Investigating Pop Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies by Stephen Hupp

Author:Stephen Hupp [Hupp, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367609948
Amazon: 0367609940
Barnesnoble: 0367609940
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2023-04-15T05:00:00+00:00

Psychosexual Stages and Development 79

of the population. Evidence for this exists in the research examining beliefs about myths

in psychology. Studies conducted with college students, parents, pre-professionals, and

the public have found certain myths rooted in Freud’s theory of psychosexual development are held by many as true. For example, several empirical investigations have found that people tend to believe the notion that bedwetting is a sign of a child’s underlying emotional problems – a decidedly Freudian concept. Fruit et al. (2019) reported that one-third of pre-professional nurses and speech-language pathologists surveyed endorsed the myth that children who frequently wet the bed typically have underlying

emotional issues. Hupp et al. (2017) found that almost half of college students and parents surveyed believed the same mythical statement.

Surprisingly, Freud’s theory of psychosexual development can be found on many

national professional licensure exams. Published study materials for the Examination of

Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the National Counselor Exam (NCE)

include information specific to the psychosexual stages of development (Association for

Advanced Training in the Behavioral Sciences, 2020; National Counseling Exam, n.d.).

While it might be a stretch to suggest this indicates widespread belief in Freud’s theory

among these professionals, test developers in these professional fields appear to view Freud’s theory as relevant to practice. The presence of psychosexual development on these examinations also suggests some professional training programs at least reference Freud in their curricula.

The Evidence

Freud’s theory of psychosexual development remains popular. Within a research context,

the perspective influenced the field of psychology by calling attention to the importance

of early childhood experiences, the role of the unconscious mind in shaping behavior, and

the need to understand developmental trends over time (Papalia et al., 2008). These contributions inspired research across numerous topics such as personality and attachment.

Despite Freud’s influence on public and scientific thinking, however, the psychosexual

developmental theory itself lacks strong evidence. For example, critical components of stages such as the Oedipal complex are now considered to be obsolete (Papalia et al., 2008).

Related phenomena, such as repression, are also inherently difficult – if not impossible – to study in relation to the experiences that Freud described (Papalia et al., 2008). Yet, the ability to test the tenets of a theory and to falsify claims is necessary criteria for strong and effective theories (Morling, 2021).

Overall, Freud represented his theory of psychosexual development as scientific, al-

though he has been criticized for presenting fictional case studies to support his claims, misinterpreting data, rejecting or ignoring alternative explanation and theories, and failing to offer his ideas to rigorous experimental testing (Goodwin, 2015; Greenwood,

2015). However, researchers and applied psychodynamic practitioners have attempted to use scientific methods to support Freud’s psychosexual developmental theory and, more

specifically, the relationship between psychosexual development and personality. This section briefly reviews that literature and provides evidence against Freud’s theory in favor of alternative perspectives.

One potential reason why the psychosexual developmental theory endures despite its

limitations may be that researchers continue to observe aspects of Freud’s legacy in other areas of psychology (Westen, 1998). For example, the unconscious mind was central to Freud’s theory, and psychotherapy aimed to uncover these unconscious thoughts.

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