PSYCHODYNAMIC

Question 1

ASSUMPTIONS

Answer 1

• All behaviour, whether normal or abnormal, is determined by unconscious forces and drives – we have no awareness of the unconscious. These drives are largely id – sexual and aggressive drives.
• Psychodynamic conflict: there are 3 parts to the personality (id, ego, superego) and these are in conflict – with the ego suffering the anxiety of this conflict. Over-use of ego defence mechanisms can lead to mental illness.
• Personality is also shaped by experiences during childhood – i.e. during the psychosexual stages of development 0-5 years of age. Fixation can lead to certain personality types in adulthood.

Question 2

STRENGTHS

Answer 2

• Psychoanalysis has enormous explanatory power for both normal and abnormal behaviour.
• Practical applications: it has had a huge impact on the world of counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatry.
• The idea of the motivated unconscious has had a huge impact on western thought and literature.
• It treats the whole person, not just the problem.

Question 3

WEAKNESS

Answer 3

• It is very different to test the theory of unconscious motivation – whatever is not remembered can be said to be repressed – this is unfalsifiable.
• The case study method utilises unpresentative samples and therefore there are concerns about generalisbality.
• The clinical (therapeutic) interview method has problems with bias and there have been accusations of implanting false memories by therapists leading to reconstructed memories.