Freud’s Psychoanalytic

Theory

Freud’s Psychoanalytic TheoryThe psychoanalytical theory of Freud has three major parts.

(1) Theory of personality dynamics

(2) Theory of personality structure

(3) Theory of psycho-sexual development

(1) Theory of Personality Dynamics

According to Freud, the human mind has

three levels of consciousness

(a)The conscious mind: It is the layer of mind which contains memories, thoughts and desires of which the individual concerned is aware at a given moment.

(b)The preconscious mind: This layer stands between conscious and unconscious parts of the mind and refers to those experiences of which the individual is not fully aware at a given moment but which could be recalled easily.

(c)The unconscious mind: Freud believed that the most important factor in psychic activity( behaviour) is the unconsciousness.The unsatisfied desires and painful experiences of the individual are forced down to the unconscious layer of the mind(repression).The behaviour pattern and hence the personality of an individual is determined by the suppressed desires and experiences that constitute the unconscious mind.Repression of feelings and desires result in blocking up of the libido (the psychic energy that provides power for all mental activity) which in turn , gives birth to severe anxiety and conflicts leading the mental illness and abnormal personality development.

(2) Theory of personality structureFreud believes that personality structure is composed of three major systems-

I. The id: The id is the original system of personality. It is instinctual in nature. It is also the reservoir of psychic energy. It furnishes all the energy for the

functioning of the ego and super ego as well.

Id operates on the pleasure principle and it has only one motive namely deriving pleasure for the individual as an organism.

It is not concerned with good or bad , right or wrong , real or unreal . This means that for the reduction of tension it chooses a path which is the most pleasurable to the individual.

There are two processes employed by the id for the fulfillment of its goal. They are i. Reflex action andii.Primary process

Reflex actions are inborn and automatic like sneezing and blinking. They reduce the tension immediately.The primary processes attempts to discharge the function by formulating an image of an object or action that will provide pleasure and thus remove the tension.

II. The Ego: The ego develops out of id in

order to facilitate the goals of id in a more acceptable manner and out causing danger to the individual . This is done be deriving energy from id.

Apart from the id, ego has no existence as id is the reservoir of all energy.

Ego obeys the reality principle.

It distinguishes between the subjective experiences and the objective truth.

III . The Super ego:The super ego develops out of the ego’s experiences with social reality.It is the morally and culturally conditioned aspect of the psyche.It develops as a result of the child’s interaction with the parents , teachers , social codes of conduct , religious values , etc.It is the moral arm of the individual’s personality.It represents the ideal rather than the real.It strives for perfection rather than pleasure.Its main concern is to decide whether something is right or wrong so that it can act in accordance with the moral standards approved by the society.

(3) Theory of Psycho-sexual DevelopmentFreud has formulated five stages of psycho-sexual development.