Discussion postPsychodynamic therapy

Evaluating Psychoanalytical Theory

Three specific criticisms are supplied in the prompt, and the interesting response grants all three and asks what remains. Something does, which is why the theory is still taught.

Editorial process

Last reviewed · August 22, 2026

Written by

Maren Caldwell

MSN, RN, CNE

Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation

Reviewed by

Dr. Tessa Redmond

DNP, RN, CNE

Evidence-based practice and clinical education

On this page

Interpret the task
Assignment instructions
Deliverables
Proposed outline
Research plan
Reference shortlist
Final review

Grant the criticisms, then ask what survives them

The strongest response grants all three criticisms rather than defending against them, because each is substantially correct and a post that disputes them will spend its words badly. Freud was working within a specific time and place, his account of women in particular reflects it, and the concepts the prompt names are theoretical constructs rather than observable entities. The falsifiability objection is real: a framework that can explain a behaviour and its opposite is not making a testable prediction. Say all of that plainly, and the post immediately has somewhere more interesting to go than a defence. It also matters that these criticisms are not recent or fringe: they were made within the discipline over decades, and a post that treats them as an attack from outside has misread the field it is discussing, and its own history of self-correction over a century of argument about exactly these points.

What survives is worth being precise about, because the answer is not nothing. Several ideas that originated here are now supported by evidence gathered by other means: that a great deal of processing is not conscious, that early relationships shape later expectations of others, that people use recognisable defensive strategies under threat, and that patterns from earlier relationships recur in the therapeutic one. Attachment theory is the clearest case of a psychodynamic idea developed into something empirically testable. And the outcome evidence for contemporary psychodynamic therapy is better than the theory's reputation suggests. Distinguish the theory from the therapy, since they can be evaluated separately. On the diverse populations question, be specific rather than general: a framework normed on a narrow group makes assumptions about family structure and emotional expression that do not travel, and the practical response is to use the concepts as hypotheses to test rather than as findings to be applied to them.

Likely learning objectives

Grant valid criticisms rather than defending a theory against them.
Distinguish a theory from the therapy derived from it.
Identify which constructs have found independent empirical support.
Apply the norming critique specifically rather than generally.

Assignment instructions

Read the full question

Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.

Sigmund Freud is often hailed as the father of psychoanalytical theory. His theory was the first to point to the influence of early childhood experiences. However, psychoanalytical theory has received a lot of criticism. Although theories are supposed to be objective and value-free, they are developed within a sociocultural and political context. For example, with historical perspective, it is possible to see that values within the Western Victorian era influenced Freud as he developed his theory. Another criticism is that many psychoanalytical concepts cannot be measured. For example, how do you measure the id, ego, and superego or the notion of unconscious conflicts? As a result, it is difficult to test the accuracy of these concepts using social science research methods. It is important to critically evaluate theories for their practical use. For example, is it appropriate to use a theory when working with diverse populations or with populations different from those with whom the theory was normed (e.g., women, racial and ethnic minority groups, those who are economically disadvantaged)? Finally, are the assumptions of theories consistent with the values underlying the field? In this Discussion, you respond to some of these concerns. To prepare, read the following from the Learning Resources: Auld, F., Hyman, M., & Rudzinski, D. (2005). How is therapy with women different? In Resolution and inner conflict: An introduction to psychoanalytic therapy (pp. 217–236). Washington DC: American Psychological Association. National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English Post: Summarize the assumptions of Freud’s psychoanalytical theory in 2 to 3 sentences. Explain whether you believe it is appropriate to apply psychoanalytic theory to women and individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups. Explain whether you believe psychoanalytic theory is consistent with social work values and social work ethics. Permalink: https://nursingassignmentacers.com/evaluating-psychoanalytical-theory/ socw 6301- Discussion: Formulating Research Questions Research problems can come from a variety of places. A topic can come up during a discussion with a colleague that motivates you to want to learn more about it. You may have a question for which you cannot find an answer, so you decide to conduct a research study in hopes of finding an answer. You may identify a particular gap in knowledge and be inclined to investigate that gap and close it with the results of a research study. For this Discussion, consider how crafting a good research question is the cornerstone for designing robust studies that yield useable data. Review the Sessions episode on the Talia Johnson case. Locate two articles authored by the researcher David Lisak on the topics of the undetected rapist and predatory nature. Post two potential research questions related to the Sessions episode. Consider potential ethical or political issues related to the feasibility of investigating the questions. Evaluate each question in terms of how it might:Contribute to development of new knowledge for social workLead to more effective practice interventionsLead to social changeBe useful to other researchersFinally, explain the criteria you used to decide which sources of information should be included. Please use the resources to support your answer. Evaluating Psychoanalytical Theory

Course-wide instructions that accompany this question

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required). Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours. 20255 ? You can find new Free Android Games and apps.

Turn the brief into deliverables

01An acknowledgement of the sociocultural context critique.
02The measurement and falsifiability objection, stated accurately.
03Concepts that have survived and how they were tested by other means.
04The distinction between the theory and current psychodynamic therapy.
05A specific account of what does not transfer across populations.
06A practical stance for using the concepts with a client.