Freud’s psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic explanation:
Freud - Structure of personality:
Freud argued that our psyche is separated into 3 distinct parts (tripartite), which
often work against each other.
The ID:
This is the primitive biological part of the mind. It is innate meaning it is inbuilt and
we are born with it. It controls our personality until we are about 2 years old. It exists
in the newborn infant and consists of basic biological impulses or drives such as
hunger or thirst etc.
Therefore the ID is said so work on the pleasure principle.
Freud argued that these drives motivate us to behave in certain ways and humans
are motivated to satisfy urges and wishes.
Urges and wishes put us in a state of arousal and when they are satisfied arousal is
reduced.
The ID is part of the unconscious mind.
Example: A child wants a toy that is already being played with by another child so
they push them over and take it from them.
The Ego:
The ego develops as the child grows eg. between 2 and 4 years old.
The ego aims to gratify the IDs impulses in line with what is realistically possible by
considering the environment it is in.
It works on the reality principle.
It also has defence mechanisms. It has the job of defending the unconscious mind
against displeasure (e.g. unpleasant experiences or forbidden ID impulses by using
defence mechanisms.
Displacement - “shooting the messenger” - displays anger with people who are safe
and secure.
Denial - “blocking it out” pretending nothing happened.
Repression - pushing things to the back of our mind.
Our ego is part of the conscious mind.
Example: You are annoyed at your partner but you don’t want to lose them so you
shout at your best friend instead.
Freud - Structure of personality:
Freud argued that our psyche is separated into 3 distinct parts (tripartite), which
often work against each other.
The ID:
This is the primitive biological part of the mind. It is innate meaning it is inbuilt and
we are born with it. It controls our personality until we are about 2 years old. It exists
in the newborn infant and consists of basic biological impulses or drives such as
hunger or thirst etc.
Therefore the ID is said so work on the pleasure principle.
Freud argued that these drives motivate us to behave in certain ways and humans
are motivated to satisfy urges and wishes.
Urges and wishes put us in a state of arousal and when they are satisfied arousal is
reduced.
The ID is part of the unconscious mind.
Example: A child wants a toy that is already being played with by another child so
they push them over and take it from them.
The Ego:
The ego develops as the child grows eg. between 2 and 4 years old.
The ego aims to gratify the IDs impulses in line with what is realistically possible by
considering the environment it is in.
It works on the reality principle.
It also has defence mechanisms. It has the job of defending the unconscious mind
against displeasure (e.g. unpleasant experiences or forbidden ID impulses by using
defence mechanisms.
Displacement - “shooting the messenger” - displays anger with people who are safe
and secure.
Denial - “blocking it out” pretending nothing happened.
Repression - pushing things to the back of our mind.
Our ego is part of the conscious mind.
Example: You are annoyed at your partner but you don’t want to lose them so you
shout at your best friend instead.
