Psychodynamic Approach

• A strength of the psychodynamic approach is that it has practical application in the real world.
• For example, Freud brought to the world a new form of therapy, psychoanalysis which is designed to access the unconscious mind by employing a range of techniques such as hypnosis and dream analysis.
• Although it is not suitable for individuals with serious mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia), psychoanalysis has been successful with those suffering from mild neuroses.
• This strengthens both the applicability and support for the psychodynamic approach in explaining human behaviour, given that it is the forerunner to many modern-day psychotherapies that have since been established.
• A limitation of the psychodynamic approach is that it is based on psychic determinism.
• For example, the approach explains that all behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts. Freud believed that there was no such thing as an 'accident' and that even something as random as a 'slip of the tongue' is said to have a deeper symbolic meaning and is driven by unconscious forces.
• Suggests that any free will we think we may have is just an illusion.
• This weakens the support for the psychodynamic approach in explaining human behaviour as it takes an extremely determinist stance by suggesting that free will may have no influence of behaviour.
• Another limitation of the psychodynamic approach is that the case study method Freud relied on has been criticised.
• For example, Freud's theory was based on the intensive study of individuals who were often in therapy (e.g. Dora and Little Hans). Critics suggest it's not possible to make such universal claims about human nature based on a limited sample of people who were psychologically abnormal.
• Furthermore, his interpretations were highly subjective and it is unlikely that any other researcher would have drawn the same conclusions.
• This weakens both the population validity and support for the psychodynamic approach in explaining human behaviour as Freud's research was idiographic and lacked scientific rigour compared to other approaches.