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Psychoanalytic theory
Strengths and weaknesses of Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychology chapter 1
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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
The first of Freud’s divisions of one’s personality is the Id. The Id is exists from birth it directs one to avoid pain and to seek pleasure in life. The id controls two main instincts, one is a reproductive instinct for life, whereas the other is an aggressive death instinct almost like a fight response in one’s brain (Wade Tavris 40). The Id is always in a constant want of immediate satisfaction. The Id is our primal instinct from birth to always seek out pleasure, or our wants when humanly possible, and to avoid pain at all costs (Basirizadeh Harati 2). Due to these two conflicting instincts that reside in our personalities, there is always tension in the Id. This tension can be eased in many different forms, from a physical reaction to the tension to an impact on one’s mental state with uncensored images and immoral thoughts. The id lives in our subconscious while it motivates us toward pleasure and avoiding pain (Wade Tavris 40).
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
The ego stems from id during infancy, working to satisfy the id in an acceptable way. The superego develops later in childhood and makes sure that the mind stays moral. Sometimes, id and superego conflict with each other on their principles. This is where the ego steps in and mediates between the two. The ego also puts out defense mechanism to protect
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
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)
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
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.
His research on children was lacking, as was his use of empirical studies, his research was male-dominated and also lacked universality. The theory of the id, ego and superego develops from birth into childhood; therefore, the use of case studies on adults and the lack of empirical study does not seem feasible enough to have developed this theory. First of all there is no guarantee that the memories of these adults in their childhood would be accurate, there was not any factual, re-testable data so it lacked reliability and validity, secondly each case and person’s experience is different and therefore cannot be used to determine the development of an entire population. Freud’s theory was further biased due to him overlooking social and environmental aspects, which prevent universality; he was a European man who researched other upper middle class Europeans whose everyday living and circumstances differed greatly from others in society.
This essay will attempt to highlight and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the three main theories of counselling within the module covered this term. The three approaches in discussion are psychodynamics, cognitive behavioural and humanistic.
... internalized. Sigmund Freud three elements of id, ego and superego when implemented together explained human behavior even in the most complex form.
The id is the main energy source for the psyche. The id " '...knows no values, no good and evil, no morality' " (HCAL 130); it functions on instinctual motives. Dee (Wangero) possesses a straightforward, rather blunt, disposition about life. Life is hers for the taking and she dares anything to stand in her way. She takes on the attitude that the world was created to satisfy her. Since the world gave her books to read, she expected the world to listen to her read; because the world giving her clothing options to choose from, she expected the world to respect her choices; in changing her name, she expected the world to honor this change. Her id was overdeveloped because she acted on instinctual sources rather than moral for her decisions. The overdeveloped id frequently appears when the self-centered, self-serving side of her become more prominent than her outward orientated, selfless side.
"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
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,
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...