FREUDS PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY

FREUDS VIEW OF THE PERSON

THE MIND AS AN ENERGY SYSTEM The mind is a system that contains and directs instinctual drives The major scientific task is to explain how mental energy flows, is blocked, and gets redirected

FREUDS VIEW OF THE PERSON

THE MIND AS AN ENERGY SYSTEM Freuds view of mental energy 3 core ideas:
1. There is a limited amount of energy 2. Energy can be blocked, but does not dissipate; instead, it gets expressed in some alternative form by being channeled along a path of least resistance 3. The mind functions to maintain a state of energy equilibrium (homoestasis)

FREUDS PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY

STRUCTURE Two models of the mind
Levels of consciousness Conscious Preconscious Unconscious Functional systems in the mind Id Ego Superego

FREUDS PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY

STRUCTURE Levels of Consciousness
The conscious includes mental events of which we are aware without effort The preconscious contains mental events of which we easily can become aware if we concentrate on them The unconscious consists of mental events of which we are unaware and cannot become aware except under special circumstances

FREUDS PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY OF PERSONALITY

STRUCTURE Id, Ego, and Superego Distinctions among conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels of the mind were inadequate because they ignored a psychological agent (the ego) that
Was unitary in functioning Varied in its degree of consciousness

Freud developed an alternative model of the mind that distinguished among three functional systems

The ID
According to Freud, we are born with our Id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation.

The EGO
Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. Its the ego's job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation

You need to get organized ! Im talking to you ID, are you listening?

No

The Superego
By the age of five, or the end of the phallic stage of development, the Superego develops. The Superego is the moral part of us and develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers. Many equate the superego with the conscience as it dictates our belief of right and wrong.