Psychodynamic Approach - EVALUATIONS

Question 1

Strength:P

Answer 1

critics claim ideas aren’t scientific - claims are not falsifiable or testable

Question 2

E

Answer 2

however many of the claims have been supported by scientific, empirical evidence

Question 3

E

Answer 3

E.g Fisher & Greenberg (1996) summarised 2500 of these studies - concluded the empirical evidence for psychoanalysis was comparable to that for other major approaches in psychology

Question 4

L

Answer 4

Therefore psychoanalysis can be considered a viable approach in psychology as it is supported by empirical evidence

Question 5

Strength:P

Answer 5

Psychoanalysis represented a huge shift & advancement in psychological thinking

Question 6

E

Answer 6

Suggests a new method of collecting data (case studies) & it represented a move away from introspection towards the analysis of spoken material by a trained analyst

Question 7

E

Answer 7

Led towards the growth of psychological explanations of mutual disorder, and the risk of talking therapies as new treatments. Psychoanalysis - shown to give long-term relief from symptoms - so this has been valuable

Question 8

L

Answer 8

Therefore allowed the expansion & development of psychology - inc. new methods of treating individuals

Question 9

Strength:P

Answer 9

Extremely comprehensive

Question 10

E

Answer 10

As well as a method of explanation & treatment of disorder - it’s been used to understand mans aspect of human behaviour, as well as being a mock of cultural & literacy criticism

Question 11

E

Answer 11

Giving critics a new way of gaining insight into a range of literacy texts e.g ‘the hidden themes of repression’ and oedipal conflict within ‘hamlet’

Question 12

L

Answer 12

Therefore allows for greater comprehension of human behaviour within psychology - also allows comprehension in other disciplines such as literature

Question 13

Criticism:P

Answer 13

Views based on observation of men - views on women were far less developed

Question 14

E

Answer 14

Freud - ignored extent to which female sexuality differed from male sexuality - ignored about women and their sexual life

Question 15

E

Answer 15

Led critics - Karen Horney - break away from traditional Freudian theory & found a feminist psychoanalysis. this was beneficial as so many psychoanalytic patients are female

Question 16

L

Answer 16

Therefore big limitation of Freud’s theory is that it does not generalise well to women & arguably can therefore only be applied to men

Question 17

Criticism:P

Answer 17

Sue & Sue (2008) argue that psychoanalysis is not relevant in non-western cultures

Question 18

E

Answer 18

psychoanalysis believes that mental disorder - result of repressed material being ‘locked’ in the unconscious - freeing this material in ‘supportive environment - to dealing with it

Question 19

E

Answer 19

Non-western cultures may not value insight as much e.g China & Japan - thought to be more beneficial to avoid thoughts which bring distress & people aren’t usually willing to discuss them openly

Question 20

L

Answer 20

Therefore Freud’s theory can be criticised as it cannot be applied to all cultures

Question 21

CASE STUDIES - PEEL PARAGRAPH

Answer 21

CASE STUDIES - PEEL PARAGRAPH

Question 22

P

Answer 22

One limitation - takes a nomothetic approach to explaining behaviour - despite mainly using idiographic approach of investigation

Question 23

E

Answer 23

Meaning Freud attempts to create general laws of behaviour on the basis of researched carried out with a small number of individuals

Question 24

E

Answer 24

E.g Freud claimed all children experience the oedipus or electra complex during phallic psychosexual stage - BUT supported this theory with a case study based on one child called Little Hans

Question 25

L

Answer 25

Therefore questionable as to how well these general laws can be applied to all individuals, when it might be that the case study was an abnormality as only one individual was studied