Psychodynamic approach

• Assumptions

  > Behaviour is due to unconscious motives

  > It focuses on past experiences - especially the relationships with our parents and childhood conflicts in creating behaviour and personality

  > Our understanding of ourselves is distorted by defence mechanisms
• Psychodynamic AO3

  :( Psychic determinism

  > Individual is controlled by internal and external such as fixations occurring during specific stages that inevitably cause behaviour

  > Neglecting the role of free will and choice the individuals have - lead to them feeling they have no control over their behaviour

  > Limiting the appropriateness of using the psychosexual stages to explain human behaviour and development
• Psychodynamic AO3

  :) Practical applications

  > Principles of the theory - behaviour is caused by the unconscious

  > Lead to the treatment of psychoanalysis by dealing with conflicts hidden in the unconscious

  > Important part of applied psychology
• Psychodynamic approach AO3

  :( Doesnt use scientific methods

  > Key concepts such as the id, ego and superego cannot be objectively and empirically tested and falsified

  > Cannot be observed

  > Reducing the internal validity of the structure of personality, which can additionally reduce psychologys scientific status
• Psychodynamic approach AO3

  :( Based on case studies

  > Lacks population validity

  > Difficult to generalise to the population and create general laws of behaviour through the psychodynamic approach