Evaluation. Among the weaknesses of psychoanalysis are male chauvinism, internal inconsistencies, methodological problems, diffi culties with the metaphysical energy model, a resilience to attack that...

Evaluation. Among the weaknesses of psychoanalysis are male chauvinism, internal inconsistencies, methodological problems, diffi culties with the metaphysical energy model, a resilience to attack that borders on evasiveness, a lack of tolerance for other ideas and modern innovations, and (perhaps) an overemphasis on sexuality, drive reduction, and the biological determinants of personality. It has proved diffi cult to subject the propositions of psychoanalytic theory to empirical research. Nevertheless, Freud’s contributions are monumental: the importance of the unconscious, dream interpretation, psychoanalytic therapy, resistance and transference, repression and the defense mechanisms, parapraxes, anxiety, the meaning of neurotic symptoms, and more.