A psychoanalyst wished to investigate the developmental origins of obsessive-compulsive behaviours. They conducted a thematic analysis of dream diaries kept by three of their long-term private patients over a six-month period. In their analysis, the psychoanalyst interpreted recurring descriptions of 'locked gates' and 'overflowing water' as symbolic representations of unresolved conflicts or fixations from the anal stage of psychosexual development.
Referring to the study described above, explain why psychodynamic researchers have often been criticised for neglecting the rules of the scientific approach.
248 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Approaches in Psychology, covering Learning approaches, Cognitive approach, Biological approach, Psychodynamic approach (A-level only), Humanistic Psychology (A-level only), and Comparison of approaches (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.