Revision Sessions RE: Abnormality, Psychodynamic Approach

Psychodynamic approach

All mental disorders are a result of...

-          Imbalance of the psychic apparatus (ID, EGO, SUPEREGO)

-          Memories of unpleasant things in childhood get repressed deep in the unconscious

Strengths

Can explain psychopathic personality disorder in terms of a weak or absent superego. Biological approach can’t do this.

Weaknesses

Cannot explain all mental disorders e.g. Schizophrenia which is much better explained by the biological approach.

No evidence at all that the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO exist anywhere in the brain. (Not scientific)

Treatment:

Bring the repressed memories out of the unconscious and into the conscious. Global term for this is psychoanalysis.
Two techniques are:
1) Interpretation of dreams
2) Parapraxes

Weaknesses

-There is no way of checking that an analysis interpretation of a dream is correct.
- Scientific studies suggest psychoanalysis has no benefits
-Time consuming and expensive