psychodynamic approach Flashcards
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Determinism vs Free Will
Determinism vs Free Will (Weakness): Freud saw infant behaviour as determined by innate forces and adult behaviour determined by childhood experiences > we have not choice in how we behave. Eg. Id: psychopathic personality. Oral stage fixation: pessimism,envy, sarcasm. Oral stage: overindulgence: overindulgence - optimism, gullibility, and being needy in future. One of the problems with this deterministic perspective is the choice of free will, that we have as human beings, is undermined as it suggests that our behaviour is pre-determined by forces or
experiences we cannot change.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Nature vs Nurture
Interactionist - Strength
Nature: Freud explains personality as a
product of innate drives. Eg. He believed the Id is present from birth and is the biological aspect of our personality. Nurture: personality and behaviour are explained through childhood experiences
and progression through the psychosexual stages of development. Eg. Frustration or overindulgence during
these stages will have an influence on personality traits in later life such as being oral aggressive and anal retentive. As human behaviour is complex, it makes
sense to consider a range of elements
when explaining it. We know that both
nature and nurture contribute towards
adult behaviour and Freud’s theory provides a framework for putting the two elements together. Thus, it contributes to the nature-nurture debate and is a strength of the approach.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Idiographic vs Nomothetic
Both: Nomothetic: tripartite personality and
psychosexual stages are universal and applied to everybody. Eg. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation. Idiographic: the way in which these universal processes are applied are subjective and unique to everyone. There is a great amount of emphasis on the subjective and unique experience of an individual and case studies are the method of choice for research. Eg. Freud uses case studies such as Little Albert which are effective for in depth understanding of an individual.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Holistic vs Reductionist
Strength
Considered more Holistic; It recognises that human behaviour can be affected by multiple factors which cannot be separated.
Freud’s psychoanalysis attempts to uncover the unconscious feelings and desires whilst also considering the influence of childhood experiences.
Reflects the complexity of human behaviour more realistically
Weakness: However all considered reductionist; The approach simplifies complex human behaviours [Id, ego, Super ego], Ignores other influences such as genetics
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Application
High Application: Strength
Highlighted the importance of early childhood and their influence on who we become. [John Bowlby’s work on maternal deprivation and the critical period]
-First ‘talking therapy’ Freud recognised that psychological factors could explain physical symptoms.
-Understanding mental illness can come from trauma in childhood.
-British Psychoanalytical Society: evidence for the positive effects of psychodynamic therapies in treating several psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and eating disorders.
-Matt and Navarro (1997) in a review of 63 meta-analyses on the effect of psychotherapy found that on average, 75% of clients receiving dream analysis showed improvements. Weakness
-Long term and expensive
-Not offered on the NHS
-Ethical issues within therapies such as FMS in dream therapy.
-Empowerment; Potential power imbalance between therapist and client.
-Eysenck (1952) - meta-analysis of psychoanalytic patients: it worked for 66% of patients. But, 70% of people suffering from neurotic disorders who did not receive treatment also recovered.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
Scientific vs Non-Scientific
Non-Scientific: As the psychodynamic approach largelyfocuses on the unconscious, it makes it
very difficult to falsify (prove to be false).
EXAMPLES: It cannot be proven that the id, ego, and superego don’t
exist within the mind and we cannot disprove the existence of the psychosexual stages of development, therefore his theory of personality development cannot be falsified. Freud’s suggestion that dreams are the via regia to the
unconscious which represent fulfilment of repressed wishes
and desires. Although, we
cannot falsify this theory,
dream analysis is still used in psychoanalytical therapy today with reported success. Psychology aims to produce scientific and objective theories which can be falsified and supported by research
evidence. Without this element of scientific rigor, the theory and the assumptions that underpin it could be questionable. This is considered a
weakness of the approach.
Evaluating the Psychodynamic Approach
PEEL Model Paragraph
P: A strength of the psychodynamic approach is that is it fairly holistic in suggesting account several factors influence our behaviour.
E: For example, Freud considers the role of childhood experiences as well as unconscious processes in shaping our behaviour and personality.
E: This means that it gives a more realistic explanation by acknowledging the complexity of human behaviour.
L: Therefore, the psychodynamic being more holistic makes it a more valid approach compared to others such as the biological approach which are highly reductionist.
Bowlby Findings
Quantitive Data: Bowlby distinguished 6 different personality types.
Differences between criminal and control groups. No Affectionless Characters amongst the controls, This is statistically significant and demonstrates the strong association between Affectionless Character and stealing.
- Thieves in the Affectionless group would also steal more persistently and more seriously (Grade 4) than those in the other groups.
-It did not make a difference if the separation was from the child’s biological mother or foster mother, it still had the same negative impact.
-Of the 27 thieves who had not experienced separation, 17 had poor (ambivalent) relationships with their mothers. These mothers were described as “extremely anxious, irritable or fussy or were rigid, domineering and oppressive… These are traits that mask unconscious hostility”
-Six of the thieves had issues with their fathers who openly hated them.
-Key Factors
Traumatic events later in childhood; In this study there are 11 cases in which a recent traumatic event precipitates stealing, varying from the death of a close relative to jealousy at the birth of a new baby.
Genetics;; Overall, only 22 of the thieves had parents or grandparents who were mentally healthy.
Emotional Attitudes of parents, Early separation from parents.
-Bowlby found 14 were classified as affectionless, of these 14, 12 had experienced frequent separation from mothers. In a control group of 44 of them only 2 had experienced prolonged separation.
Bowlby Conclusions
-Children would not have been/become offenders if they had not had experiences that were harmful to health development. He proposed damage to the mother and child relationship would affect the development of the superego affecting their sense of right and wrong. Juvenile delinquency is consequence of many factors eg. poverty, bad housing, lack of recreational facilities, however, classic study has emphasised psychoanalytic factors ie. early experiences.
-Implications for treatment: if findings are correct, implication is that treatment should be offered to delinquents. Preferable approach is prevention rather than treatment, prolonged separation of a mother and child may be unavoidable eg. ill health or death.
