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The Core Strengths Of Psychoanalysis Defined By Sigmund Freud

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Psychoanalysis is a theory of development proposed by Sigmund Freud. The core tenets of the psycho-analytic theory are-
• The divisions of the mind- Conscious, Pre-conscious, Unconscious mind
• The divisions of personality- Id, ego, super-ego
• The psychosexual stages of development- Oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, latency stage, genital stage.

Some core strengths of the Psychoanalytic Theory-
• Emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences in the development of personality.
• Emphasizes the dynamic nature of behavior
• Emphasizes defense mechanisms
• Resulted in a serious interest in psychological treatment of mental disorders.
• Leichsenring, F., Klein, S. (2014)- Psychodynamic therapy is efficacious …show more content…

The first group is critical of Freud because of his method of data collection or his lack of data. A second group of critics dislikes techniques that psychoanalysts use to assist their patients. Free association, according to Grünbaum (1986), is "not a valid method of accessing the patients' repressed actual memories because there is no way of ensuring that the analyst is capable of distinguishing between the patients' actual memories and imagined memories constructed due to the influence of the analyst's leading questions". Finally, Beystehner refers to critics who condemn psychoanalysis as not being scientific. Because it is impossible to test, lacks predictions, and has no "interpretive rules," it contradicts many of the fundamental tenets of science.
Loftus (1993a, 1993b, 1995) stated in many studies that memories are often reconstructed and that the therapist aids in the construction process through such avenues as dream interpretation and hypnosis. The question of whether dreams are a reliable source of information has been refuted by most in the field; yet, patients continue to reconstruct memories with the aid of therapists. The modern scientific phenomenon has its roots in Freud's original psychoanalytic

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