Practical applications: principles of the theory state that our behaviour is influenced & shaped by our unconscious mind & childhood experiences which has led to the development of Psychoanalysis - works by getting to the root cause of behaviour by breaking down defence mechanisms & solving unconscious conflicts - therefore, its an important part of psychology as it helps to treat people.
Scientific methods: concepts such as the tripartite personality (id, superego & ego) are abstract concepts - which cannot be objectively or empirically tested and falsified as it's in our unconscious mind. Cause & effect relationship cannot be established between an overactive superego and anxiety for example. Decreases the internal validity & reduces Psychology’s scientific status.
Psychic determinism: theory states that an individual is controlled by internal factors such as the unconscious mind & the tripartite personality (id, superego & ego) eg, if an individual's id is overpowered it can lead to a selfish personality. Neglects the role of free will & choice that individuals have - leaving people feeling they have no control over their behaviour. Limits the use of the psychodynamic approach as an explanation of behaviour.
Case studies: case studies only focus on one person’s unique experience and situation. This makes it difficult to generalise Freud’s theory into the unconscious mind as it is not representative of all human behaviour. Therefore, this reduces the external validity of findings into the psychodynamic approach as an explanation of human behaviour.
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