Psychodynamic Model: Malan's Concept Of The Triangle Of Conflict
Included Concepts
Psychodynamic Model
From the psychodynamic model, I have chosen to include Malan’s concept of the Triangle of Conflict. I chose to include this model because it provides a basic framework for understanding our defenses and the relationship between our feelings. The Triangle of Conflict model is based on three components: feeling, anxiety, and defense. In this model feelings trigger anxiety, anxiety triggers defenses, and defenses repress feelings. All three concepts happen at an unconscious level. As illustrated in Lecci (2015), these concepts are examined during a process Malan called short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP).
For example, if a student has failed an important class that they studied diligently in, the student can respond one of three ways: 1) he can respond with feeling and state he is upset; 2) he can respond by becoming anxious; or 3) he can respond with a defense (such as denial, “It’s not that big of a deal anyways”). Whichever way the student chooses to respond will indicate which particular concept to explore. Inevitably, anxiety and defense are rooted in feelings, so in the end a feeling that was previously unknown to the individual comes to …show more content…
The amygdala is located in the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that controls our basic emotions and also drives our instincts. As with ARAS levels of arousal, the level of emotional arousal varies from one person to the next. The lower the threshold for emotional arousal, the more likely a person will display neurotic behaviors, such as becoming easily upset by minor worries. On the other hand, a higher threshold would be found in a person who is more emotionally stable. As demonstrated by Ormel and Wohlfarth (1991), neuroticism is indeed a “powerful determinant” of high levels of psychological distress (p.
Psychodynamic Model
From the psychodynamic model, I have chosen to include Malan’s concept of the Triangle of Conflict. I chose to include this model because it provides a basic framework for understanding our defenses and the relationship between our feelings. The Triangle of Conflict model is based on three components: feeling, anxiety, and defense. In this model feelings trigger anxiety, anxiety triggers defenses, and defenses repress feelings. All three concepts happen at an unconscious level. As illustrated in Lecci (2015), these concepts are examined during a process Malan called short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP).
For example, if a student has failed an important class that they studied diligently in, the student can respond one of three ways: 1) he can respond with feeling and state he is upset; 2) he can respond by becoming anxious; or 3) he can respond with a defense (such as denial, “It’s not that big of a deal anyways”). Whichever way the student chooses to respond will indicate which particular concept to explore. Inevitably, anxiety and defense are rooted in feelings, so in the end a feeling that was previously unknown to the individual comes to …show more content…
The amygdala is located in the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that controls our basic emotions and also drives our instincts. As with ARAS levels of arousal, the level of emotional arousal varies from one person to the next. The lower the threshold for emotional arousal, the more likely a person will display neurotic behaviors, such as becoming easily upset by minor worries. On the other hand, a higher threshold would be found in a person who is more emotionally stable. As demonstrated by Ormel and Wohlfarth (1991), neuroticism is indeed a “powerful determinant” of high levels of psychological distress (p.