Freuds theory of personality and psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 23 September 1939) was an neurologist and also known as
the father of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud explored the human mind and developed some
of the most influential theories in modern psychology and psychoanalysis. He developed
a topographical model of the mind, whereby he described the features of the minds
structure and function (McLeod, 2013).
For Freud, the mind is best conceptualized in three distinct components, the conscious,
preconscious and unconscious.
1. Consciousness, which consists of those thoughts that are the focus of our attention
now. Conscious ideas stem from either the perception of external stimuli (the
perceptual conscious system) or from the unconscious and preconscious.
2. The preconscious : consists of all which can be retrieved from memory. The
preconscious contains images that are not in awareness but that can become
conscious but maybe with some level of difficulty.
3. The unconscious. The unconscious portion contains the thoughts we may have, as
well as the desires which dictate our behavior without our awareness. The
unconsciousness lies the processes that are the real cause of most behaviour.
Sigmund Freud emphasized that the unconscious mind governs behavior to a greater degree
than people suspect. The unconscious mind acts as a repository of primitive wishes and
impulse kept at bay and mediated by the preconscious area. For example, events and desires
were often too frightening or painful for his patients to acknowledge, and believed such
information was locked away in the unconscious mind (repression). Societal regulations
force us to repress certain aspects of ourselves, and the unconscious serves as the storehouse
for this collection. (McLeod, 2013)

The Psyche

Freud (1923) later developed a more structural model of the mind as three separate but
interactive psychic parts comprising the entities id, ego and superego ( the psychic
apparatus). These are hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions.
a. The id, the most primitive of the three structures, is concerned with instant
gratification of basic physical needs and urges. Id operated at an unconscious level
according to the pleasure principle (gratification from satisfying basic instincts)
including biological drives such as Eros and Thanatos. Eros, or life instinct, helps the
individual to survive; it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating
and sex. The energy created by the life instincts is known as libido.
In contrast, Thanatos or death instinct, is viewed as a set of destructive forces present
in all human beings. When this energy is directed outward onto others, it is

expressed as aggression and violence. Eros is stronger than Thanatos, thus enabling
people to survive rather than self-destruct.

b. the ego is the rational, pragmatic part of our personality. It is less primitive than the
id and is partly conscious and partly unconscious. It's what Freud considered to be
the "self," and its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the
practical context of reality. The ego develops from the id during infancy. The ego's
goal is to satisfy the demands of the id in a safe a socially acceptable way.

c. The superego is concerned with social rules and moralssimilar to what many
people call their "conscience" or their "moral compass." Ideologies and beliefs guide
our behavior, and these reside within the superego. It develops as a child learns what
their culture considers right and wrong, and is responsible for ensuring moral
standards are followed. The superego restricts the flow of unwieldy drives upon the
conscious mind. In contrast to the id, the ego follows the reality principle as it
operates in both the conscious and unconscious mind. The ego regulates the
conscious mind's rational decision making processes, coping with the environment.
The superego operates on the morality principle and motivates us to behave in a
socially responsible and acceptable manner.

The basic dilemma of all human existence is that each element of the psychic apparatus
makes demands upon us that are incompatible with the other two. Inner conflict is
inevitable. For example, the superego can make a person feel guilty if rules are not
followed. When there is conflict between the goals of the id and superego, the ego must act
as a referee and mediate this conflict. The ego can deploy various defense mechanisms to
prevent it from becoming overwhelmed by anxiety.

Defense Mechanisms

Freud stated that the ego employs a range of defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms
make good things feel better for the individual. Memories banished to the unconscious, or
unacceptable drives or urges do not disappear. They continue to exert a powerful influence
on behavior. The forces, which try to keep painful or socially undesirable thoughts and
memories out of the conscious mind, are termed defense mechanisms. We use defense
mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise because we
feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too demanding. With the ego, our
unconscious will use one or more to protect us when we come up against a stressful
situation in life.

Defense

Description

Example

mechanisms
Repression

The unconscious mechanism employed

An accident victim can

by the ego to keep disturbing or

remember nothing about his

threatening thoughts (that would result

accident.

in feelings of guilt from the superego)

from becoming conscious. It involves
forcing unwanted, anxiety-loaded
Projection

experiences into the unconscious.

Projection is seeing in others those

A spouse may be angry at

unacceptable feelings or behaviors that

his/her other for not listening,

actually reside in one's own unconscious when in fact it is the angry

where individuals attributing their own
thoughts, feeling and motives to another
person. Projection is used especially
when the thoughts are considered
unacceptable for the person to express,
or they feel completely ill at ease with

spouse who does not listen.

having them.
Displacement is the redirection of an

The man who gets angry at

impulse onto a powerless substitute

his boss, but cant express his

target or channeling a feeling or thought

anger to his boss for fear of

from its actual source to something or

being fired. He instead comes

someone else.

home and starts an argument

Denial is the refusal to accept reality or

with his wife.

Smokers may refuse to admit

fact, acting as if a painful event, thought

to themselves that smoking is

or feeling did not exist.

Justifying one's behaviors and

bad for their health.

A student always study hard

motivations by substituting "good",

for tests and he knows a lot of

acceptable reasons for these real

people who cheat so he

motivations

believes that it's not a big deal

Reverting to an older, less mature way

that he cheated this time.

An adult who is under a great

of handling stresses and feelings, more

deal of stress, refuse to leave

infantile modes

his bed and engage in normal,

Reaction

converting of unwanted or dangerous

everyday activities.
Jane hates medicine course.

Formation

thoughts, feelings or impulses into their

She attended medical school

opposites

to please her parents. During

Displacement

Denial

Rationalization

Regression

career day, she speaks to

prospective students about the
excellence of being a doctor
as a career.
(McLeod, 2008)
Freud's theory of 'Psychosexual Development
Freud proposed a theory of personality development focusing on the effects of the sexual
pleasure drive on a person's emerging personality. Parts of the personality develop as we
move through a series of psychosexual stages. Each stage is characterized by different
demands for sexual gratification and different ways of achieving that gratification.

According to Freud, childrens pleasure-seeking urges (governed by the id) are focused on a
different area of the body at each of the five stages of development: oral, anal, phallic,
latency, and genital. (McLeod, 2008)

Oral stage
Age Range: Birth to 1 Year

Erogenous Zone: Mouth

During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so
the sucking reflex is especially important. The infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation
through tasting and sucking. The infant also develops a sense of trust and comfort with
caretakers (who are responsible for feeding the child) through this oral stimulation. If
fixation occurs at this stage, the individual would have issues with dependency or
aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail
biting.

Anal stage
Age Range: 1 to 3 years

Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control

During the anal stage, the primary focus of the libido was on controlling bladder and bowel
movements. The major conflict at this stage is toilet training--the child has to learn to
control his or her bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense of accomplishment
and independence. Success at this stage is dependent upon the way in which parents
approach toilet training. If parents take an approach that is too lenient, an anal-expulsive
personality could develop in which the individual has a messy, wasteful, or destructive
personality. If parents are too strict or begin toilet training too early, an anal-retentive
personality develops in which the individual is stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive.

Phallic stage
Age Range: 3 to 6 Years

Erogenous Zone: Genitals

During the, the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals. At this age, children also begin
to discover the differences between males and females. The Oedipus complex describes
these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the desire to replace the father.

Latent stage
Age Range: 6 to Puberty
Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive (sexually quiescent time )
During the latent period, the libido interests are suppressed. The development of the ego and
superego contribute to this period of calm. The stage begins around the time that children
enter into school and become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other
interests such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions.
This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills and selfconfidence.

Genital stage
Age Range: Puberty to Death
Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests
Individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. This stage begins during
puberty but last throughout the rest of a person's life. The interest in the welfare of others

grows during this stage. If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual
should now be well-balanced, warm, and caring.

References
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Psychosexual Stages. Retrieved from

www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.html

McLeod, S. A. (2009). Defense Mechanisms. Retrieved from

www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.html

Kristen M. Beystehner.(1998). Psychoanalysis: Freud's revolutionary approach to human

personality. Retrieved from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/beystehner.html

The Science Museum.(2004). Freud's theory of 'Psychosexual Development'. Retrieved

from http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/psychology/02.TU.04/?
section=12