Evaluation and Comparison Flashcards
Psychodynamic Approach: Strengths
P- The theories were developed following in depth analysis.
Ev- Freud used case studies- a research method that requires considerable detail and careful recording of information.
Ex- Strength because it shows the theories were developed following careful consideration and analysis.
P- The theories have good explanatory power.
Ev- Freud’s theories were prominent in psychology for a long time and they can be used to explain lots of different phenomena, such as personality development and the importance of childhood experiences.
Ex- This shows that the psychodynamic approach satisfied scientific enquiry for its time.
P- The theories have clear practical application.
Ev- Freud developed therapy known as psychoanalysis using the principles of the psychodynamic approach.
Ex- Hypnosis and dream analysis have been used by lots of people to successfully help them overcome underlying issues.
Psychodynamic Approach: Weaknesses
P- The theories cannot be tested.
Ev- Freud’s theories are based on unconscious concepts which cannot be studied without making them conscious.
Ex- This suggests that the theories cannot be falsified (disproved), meaning they cannot be truly scientific.
P- The theories are highly controversial.
Ev- Freud’s claims that the unconscious, incestous desires that prompt our behaviour are difficult to understand and relate to.
Ex- The theories are therefore not taken seriously and universally accepted.
P- The theories lack scientific rigour.
Ev- Freud developed his theories using case studies, such as Little Hans.
Ex- These are very subjective and unique therefore this is a weakness as the theories cannot be generalised to the wider population.
Behaviourist Approach: Strengths
P- A strength of the behaviourist approach is that it has scientific credibility.
Ev- This is demonstrated by experiments which involve observable behaviour in highly controlled laboratory settings.
Ex- This use of scientific processes suggests that studies can be replicated which develops psychology as a scientific discipline.
P- The behaviourist approach is strengthened by its real-life application.
Ev- For example, operant conditioning is the basis of many behaviour management systems, such as in school.
Ex- Therefore it can be argued that using the theory to have a positive impact on real life behaviour implies that the theory itself must be accurate.
Behaviourist Approach: Weaknesses
P- A weakness of the behaviourist approach is it’s mechanistic view of behaviour.
Ev- For instance, behaviourism assumes that people are passive, machine-like responders to their environment.
Ex- This evidence proposes that it ignores the role that mental processes and conscious decisions play in our development, meaning it is an incomplete or inaccurate theory.
P- Another weakness of the behaviourist approach is its over reliance on animal experiments.
Ev- For example, the animals involved were exposed to stressful and aversive conditions, such as the electric shock in Skinner’s box.
Ex- This may have affected how they reacted to the experimental situation, therefore altering their behaviour, making the experiment less likely to reflect human behaviour and less reliable.
