Psychoanalysis
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
Freud argued that much of our behaviour is shaped by unconscious desires and childhood experiences, and saw dreams as a road to the unconscious. Psychoanalysis became very influential in culture, art and therapy. Its scientific testability is disputed; Popper cited it as an example of an unfalsifiable theory.
For specialists
Die Traumdeutung was printed in November 1899 but bears the date 1900. Its core concepts are repression, transference and defence mechanisms; the structure of personality is described as id, ego and superego. Meta-analyses of psychodynamic therapies report effects comparable to other therapies for some disorders, a separate question from the truth of Freud's original theory.
Claims
- Unconscious processes and repressed desires determine behaviour and dreams.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
A meta-analysis of psychodynamic therapy studies reported effects that persist and grow after therapy ends.[2]
Challenging
It was argued that psychoanalysis can explain every possible behaviour, so no observation could falsify it, and it is therefore not a scientific theory.[3]
Connections
Sources
- Book (1900). Die Traumdeutung. Franz Deuticke, Leipzig und Wien
- Article (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist 65(2), 98–109DOI 10.1037/a0018378archive
- Book (1963). Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Psychoanalysis. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/psikanaliz/
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title = {Psychoanalysis},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/psikanaliz/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history