psychodynami approach - strengths and weaknesses

Question 1

strength - psychotherapy

Answer 1

introduced idea of talking therapy (psychotherapy) instead of physical treatments
became forerunner of modern talking therapies like counselling

Question 2

strength - behaviour and experiences

Answer 2

ability to explain human behaviour
explains phenomena such as personality development, abnormal behaviour and gender identity
draws attention to connection between early childhood experiences and later development

Question 3

weakness - testing

Answer 3

it is not empirically testable (unfalsifiable)
cant dissect mind to reveal id, superego and ego
so it is not scientific and relies on subjective interpretation from psychoanalysts (pseudoscience)

Question 4

weakness - androcentric and representation

Answer 4

freud’s focus on the oedipus complex is too androcentric and overlooks understanding of women
freuds patients were all part of the viennese middle class so he had an unrepresentative sample which he based his universal generalisations on