The psychodynamic approach has contributed research to society by explaining the importance of the unconscious mind and motivation. It describes that sometimes we perform actions that have been guided by the unconscious but we are unaware to what is actually going on within that part of the diagrammatic model of the mind represented by an iceberg. Through this research mainly by Freud, techniques used in society (dream analysis, free association and slips of the tongue) have been developed to try and release what is within the unconscious so that we can avoid any problems that have been repressed. Dream analysis has been used to symbolize certain events that can intervene with a person's life.
Within society psychology has suggested that there is strong link between our experiences as a child affect our adult behavior and feelings. Affected by parental relationships and trauma. A link here is that children who suffered trauma such as sexual abuse are more prone to mental disorders in adulthood indicating something wrong with their development.
Freud discussed that behavior is affected by 3 parts of personality- the id, the ego and the superego. He said that the conflict between them could cause control on some actions and others. Psychology has been used to explain why we enjoy anxiety stunts such as sports and horror movies.
The theory of defense mechanisms was developed and contributes to society to show how some people can cope with anxiety conditions such as using denial, repression and displacement. These defense mechanisms were suggested to be a way to protect humans against any anxiety or guilt occurred by either moral conflict, conflict over impulses or through external threat.
The development of an individual through stages by both Freud and Erikson. Freud developed the Oedipus complex, which runs throughout a child's life to age of around 19 yrs, it was mainly based around a sexual nature and expresses human's desire for satisfaction and pleasure.