Psychodynamic approach (Strengths and weaknesses)

I did this for my A level psychology presentation ,so yeah.You can use it if you want aye

1. Psychodynamic Approach According to Freud (1925) behaviour is motivated by internal or psychological forces, and abnormality is caused by an imbalance in the internal forces that motivate behaviour . He believed that mental illness arises from unresolved conscious conflicts, and these usually occur in early childhood (e.g. the Oedipus complex).

2. EVALUATION

3. STRENGTHS Many observations of psychodynamic therapists appear to be borne out in everyday life, e.g., defence mechanisms Many people with psychological disturbances do recollect childhood traumas Freudian theory provides a comprehensive framework to describe human personality Freud ‘ rehumanised ’ the distressed, making their suffering more comprehensible to the rest of society By developing a method of treatment, Freud encouraged a more optimistic view regarding psychological distress. Mental illness could, in some cases at least, be treated!

4. WEAKNESSES Has explanatory power, but lacks scientific validity The psychodynamic model is able to provide believable explanations for the causes of abnormality, e.g. childhood traumas, but it lacks the empirical research evidence needed to support the theory. Freud based his ideas mainly on his own subjective analysis of middle class Viennese women.

5. WEAKNESSES Has explanatory power, but lacks scientific validity The psychodynamic model is able to provide believable explanations for the causes of abnormality, e.g. childhood traumas, but it lacks the empirical research evidence needed to support the theory. Freud based his ideas mainly on his own subjective analysis of middle class Viennese women.

6. WEAKNESSES Psychoanalysis depends on the therapist's subjective interpretation Psychoanalysis depends heavily on the therapist’s interpretation of what the client says. Does a dream about swimming in the sea really mean that the client has dreamt about sex? Freud said that if the client accepted the interpretation then it was probably correct. However, if the client vehemently rejected the interpretation it may simply be the client’s conscious mind rejecting an unacceptable but accurate interpretation. Either way therapist wins!

7. WEAKNESSES Freud used a biased sample Freud studied a group of largely middle-class Viennese women aged between 20 and 44 years, all of whom had serious emotional problems, and so his sample cannot reliably generalise to the general population. He also only studied one child (Little Hans) when developing his theory of psychosexual development, and even then he only corresponded with the boy's father by letter.

8. WEAKNESSES Over focus on sexual issues Psychodynamic theory as developed by Freud tended to focus too much on sexual issues, and de- emphasised the importance of interpersonal and social factors in causing and maintaining mental disorders. Is it more likely that failing to resolve the Oedipus complex causes abnormality, or could a dysfunctional parenting style leading to an insecure attachment be the cause?

9. WEAKNESSES Determinist The psychodynamic approach is very determinist as it says that suffering childhood trauma will lead to abnormal behaviour in adulthood, however it ignores the influence of genes (biology), reward ( behaviourism ), and thinking patterns (cognitive approach).