Evidence for the Aetiological Theories: Psychodynamic Theories
Anxiety may be caused by an external threat, but it may also be due to internal unconscious thoughts – the “Intrapsychic Conflict Model of Anxiety”. The id (driven by basic urges) and superego (driven by beliefs of right & wrong) lie in the unconscious and create conflicting demands leading to anxiety -which the ego tries to resolve by using unconscious defence mechanisms.