...Tucker Heirakuji English 11 LOTF Essay: Id, Ego, and Superego Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory of personality applied to: The Lord of the Flies "One might compare the relation of the ego to the id with that between a rider and his horse. The horse provides the locomotor energy, and the rider has the prerogative of determining the goal and of guiding the movements of his powerful mount towards it. But all too often in the relations between the ego and the id we find a picture of the less ideal situation in which the rider is obliged to guide his horse in the direction in which it itself wants to go." -Sigmund Freud. There are three Freudian components of personality, the Id, Ego, and Super ego. The Id resides completely at the unconscious level, and is usually applied by the “pleasure principle”, which is basically the want to do something for instant gratification. The superego resides in the preconscious. It is the moralist and idealistic part of the personality and brain. This part operates on the “ideal principle”, which begins around the age of four to five. The ideal principle covers how people are raised, and whether environment or attention effects our development. Basically, the superego is what tells you right from wrong. Lastly, is the ego. Ego resides in all levels of awareness (conscious, subconscious, and preconscious), and operates under the “Reality Principle”, which is the ego's control of the pleasure-seeking activity of the id in order to meet...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
...Personality Overview Marty Annette Hill PSY/405 Instructor: Tyron A. Stern, MA April 4, 2013 Personality Overview Introduction Understanding what makes one person unique from another, is one of psychology’s primary goals. Toward that end, many psychologists have delved into the subject of personality (Meacham, 2012). There is no shortage of personality theories among psychologists and researchers today as many continue their search to understand how personality is developed. Some definitions of personality may have stemmed from how theorists chose to explore the topic. According to the article Personality Theories (2001), “personality theories can be categorized into five main classes, as psychoanalytical, humanistic, behavioristic, social-cognitive, and as trait theories” (Para. 1). This essay purposes to analyze the strengths and limitations of two of the five main classes of personality theories; namely, the psychoanalytic and individual psychological theories. Both theories will be compared and contrasted in relationship to their basic assumptions, deterministic versus free-will positions, and conscious versus unconscious motives for behavior. Personality Theories Analyzed In the field of psychology, there is currently no agreed-upon definition of personality among psychologists (Feist & Feist, 2009). Each person is unique and so is his or her personality. Since many personalities are vastly different from one another, exploring various theories...
Words: 1395 - Pages: 6
...Horney Dan Mathis PSY/405 December 4, 2013 Dr. Maley Freud and Horney Psychology currently exists according to theory. From theory practice develops, and with studies theory becomes accepted. Sigmund Freud, though seemingly less relevant created theory that lead the field of psychology. The psychoanalysis, though often disregarded for the language involved helped to develop many theories following is its footsteps. Certainly Karen Horney appeared to develop some of her own work based on Freud’s psychoanalysis. Both Freud’s and Horney’s theory examined the limitations, strengths, and independence of an individual. The determination of free will versus deterministic viewpoints only becomes mired in the determination of the subconscious. The similarities of the two theories do not make either less viable as they focus on separate ideas. Psychoanalysis The Psychoanalysis theory developed by Freud remains one of the most famous theories of personality. The unconscious mind drove Freud’s theory for the entirety of his career. The development of understanding that an individual’s actions do not exist solely in the conscious mind. Freud developed some terminology to explain these ideas: the Id and the superego derive a juxtaposition surrounding the ego. Imagining a devil and an angel on the shoulders of a person creates a reasonable facsimile of the theory. Understanding that the id and superego prevail in the unconscious mind requires self-awareness. Awareness of self The...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud Introduction Carl Jung (1875-1961) and Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) were two individuals whose theories on human personality would completely affect the way that people viewed the human mind. Carl Gustav was a practicing psychotherapist while Sigmund Freud created the discipline of psychoanalysis. The two men had seemingly identical beliefs about human behavior, but also had contrasting beliefs about concepts such as the ego, the psyche, and the state of unconsciousness. Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud’s Theories Sigmund Freud’s beliefs about personality were based on past experiences in an individual’s childhood. Freud stated that all human beings had three personality levels. These were the ego, the id, and the superego. The level of the id is the one that houses a person’s primitive drives and supports the enactment of decisions that are purely based on pleasure. The id’s objective is to avoid pain at all costs and only seek pleasurable sensations. The ego, on the other hand, identifies the significance of reality and makes decisions based on concepts such as judgment, perception recognition, and memory. The last level, the superego, is dedicated to seeking perfection (Reber, 2006). This level houses the individual’s accepted social morals and ideals in the conscience. Jung had different views about the different mental levels in the conscious mind. Instead of the ego, id, and superego, Jung perceived the human thought process as constituting of...
Words: 1423 - Pages: 6
... The question seems simple enough, yet the answer has evaded mankind for centuries. Before the advent of modern research technology, any attempt at solving this riddle was audacious in its own right when considering that any conclusions drawn would be regarded as nothing more than speculative, at best. One man, named Dr. Sigmund Freud, did have the audacity, and not only was he daring enough to investigate the enigma that is the human brain. Dr. Freud also proposed a bold new approach to understanding the way humans think by developing his theory of psychoanalysis. Today, however, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is met with great scrutiny. In the article Freud Returns, written by Mark Solms, the author writes about the criticism towards Dr. Freud’s concept, and also presents his own notion of the theory’s legitimacy in modern psychology. I think Mr. Solms presents a strong case in his article and I agree that, although far-fetched, all of Sigmund Freud’s ideas shouldn’t be disregarded. No doubt, Sigmund Freud did put forth a wealth of unusual concepts. Nonetheless, every one of them was extraordinary, in my opinion. The most notable of Dr. Freud’s concepts was the suggestion that the majority of human behavior is ultimately influenced by repressed motivations hidden deep within the unconscious mind. The idea was that, beneath the surface of every human being’s conscious exterior is his or her “true” nature, and by tapping into this unconscious level, one could get to...
Words: 1081 - Pages: 5
...Id, Ego, and Superego As with personality theories, Freud’s theory and other psychoanalytic theories may be difficult to test and prove in court. Analyze Freud’s theory and discuss the impact that it has on the development of criminal behavior. What roles do the Id, Ego, and Superego play in problematic behavior, and what influence do defensive mechanisms have on the development of criminal behavior? Discuss the pros and cons of Freud’s theory and how you feel it would hold up in court. Sigmund Freud’s tripartite model of self that separates the human mind into id, ego and superego. This model replicates the method where the ego and superego help to regulate and suppress id urges. Id The id is present at birth and is the make-up of the personality that functions to the same degree to the pleasure notion. According to Freud, dysfunctional personality and behavior comes from the failure of the superego to control the inappropriate inclination of the id. “The restraints that the ego and superego place on the id create aggression and resentment that is directed against the self and manifests in disorder and maladaptive conduct” (DeLisi, 2013). Ego The ego grows from the id and is the part of the personality that can change to the restrictions of the real world, dealing with problem solving aspects of the personality that set it apart from fantasy to reality. “As children develop and realize that life comprises more than simple pleasure gratification, they...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...Hanlon KIM’S PSYCHOANALYTIC PAPER 2 Introduction There are several theorists that have their own theory about psychoanalytic approach. Each theorist goes into detail about his or her theory and how it relates to an individual’s personality. An individual’s personality is what makes him or her special from everyone else. In this paper, it will talk about the theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler. This paper will also talk about the stages of Freud’s theory and at least three Freudian defense mechanisms with real-life examples. Theories of psychoanalytic approach Sigmund Freud was one of the theorists that came up with a theory that relates to psychoanalytic approach. Sigmund Freud created psychoanalytic, which is his way to understand personality (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Freud started using hypnosis, which was created by Charcot and Pierre Janet to cure hysteria, but realized that it did not work to treat his patients (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Since hypnosis did not work, Freud created free association, which is where the individual is aware of everything happening (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). He realized that this did not work as well, but realized that it was in the person’s dreams, which is in the unconscious mind (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). The other theorist is Carl Jung, who created his own theory about personality. Jung’s theory can be divided into three parts, which are the ego, personal unconscious, and collective unconscious (Boeree...
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...* * * Personality overview * Julie Giyer * PSY/405 * Carol Gegenheimer * July 27, 2012 Personality overview Many theories have been developed throughout the years to help with understanding personality. A theory is a set of related assumptions that allows scientists to formulate testable hypotheses (Feist, 2009). The reason behind the existence of several theories is so that a theorist can speculate from a specific point of view. A theory is a tool that is used by scientists to pursue knowledge. Many of the personality theories derive from the personality of the theorist. In this paper I am going to discuss the similarities and differences surrounding Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory and Melanie Klein’s object relations theory. The most famous of all personality theories is psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1920s. Psychoanalysis is a school of thought that emphasized how the unconscious mind influenced behavior. Freud based his theories on the experiences he received from his patients. He believed that the human mind consisted of three components: the id, the ego and the super-ego. The id controlled the basic needs of the body such as hunger, thirst, sleep, etc… The ego makes sure that these needs are met as well as meeting the needs of the super-ego. The super-ego represents the ideal and moral aspects of a personality. Freud believed in free association, which was hard for some of his patients to master. This made dream...
Words: 1134 - Pages: 5
...Personality Overview You’re Name University of Phoenix PSY/405 Professor February 11, 2012 Personality Overview Theorists have discovered human behavior for many years. In dissimilarity these trait theories describe personality as it exist, “psychoanalytic theories of one’s personality helps to explain the differences among individuals by means of examining how these unconscious forces interchange with his or her thoughts, actions, and feelings. Psychoanalytic theory was discovered by our father of psychology Sigmund Freud” (Feist & Feist, 2009, para. 3). Many of Freud’s theories have placed in the field of medicine, religion, and anthropology. The theory of personality was discovered from Freud, and this has been one of the most persuasive and at, the same time, controversial, in the field of science. Melanie Klein gave some great contributions to the field and Klein’s relation theory, and Alder’s psychology theory. Both of these contributed his and her thoughts to the elaboration, exploitation, and elaboration to psychology. Alfred Alder Individual Psychology Alfred Alder (1870-1937) was in Freud’s inner circle and the first to leave. Individual psychology was Alder’s idea. “Instead of seeing behavior by unconscious forces, believed it is purposeful and goal-directed” (Bottome, 1939, p. 4). The ability to choose and create was Alder’s belief. He also believed that he or she has goals in life that provide a good source of his or her own motivations, especially...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...Sigmund Freud PSY/405 Sigmund Freud Personality Overview While Sigmund Freud’s theories were and still are extremely controversial and highly criticized, he was one of the most influential psychologists of his time. Freud’s theory of personality, developmental stages, and defense mechanisms are a few of his contributions to psychology. To further understand Freud is to also understand why his theories are criticized. His contributions and theories have brought up much debate, but have also paved the way for new theories. Theory of Personality Structure “Freud’s greatest contribution to personality theory is his exploration of the unconscious and his insistence that people are motivated primarily by drives of which they have little or no awareness” (University of Phoenix, 2009, p. 23). Before the 1920’s, Freud’s model of personality and mental life consisted of the conscious and unconscious mind; which described our thought processes and opened exploration of the unaware mind. Freud believed that people’s behaviors were motivated by things they were unaware of. Freud’s personal experiences, his readings, and exploration of his dreams influenced his understanding of human personality. Through exploration of his dreams, Freud came up with the belief that humans are motivated by things which they are unaware of. For instance, childhood memories that have been suppressed and later cause behaviors that are unexplainable. The suppressed memories are motivations for behaviors...
Words: 1134 - Pages: 5
...Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Danielle Bridgewater Psychology of Personality 250 June 04, 2014 Jaime Schuler Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler are known as the pioneers of modern theories (Friedman & Schustack 2012). Their theories have changed psychological standpoints on the human mind and have become the greatest influences on modern psychology. (Friedman & Schustack 2012) Although much has changed over the years, Freud, Jung, and Adler came up with the ideas that has led to the theories of modern human behavior, personality, and thought processes. (The Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology, 2007) Nonetheless, their views, interests, and opinions were different in psychology. (The Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology, 2007) All three were psychiatrists. (The Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology, 2007) Sigmund Freud met Carl Jung after a meeting that lasted 13 hours. (The Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology, 2007) They became conspiring friends while circulating information on psychoanalysis. (The Science and Practice of Clinical Psychology, 2007) Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler encountered one another at a psychology convention in Vienna. (Bridle & Edelstein, 2000, Spring/Summer) Jung and Adler were fascinated by Freud’s interpretation of ego, superego, and id; however, they had antipathy for Freud’s idealization of sexual theories. (Bridle & Edelstein, 2000, Spring/Summer)...
Words: 1422 - Pages: 6
...Neo Freudian’s Psychoanalytic Theory VS. B.F Skinner’s Behaviorist Approach Cion Castille Psy211 Asharaf Esmail March 12, 2013 How Personality traits are passed down or learned has always been a questionable and a confusing topic when it comes to actually proving your reasons. There seems to be many different theorists that feel that personality comes from different ways. Some even support their theories in such a logical manner that it leaves on the fence. Exploring different theorist showed me many different interpretations of the effecting factors that determine personality traits. The Important pioneer Sigmund Freudian (Freud) and his, Psychoanalytic theory. Learning Theorist B.F. Skinner (Skinner) and his, Behaviorist Approach which was among my interest and very plausible was. In both of these cases the Theorist used great examples from everyday life to support their theorist and beliefs. Sigmund Freudian introduced his Psychoanalytic Theory in the early 1900s. In this theory he stated that conscious experiences are not the only or for that fact the greatest influence on our personality traits. Freud argued that the unconscious experiences that a person goes through also plays a big part if not most of developing personality traits. With this belief Freud focused all of his studies in this matter on the unconscious factors in a person’s life such as; memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings, drive, and built in instincts. Freud stated that the unconscious functions...
Words: 933 - Pages: 4
...Introduction to Research Paper Writing The purpose of research writing is to collect, present, and interact with what is known about a topic. Primary research is “firsthand”—original research that generates new knowledge, such as scientific studies, social science surveys or case studies, and so on. Most college papers do not involve this kind of research. Secondary research is much more common. This is done by reading and organizing materials generated by others’ studies. (Most lower division college research papers are secondary research; primary research writing always begins with a survey of already-published research, often called a “review of related literature” or “lit review.”) Since this kind of writing is using materials that others have developed and published, it is very important to document and cite the sources of material used in writing. If sources are not documented and given proper credit, the result is plagiarism. Plagiarism may not be intentional, but it is still a serious problem. Passing off ideas, concepts, and data as one’s own is a violation of intellectual integrity. It amounts to theft of intellectual property. For many reasons, then, it is critically important to learn how to properly use material collected in research. The appropriate presentation of research content uses proper format. The format, or style, of a paper refers to the systematic way in which research materials are documented and cited. The documentation of sources used in a paper is...
Words: 8079 - Pages: 33
...psychoanalytic Personality Assessment By: Trevor Wilkens PSY/250 3/31/2014 Professor: K. Williams What does it mean to be a person? In other words, how are people unique and what makes us unique? Personality psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler answer these fascinating questions through systematic observations about how and why individuals behave as they do. These personality psychologists tend to avoid abstract philosophical or religious musings and focus instead on the thoughts, feelings, and, behaviors of real people. In this assessment I will talk about Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler’s theories and explain what makes each of them different. Sigmund Freud had different views on comprehending how people act. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Alder are very different. Freud hinted that childhood experiences, repressed erotic feelings, and unconscious conflicts can affect adult behavior. Freud believed that the motivating force of a dream is wish fulfillment. However, Freud based most psychological things on sexuality. Freud believed that every imagery and symbol that appears in a dream have a sexual connotation. For example, anxiety dreams were seen as a sign of repressed sexual impulses. Carl Jung promotes the concept of archetypes, which are the images, patterns, and symbols that rise out of the collective unconscious and appear in dreams, mythology, and fairy tales. Jung was different from Freud because he believed that...
Words: 1115 - Pages: 5
...Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment In an attempt to understand the human psyche as it relates to personality, theorists such as Sigmund Freud, Carl G. Jung, and Alfred Adler all developed their theories to describe personality. To better understand the mentioned theorist’s beliefs it is necessary to compare and contrast the various psychoanalytic theories characteristics as well as to make mention of the portions that are agreeable or disagreeable. Also, the stages of Sigmund Freud's theory and Freudian defense mechanisms will be conversed. Comparison and Contrast of Psychoanalytical Theories Freud, Jung, and Adler psychoanalytic theories were all created with the purpose to explain the development of personality. Freud’s beliefs about personality were that it was developed through various stages using erogenous zones. If any of the phases of development were unsuccessful, the individual would have personality issues in adulthood. Jung, on the other hand, did agree with Freud about a person’s past experiences playing a role in future behavior. However, he believed that a person's aspirations also played a role in their behavior (Mcleod, 2013) His theory identified an ego, personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The ego is one's sense of who they are. The unconscious are thoughts that a person is not aware of, and the collective unconscious contains universal emotional symbols that make the person a part of society. Alfred Adler, on the other hand, opposed...
Words: 953 - Pages: 4
