"Although Freud believed that he was a mere observer and was reporting accurately on his observations, he did not follow traditional scientific methods in his work. He did not generate hypotheses and test them independently, and most of his clients were middle-class women. Neither did he test people on any standardized instrument or scale. He based his ideas on conversations that he had with patients, which might have been enlightening, but were not systematic or scientific. Thus some critics would argue that all of Freud's theories are in doubt. Despite these criticisms, Freud's work continues to attract interest, and many psychologists still practice in the manner that he advocated, although many do not.
"Freud's influence is also felt in research. Numerous researchers are currently working on studies examining defense mechanisms, for example, and the evidence suggests that these devices do exist, even though they may differ in important ways from Freud's original descriptions."
from "Psychoanalysis," by Joseph M. Boden in History of Psychology, Volume I, Alan E. Kazdin, editor in chief, Grolier Educational, Danbury, Conn.: 2002, p. 65. Also see "Freud, Sigmund" by Raymond E. Fancher in Encyclopedia of Psychology, Vol. 3, Oxford University Press: 2000. Latter article includes bibliography of works from among Freud's modern critics, as well as his defenders.
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