Psychodynamic Approach

• :( psychic determinism

  > suggests that an individual is controlled by external and internal factors such as (tailor to AO1) that inevitably cause behaviour

  > neglects the role of free will, suggesting it is an illusion, which could leave people feeling like they have no control over their behaviour

  > limiting the appropriateness of the psychodynamic approach
• :) practical applications

  > the principles of the theory, that behaviour is caused by the unconscious mind, has led to the the treatment of psychoanalysis

  > used to treat abnormalities in the real world (such as depression and anxiety) by dealing with conflicts hidden in the unconscious

  > important part of applied psychology

  discussion - the extent that this can be used in the real world is small compared to CBT or drug therapy, especially when treating more serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (struggle to identify what is real)
• :( does not use scientific methods

  > key concepts, such as the unconscious and the id, ego and superego, are abstract concepts which cannot be objectively and empirically tested and falsified

  > decreases the internal validity of the psychodynamic approach, and could reduce psychology's scientific status