Evaluation of Psychodynamic Approach

Question 1

Is the Psychodynamic Approach Deterministic or Free will?

Answer 1

Deterministic

Question 2

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Deterministic?

Answer 2

Behaviour is driven by the tripartite. You have no free will in the development of your personality

Question 3

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach being Deterministic a positive?

Answer 3

Helps psychologists to develop laws of behaviour e.g. the critical period. This can help develop interventions to prevent future harmful behaviours

Question 4

What is a possible negative of the Psychodynamic Approach being Deterministic?

Answer 4

It detracts from personal responsibility of actions. It makes people difficult to be held accountable as they have no free will

Question 5

Is the Psychodynamic Approach Reductionist or Holistic?

Answer 5

Reductionist

Question 6

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Reductionist?

Answer 6

Each part of the tripartite controls a part of the personality. The approach focuses on innate drives and childhood experiences and ignores genetics, biochemistry and neuroanatomy.

Question 7

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach being Reductionist a positive?

Answer 7

Can be useful because you can isolate a factor an research it in detail by focusing on it

Question 8

What is a possible negative of the Psychodynamic Approach being Reductionist?

Answer 8

The explanation it offers could be too simplistic as there is only one point of view

Question 9

Does the Psychodynamic Approach have many applications?

Answer 9

Yes, it has been applied successfully for many years

Question 10

What proves that the Psychodynamic Approach has lots of applications?

Answer 10

Therapies such as dream analysis and hypnosis have been used to treat several disorders. Briggs et al conducted a meta analysis that found that there was a significant decrease in suicidal and self-harm behaviour when the patient underwent psychodynamic therapy

Question 11

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach having lots of Applications a positive?

Answer 11

The approach has led to real life applications so it benefits the patient and proves that the principles of the approach are correct

Question 12

How can the Applications be viewed as a negative?

Answer 12

The effectiveness can be hard to verify as as no therapy can cure all disorders

Question 13

Is the Psychodynamic Approach Idiographic or Nomothetic?

Answer 13

It has elements of both

Question 14

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Nomothetic? Use examples of Freud and Bowlby’s research

Answer 14

Freud developed the tripartite and psychosexual stages theories which are governed by universal processes and are applied to everybody.
Bowlby used a nomothetic approach to develop his theory of maternal deprivation

Question 15

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Idiographic?

Answer 15

Freud’s case studies (Dora, Wolfman) are subjective and unique to everyone. This provides insight into unique behaviour to try and understand it

Question 16

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach being both Nomothetic and Idiographic a positive?

Answer 16

It means that it recognises the role that individual differences have in human behaviour. And it also is scientific as it can be replicated and generalised into lots of different situations. So treatment can be widely applied

Question 17

Is the Psychodynamic Approach Nature or Nurture?

Answer 17

It is Interactionist meaning it is both

Question 18

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Nature?

Answer 18

Freud explains that personality is a product of innate desires. He also states that the id is present from birth so is a biological aspect of our personality

Question 19

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Nurture?

Answer 19

Freud recognises that nurture influences our personality and behaviour through childhood experiences and the psychosexual stages. Frustration through the stages will have an influence on personality traits

Question 20

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach being both Nature and Nurture a positive?

Answer 20

It ensures that all possible significant factors in a behaviour are acknowledged and investigated

Question 21

Is the Psychodynamic Approach Scientific or Unscientific?

Answer 21

Unscientific

Question 22

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach Unscientific?

Answer 22

Because the Psychodynamic approach focuses on the unconscious it makes it difficult to falsify. Popper (1934) argues that a theory can only be accepted if it can be falsified. The unconscious mind cannot be scientifically and objectively tested

Question 23

Why can’t the Psychodynamic Approach be falsified?

Answer 23

It cannot be proven that the id, ego and superego don’t exist within the unconscious mind. This is the same with the psychosexual stages.

Question 24

Why is the Psychodynamic Approach being Unscientific a negative?

Answer 24

It’s less likely to be believable as less people take it seriously