Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Psychoanalytic theory
Strengths and weaknesses of Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychology chapter 1
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Freud’s Theory Freud’s theory is based on the idea that ones personality is derived from conflicts that stem from both our conscious and unconscious mind. To better understand how these conflicts arise he divided the mind into theoretical categories which include the id, ego, and superego. The id is considered to be unconscious activity that strives to fulfill basic needs such as those required for survival, procreation, and aggression (Mcleod, 2013). It is also considered to be the instant gratification state that is concerned with the here and now (Myers, pg. 425). When I picture our species operating on this level alone I envision complete mayhem. The ego lies within the conscious and unconscious realm and seeks to satisfy the id’s
and superego’s desires in a more socially acceptable way (Myers, 425). It is said to operate on the reality principle and contains our partly conscious perceptions, thoughts, judgments, and memories (Myers, pg. 425). This particular category emerges after the id during infancy (Mcleod, 2013). The super ego is concerned with our ideals and is considered our moral compass (Myers, pg. 425). This stage usually begins to develop around age 4 or 5 (Myers, pg. 425). It can bring on feelings of pride or guilt as it focuses on how we ought to behave (Myers, pg. 425). The id and superego often oppose one another, which requires the ego to reconcile the situation (Mcleod, 2013). In Freud’s view this is where our personalities originate. Freud also believed that anxiety is a price of civilization and is thought to arise from fear of loosing control between mediation of the id and superego by the ego (Myers, pg. 427). Through defense mechanisms that operate unconsciously and indirectly the ego is able to minimize anxiety, which usually distorts reality (Myers, pg. 427). Myer’s table 12.2 on page 427 provides a clear explanation of how each of the six defense mechanisms work: According to Freud all of these defense mechanisms arise due to repression (Myers, pg. 427). References: David G. Myers (2014). Exploring Psychology. Ninth Edition, 425 (7). Sarah Mcleod (2013). Simply Psychology: Sigmund Freud. http://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html.
Freud defines the conscious mind as the part that has recent memories of experience and that can be remembered. The unconscious mind being the one that stores experience that an individual wishes to forget. He further identifies three levels of the unconscious mind that play a role in personality. The id, this is the first level that deals with the pleasure principle. I view the id as an individual’s fantasy. The super ego, being the morality principle. I think that the super ego does not play much of a role in personality but can be viewed as the neutral point. The ego, this is the level that deals with the reality principle. I would label this part of the brain as the reality. I also believe that the ego plays an important role in helping distinguish the reality that we live in from the fantasy that we wish to live in. An example to further explain this is the photography professions. A photographer could be a person that is obsessed with sexual activities as to try and satisfy their sexual fantasies. This individual find appropriate ways to satisfy their fantasies through the artistic work that they do for example, a nude photo shoot, of which is seen as appropriate in other
People tend to analyze the personality of someone while meeting new people. This way, they are often unconsciously evaluating how that person reacts of behaves. Out of all the personality theories I chose Freud’s theory, because it was the theory that I could identify myself the most. Sigmund Freud developed the psychoanalytical theory of personality development. He described that personality is the outcome of the interaction between three mental structure levels: ego, superego and id.
Sigmund Freud was one of the most iconic psychologist in the twentieth century. He developed various theory in the field of psychology. Although, some of his work is outdated, his impact on the field is still strongly felt. One of his theory that he put forward was the belief that a person’s personality was set in childhood, along with the idea that if someone tried to analyze the psyche of a person, they’ll put up barriers, or defense mechanism, to “lie” to themselves. Freud’s work on the psychoanalytic is still used to treat depression and various anxiety disorder.
The aim of this essay is to clarify the basic principles of Freud’s theories and to raise the main issues.
The theory from Sigmund Freud split the personality in three different subjects of the id, the superego and the ego. The humans personality bases in terms of conscious and unconscious forces, such as unconscious desires and beliefs. The explaination of the theory is holding commonly on childhood experience. The point of the Psychodynamic theory is on the inner struggle and conflicts. (www.psychologytoday.com)
Sigmund Freud is best known for his development and use of psychoanalysis. The theory of psychoanalysis focuses on the concept of how our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and emotions play an active role in our daily lives. The id, ego, and superego are the three mental zones that encompass our psyche. Each zone has a specific function: The id functions on the pleasure principle; the ego on the protection of the individual; and the superego on protection of society. The degree of which each zone has been developed can be broken down and then analyzed. These three zones can be visualized by imagining a pie cut into three slices.
The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining behaviour and shaping personality. Freud argued that personality is composed of three major systems the id, the ego, and the superego. The id (biological part of personality) is present at birth and consists of inherited instincts and all psychological energies. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking to reduce tension, avoid pain and obtain pleasure. The ego (executive part of personality) is conscious part of the mind, the “real” us.
According to Friedman and Schustack (2010) the id holds the energy of the unconscious, which desires “the pleasure principle” and its only goal is to fulfill its impulses, the ego is mostly conscious awareness that has a large amount of power for personality that functions through “the reality principle; it must solve real problems”, and the superego is a personality trait that “develops to internalize social rules and guide goal-seeking behavior” (p. 64-65). While each of these offer a unique aspect of human behavior, it also demonstrates that with each individual, the influence of these elements will vary with each personality. Friedman and Schustack (2010) reveal that during evaluations a technique called free association is used to allow patients to say anything that comes to mind, which eventually focuses on dreams (p. 62). The authors also emphasize the importance of Freud’s psychosexual development and the unconscious defense mechanisms that contribute to personalities (p.75-86). According to Cooper (2008) “ Freud and his epochal discoveries concerning unconscious mental life remain the bedrock of psychoanalysis” (p. 26). Overall, there are the mental factors that affect people in unique ways; through personal experiences and unique environments an individual is in can have a large impact on the development or shifts in
While the id feeds off of desire and instant gratification, the superego runs on conscience and morality. To balance out the two, the ego acts as a mediator. Because the id’s drives must be satisfied, and the superego finds them unacceptable, the ego has to compromise.
According to Psychology and Life, “the id is the unconscious part of the personality that represents
... internalized. Sigmund Freud three elements of id, ego and superego when implemented together explained human behavior even in the most complex form.
"Freud proposed 3 systems of personality, each existing at one or more of the levels of conscious awareness." (Course Reader: Chapter 13/Section 1A, 2015) The Id is completely unconscious, the ego is for the most part conscious, and the superego both conscious and unconscious. Id and superego are opposites, the Id representing the "devil", which operates according to the pleasure principle, and the superego, representing the "angel", operates according to the morality principle. The id demands pleasure, while the superego demands morals, often bringing them conflict. Meanwhile the ego becomes the mediator by balancing the id and the superego. It maintains stability by pushing away anxiety. It is the realistic part of the personality. "This constant state of conflict is Freud's view of how personality works." (Course Reader: Chapter 13/Section 1B, 2015). He called this system the Mental
Freud described the mind as a “tripartite model,” a construction consisting of three different elements (Internet Encyclopedia). The first element is the id, which operates exclusively on the unconscious level. Biological urges, such as the urge to eat, sleep and have sex, drive the id. The id demands that its urges be satisfied immediately. Wayne Weiten, author of Psychology: Themes and Variations, writes that “The id engages in primary-process thinking, which is primitive, illogical, irrational, and fantasy oriented” (364). The second part of the mind is the ego, which operates on the subconscious and conscious levels. The ego is the element that “engages in secondary-process thinking, which is relatively rational, realistic, and oriented toward problem solving” (Weiten 364). The ego seeks to satisfy the id, but it also operates according to society’s rules, customs, and regulations of conduct and take...
According to Freud, the id must be restrained to fit into social demands, through finding a suitable balance between sexual desires and societal norms. The ego and superego thus develop to satisfy the id’s desires in a way that is socially acceptable (Thies & Travers, 2006, p.8). Before an individual can progress to the next psychosocial stage they must resolve the conflict that occurs in the stage that they are currently in. signs of progression difficulty may be a result of fixation (Carducci, 2009,
Over the years, people have wondered what goes on in a person's mind that guides them to meet their needs. Sigmund Freud developed a system of personality that boldly attempts to explain the course of personality and what was it origins. Freud theory assumes that one's personality is shaped and some powerful inner forces motivate one's behavior. According to Freud, personality differences commence from the different ways in which people deal with their underlying drives. By picturing a continuing battle between antagonistic parts of personality, Freud was able to develop three systems that make up the total personality. The three systems of personality are the id, ego, and the superego. If the three systems work together in harmony and unite together to form one complete organization, it enables one to create a positive transaction with the environment. If the systems are fighting with each other, one is said to be dissatisfied with himself or the world. By examining the ego, the id, and the superego, one should see how these three systems of personality play an important role in the development of one's personality. In doing so one should understand what conscious and unconscious, and the functions of the id, ego, and superego.