Brief Highlights of the Psychodynamic Models

I. Basic Assumptions

Role of unconscious motivations
Dynamic theories are genetic (historical) stage theories
Developmental stages and "fixations" (Onion model)
Select partners according to one’s lowest level of psychosocial developmental immaturity
Pessimistic about change

II. Behavior is determined

Behaviors do not occur at random

Psychic determinism

Slips of the tongue, dreams, and mate section, all determined

III. The role of unconscious motivation

The forces that drive behavior are not in awareness

Important feeling experiences are laid down before we have language to describe

these events

Infants can experience "good" and "bad" feelings, or states of feeling "secure" or

"anxiousness" (=pervasive sense of dread or unease)

Adult behavior is often symbolic of inner conflicts that –

IV. Historical or Stage Theories

Theories that focus on developmental stages

In psychodynamic theory, stages are all important

Stages are represented as the layers of an onion; to understand the present one

must understand the past stages (or layers) of development

Stages are important because they are like trail-markers: someone as been there

and left their individual markings

Two aspects of fixations (being arrested) at a developmental stage:

Over-gratification and conflict

Getting too much indulgence (e.g., oral over-gratification)

Conflict (oral feeding difficulties)

Dynamic theory emphasizes that one learns coping defenses at the various stages

Once there are fixated stage markers, a person can regress to an earlier stage and use

earlier defenses (e.g., oral aggressiveness)

Note: Regression is most likely in the face of conflict! Some major stress will

activate unconscious conflicts

V. Importance for marriage

Marriage can represent high conflict (intimacy rekindles nurturing wounds)

Person acts according to the fixated stage

May project expectancies onto partner