psychodynamic ao3

Question 1

lack of empirical research support

Answer 1

• weak evidence supporting the psychodynamic explanation of gender development
• Case studies are open to researcher bias = the Little Hans case = Freud was conducting the study aimed at supporting his own theory and was therefore motivated to interpret Hans’ behaviour in line with his beliefs.
• hands phobia could be explained in other ways
• focus on the unconscious as a motivator of behaviour makes the theory virtually untestable and therefore unscientific as it is not possible to falsify it, limiting the support the evidence is able to provide for the theory