2. According to Sigmund Freud, human
According to Sigmund Freud, human
personality is complex and has more than a
personality is complex and has more than a
single component. In his famous
single component. In his famous
psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that
psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that
personality is composed of three elements
personality is composed of three elements
known as the id, the ego, and the superego.
known as the id, the ego, and the superego.
Id, Ego, and Superego: Freud's Elements of
Id, Ego, and Superego: Freud's Elements of
Personality
Personality
3. The id is driven by the pleasure
The id is driven by the pleasure
principle, which strives for
principle, which strives for
immediate gratification of all
immediate gratification of all
desires, wants, and needs.1 If
desires, wants, and needs.1 If
these needs are not satisfied
these needs are not satisfied
immediately, the result is a state
immediately, the result is a state
of anxiety or tension.
of anxiety or tension.
THE ID
THE ID
4. Example of the
Example of the
ID
ID
Imagine trying to convince a
Imagine trying to convince a
baby to wait until lunchtime
baby to wait until lunchtime
to eat their meal. The id
to eat their meal. The id
requires immediate
requires immediate
satisfaction, and because the
satisfaction, and because the
other components of
other components of
personality are not yet
personality are not yet
present, the infant will cry
present, the infant will cry
until these needs are fulfilled.
until these needs are fulfilled.
5. According to Freud, the ego
According to Freud, the ego
develops from the id and ensures
develops from the id and ensures
that the impulses of the id can be
that the impulses of the id can be
expressed in a manner acceptable
expressed in a manner acceptable
in the real world.
in the real world.
The ego is the personality
The ego is the personality
component responsible for
component responsible for
dealing with reality.
dealing with reality.
Everyone has an ego.
Everyone has an ego.
The ego operates based on the
The ego operates based on the
reality principle, which strives to
reality principle, which strives to
satisfy the id's desires in realistic
satisfy the id's desires in realistic
and socially appropriate ways.
and socially appropriate ways.
THE EGO
THE EGO
6. Example of
Example of
the Ego
the Ego
Imagine that you are stuck in a long
Imagine that you are stuck in a long
meeting at work. You find yourself
meeting at work. You find yourself
growing increasingly hungry as the
growing increasingly hungry as the
meeting drags on. While the id might
meeting drags on. While the id might
compel you to jump up from your seat
compel you to jump up from your seat
and rush to the break room for a snack,
and rush to the break room for a snack,
the ego guides you to sit quietly and wait
the ego guides you to sit quietly and wait
for the meeting to end.
for the meeting to end.
7. The last component of
The last component of
personality to develop is
personality to develop is
the superego.
the superego.
The superego holds the
The superego holds the
internalized moral
internalized moral
standards and ideals that
standards and ideals that
we acquire from our
we acquire from our
parents and society (our
parents and society (our
sense of right and
sense of right and
wrong).1
wrong).1
The superego provides
The superego provides
guidelines for making
guidelines for making
judgments.
judgments.
THE SUPEREGO
8. Examples of
SuperEgo
A woman feels an urge to steal office
supplies from work. However, her
superego counteracts this urge by
focusing on the fact that such
behaviors are wrong.
A student forgot to study for a history
test and feels an urge to cheat off of a
student sitting nearby. Even though
he feels like the chances of getting
caught are low, he knows that
cheating is wrong, so he suppresses
the urge.
9. Freud’s Psychosexual Theory And 5 Stages Of Human
Development Sigmund Freud
proposed that
personality
development in
childhood takes
place during five
psychosexual stages,
which are the oral,
anal, phallic,
latency, and genital
stages.
10. Aaron Loeb
Some people cannot leave one stage and proceed to the
next. One reason for this may be that the needs of the
developing individual at any particular stage may not
have been adequately met, in which case there is
frustration.
Or, possibly, the person’s needs may have been so well
satisfied that he/she is reluctant to leave the
psychological benefits of a particular stage in which
there is overindulgence.
11. For example, during the first two years of life, the
infant who is neglected (insufficiently fed) or who is
over-protected (over-fed) might become an orally
fixated person (Freud, 1905).