Psychodynamic Theory

Definition: Psychodynamic theory supports the idea that individual processes occurring internally (e.g., feelings/emotions, thoughts, needs, etc) influence and motivate human behavior. Experiences in childhood are defining moments that ultimately affect how a person's internal processes are constructed and how they operate on a regular basis--some of these activities may occur unconsciously. The theory also states that individuals will likely become overwhelmed by demands that are made from them and create defense mechanisms to avoid becoming bogged down by the demands. 

Application: This theory can be applied to community development work because community developers should work to understand the types of environments in which folks are growing up to better understand their behavior. Understanding the stressors that were present in the community and how that could/did affect their development. It is also a theory that can be applied to understand folks involvement or lack thereof within a program in regards to the level of demands it makes on a person's life. 

Adaptation: This theory can be adapted to other disciplines that are seeking to understand what motivates human behavior. Professionals working in program development would want to consider the issue of creating too many demands for participants. It is also a theory that would probably work best in a therapy setting.

Source:

http://web.augsburg.edu/socialwork/msw/pdfs/cheatsheet.pdf