ohio State