109428
Evaluation of Freud's
Theories and the
Psychodynamic
Approach
- Research For
- The case study of Little Hans
showed that his fear of
horses was due to the
Oedipus conflict
- The study of Anna O, through
acknowledging a repressed memory
of a dog licking a glass she
recovered from being unable to drink
- Strengths of
the research
- Validity
- His theory was built on valid data,
focusing on each individual
- Freud generated his theory from in-depth
case studies in which he looked at many
aspects of a person's background and mental
state
- His theory was built on valid data,
focusing on each individual
- Validity
- Weaknesses
of the
research
- Generalisability
- Freud's sample tended to
be neurotic, middle class
Austrian ladies
- Data acquired through
case studies
- The theory is about early
childhood, yet the
evidence rarely came
from children
- Freud's sample tended to
be neurotic, middle class
Austrian ladies
- Subjectivity
- Freud used: Free
association, dream
analysis and slips of the
tongue. These methods
require interpretation so
they can be wrong
- Freud used: Free
association, dream
analysis and slips of the
tongue. These methods
require interpretation so
they can be wrong
- Unreliable and Unscientific
- The concepts are not measurable and
cannot easily be tested (e.g. unconscious
and id)
- The concepts are not measurable and
cannot easily be tested (e.g. unconscious
and id)
- Generalisability
- The case study of Little Hans
showed that his fear of
horses was due to the
Oedipus conflict
- Application
- Freud's new ideas about
treating mental illness
provided solutions at the
time were otherwise
unavailable.
Psychoanalysis
addressed neurosis
through talking, whereas
previous treatments were
barbaric e.g. Spinning
chair and Crib
- The Tavistock Clinic is
widely known for its
therapies and there are
many people in the UK
and USA, and elsewhere,
who are psychoanalysts
or who are undergoing
psychoanalysis
- Freud's new ideas about
treating mental illness
provided solutions at the
time were otherwise
unavailable.
Psychoanalysis
addressed neurosis
through talking, whereas
previous treatments were
barbaric e.g. Spinning
chair and Crib
- Research Against
- According to Freud, gay parents or single
parents should affect the sexual orientation of
their children - but this is not the case
- Malinowski studied the Trobriand Islanders where boys are not
brought up by their fathers. This should mean they do not resolve
their Oedipus complex as the family structure is different. However
the boys do develop normally and have heterosexual sexual
orientation
- Malinowski studied the Trobriand Islanders where boys are not
brought up by their fathers. This should mean they do not resolve
their Oedipus complex as the family structure is different. However
the boys do develop normally and have heterosexual sexual
orientation
- Freud's theory stops at
adolescence and doesn't explain
development in adulthood
- According to Freud, gay parents or single
parents should affect the sexual orientation of
their children - but this is not the case
- Alternative Theories
- Erikson's Theory
- We carry on developing into old age
- We carry on developing into old age
- Biological Theory
- Explains development differently using the
concepts of genes, hormones and brain
laterilisation
- Explains development differently using the
concepts of genes, hormones and brain
laterilisation
- Social Learning
- Theory explains development
differently, using observational
learning
- Theory explains development
differently, using observational
learning
- Erikson's Theory
- Socially Sensitive
- The idea that children experience sexual development
and are attracted to their opposite sex parent is very
controversial
- The idea that children experience sexual development
and are attracted to their opposite sex parent is very
controversial
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