Psychodynamic approach

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Approaches question

Psychodynamic approach

Henry is a man who often finds it difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy. For example, he believes that he is better than anyone else at the job he does, and that rapid promotion will inevitably follow when other people realise it too. However, few of his colleagues believe this and they feel that Henry is not really facing up to the realities of his everyday life. How might this be explained?

(a) Describe how two approaches might try to explain Henry's difficulty in distinguishing reality from fantasy. (6 marks + 6 marks)

The psychodynamic approach states that unconscious urges are revealed in symbolic form. Thus, the unconscious mind 'leaks' into consciousness by means of irrational behaviour, in Henry's case he unconsciously desires a promotion, but because he consciously knows he may not get one, or others work at a higher standard and may be receiving one before himself he behaves irrationally. The irrational behaviour comes in the form of his illogical confident thoughts that everyone isn't as good as him at his job and he thinks that it is due to other people's foolishness that he has not