pscyco dynamic last eval

Question 1

Psychic determinism

Answer 1

The psychodynamic approach advocates ‘psychic determinism’. In Freud’s eyes, we are prisoners of our past in the sense that our future behaviour and personality is largely ‘mapped out’ as a result of psychic conflicts in early childhood. Like the behaviourist approach, Freud regards free will as an ‘illusion’ and calls the very idea of human agency into doubt.

Few psychologists would accept this argument as it represents too extreme a view. Most would acknowledge the influence that early childhood has on our behaviour. For example, this is a key idea in many theories of child development, counselling and social work. However, the idea that we are entirely determined by conflicts in early years is too extreme and leaves no room for free will beyond early childhood.

This suggests that Freud’s assertion that there is no such thing as an accident, is too far-fetched and undermines a key part of his theory.

Question 2

Real-world application

Answer 2

One strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it introduced the idea of psychotherapy (as opposed to physical treatments).
Freud brought to the world a new form of therapy - psychoanalysis. This was the first attempt to treat mental disorders psychologically rather than physically. The new therapy employed a range of techniques designed to access the unconscious, such as dream analysis. Psychoanalysis claims to help clients by bringing their repressed emotions into their conscious mind so they can be dealt with. Psychoanalysis is the forerunner to many modern-day ‘talking therapies”, such as counselling, that have since been established.
This shows the value of the psychodynamic approach in creating a new approach to treatment.

Question 3

Counterpoint

Answer 3

Although Freudian therapists have claimed success for many clients with mild neuroses, psychoanalysis is regarded as inappropriate, even harmful, for people experiencing more serious mental disorders (such as schizophrenia). Many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as paranoia and delusional thinking, mean that those with the disorder have lost their grip on reality and cannot articulate their thoughts in the way required by psychoanalysis.
This suggests that Freudian therapy (and theory) may not apply to all mental disorders.

Question 4

Explanatory power

Answer 4

Another strength of Freud’s theory is its ability to explain human behaviour.
Freud’s theory is controversial in many ways, and occasionally bizarre, but it has nevertheless had a huge influence on psychology and contemporary thought. Alongside behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach remained a key force in psychology for the first half of the 2oth century and has been used to explain a wide range of phenomena including personality development, the origins of psychological disorders, moral development and gebder identity the approach is also significant in drawing attention to the connection between experiences in childhood, such as our relationship with our parents, and our later development.
This suggests that, overall, the psychodynamic approach has had a positive impact on psychology - and also on literature, art and other human endeavours.

Question 5

Untestable concepts

Answer 5

One limitation of the psychodynamic approach is that much of it is untestable.
The philosopher of science Karl Popper argued that the psychodynamic approach does not meet the scientific criterion of falsification. It is not open to empirical testing (and the possibility of being disproved). Many of Freud’s concepts (such as the Id and the Oedipus complex) are said to occur at an unconscious level, making them difficult, if not impossible, to test. Furthermore, his ideas were based on the subjective study of single individuals, such as Little Hans, which makes it difficult to make universal claims about human behaviour.
This suggests that Freud’s theory was pseudoscientific (not a real science) rather than established fact