There can be no doubt that Freud’s ideas were revolutionary in behavioral psychology at the time. Although some of Freud’s ideas have been recently criticized and undergone substantial scrutiny, the core premise of behavioral psychology remains in its place, which has led to the creation of multiple theoretical perspectives associated with Freud’s fundamental ideas. However, the fact that these theories have not been supported by scientific research undermines their credibility and question their applicability to specific cases. Therefore, to ensure that the theories in question support patients’ needs, the further and more detailed assessment based on evidence-based research is vital.
Challenges in the testability of Freud’s theories represent the main problem with the Freudian approach. Although Freud’s theories and the ones that emerged on their premises appear to be grounded in the physical and psychological reality of the human nature, the lack of evidence and the impossibility of testing these theoretical perspectives represent a problem since their efficacy becomes questionable (Carver & Scheler, 2007). Namely, the connection between biological processes and the development of personality as one of the main conclusions that can be made from Freud’s theoretical tenets need further assessment in order to introduce interventions based on them. However, due to the lack of tools for analyzing the connection between biological factors and psychological outcomes, verifying these theories becomes impossible, which implies that these theories are not necessarily applicable to any patient’s case (Carver & Scheler, 2007). In fact, the very reasons for these theories to work are unknown and, therefore, the opportunity to apply them properly and select the most effective one based on unique patients’ needs becomes impossible. To ensure that a theory can help meet the needs of specific populations, it must be tethered to scientific evidence showing its applicability (Carver & Scheler, 2007). Otherwise, any case that deviates in its variables form the default one cannot be addressed with the theory in question. Therefore, while some theories may be entertaining, they still are bad theories.
To apply the theories based on Freud’s psychology, further tests are required. However, since connecting biological factors and psychological outcomes is extremely complicated and nearly impossible in practice, the applicability of the theories based on Freud’s philosophy is questionable. Thus, methods of verifying these theoretical prospects must be sought more actively.
Reference
Carver, C. S., & Scheler, M. S. (2007). Perspectives on personality (6th ed.). Pearson.