PsychoanalyticalFREUD

Psychoanalytic Approach To Personality Psychoanalytical Approach based on Freud’s work. The idea that behaviour can be influenced by an

unconscious part of the mind.

Freudian Theory of Personality Three Parts of the

Mind Aspects of mind

which houses our thoughts and cognitive activities

3 parts: the conscious, the preconscious, the unconscious

The Conscious Contains thoughts of

which you are currently aware

Constantly changing as new thoughts enter the mind and others pass out of awareness

The Preconscious Stores all the

thoughts you could easily bring into consciousness if you wanted to.

E.g. what you ate for breakfast, who your kindergarten teacher was, etc.

The Unconscious According to Freud, vast

majority of our thoughts are in the unconscious

No immediate access to Cannot bring into

consciousness except under certain extreme situations.

Responsible for much of our everyday behaviour.

Three parts of the Personality In Freud’s view, the human personality could be

divided into three parts: Id, ego and superego According to Freud, these parts are often not at

peace with one another

Id The one and only part to the human personality AT BIRTH. Actions based on pleasure principle – the id is only

concerned with satisfying personal desires, regardless of limitations or consequence.

These reflexive actions are still present as adults, but held in check by other parts of the personality.

Id uses wish fulfillment to satisfy its needs: if a baby is hungry with no food nearby, the id imagines the food and temporarily satisfies the need.

Id impulses are unconscious, therefore, we are unaware of all the impulses we might wish to act upon.

Ego 0-2yrs + interaction with environment = ego Ego’s actions based on the reality principle –

that is, the primary job of the ego is to satisfy the id impulse, but in a realistic way.

Keeps unacceptable and dangerous id impulses in the unconscious

Superego About five years = superego Represents society’s and parents’ values and standards Places more restrictions on what one can and cannot do. Primary weapon – guilt! According to Freud, some children fail to fully develop

the superego due to poor child-rearing practices. Can also become too powerful (“supermoral”), with

impossible standards of perfection.

The Interaction of the Three Parts

Putting it altogether…

Freud’sTopographi

calModel

Instincts and Tension Reduction Freud maintained that human behaviour is motivated by

strong internal forces – drives/instincts Two major categories of instincts:

1) life/sexual instincts - Eros2) death/aggressive instincts - Thanatos

The two types combine to motivate behaviours. Freud attributed most human behaviour to the life/sexual

instinct. Note: sexual includes anything resulting in pleasure. Death instinct: the desire we all have to die and return to

the earth. Mostly unconscious. Expression: self destruction, aggression against others.

Instinct Activation Increased psychological tension is created. Comparable to feelings of excitation, nervousness

and arousal. Tension remains until the particular need is

satisfied. Undesirable state = goal of most human

behaviour to reduce the tension and return to a state of no tension.