Outline and explain the psychodynamic approach in psychology

The psychodynamic approach looks at the unconscious basis of behaviour. According to Freud, the personality is split into 3 parts: the ID satisfies selfish needs; the superego satisfies moral needs and the ego tries to find a balance between the two. The ego can use defence mechanisms, such as denial, to reduce the conflict between the ID and the superego. Freud also suggested that there are psychosexual stages of development, which children go through at various ages. During these stages, any trauma could lead to fixation and this explains 'abnormal' behaviour in later life.Freud's approach was the first to suggest that childhood has an important role in determining adult behaviour. This has led to further research and positive implications; for example, there is now a greater emphasis on social services which aims to reduce trauma during childhood. However, the psychodynamic approach is mostly theoretical, as unconscious behaviour cannot be observed. It also lacks strong evidence making it unfalsifiable, as it cannot be found true or false. Therefore, the approach is less scientific and potentially less useful, as it is unclear whether it could be correct.