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The Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality

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Demetrius Anderson

The psychoanalytic approach to personality

The essential components and ideas of the psychoanalytic approach to personality focus on unconscious reasons, biological characteristics, and methods that help people understand who they are as individuals. Freud, Jung, and Adler were all major contributors that laid the foundation of personality theories that believe individuals are born with specific traits and motivators that affect how we think, feel, and behave. The core complex of human behavior or character lies within the brain and involves the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id is the only part of personality present from birth driven by the need for immediate gratification of our wants, and needs. The Ego, developed from the Id is responsible for dealing with reality and functions in all states of consciousness. The Superego is the last part of our personality to progress and holds the key to our internal beliefs inherited from both parents. Considerable changes have occurred over time, but these three scientists contributed many ideas that led to the modern methods that exist regarding human behavior, thought, and character.

Although, Freud, Jung, and Adler shared many of the same beliefs regarding the unique makeup of people they also had some dissimilarities. Freud’s concept was primarily based on an individual’s sexuality and felt that it was the principal influence of human behavior. While, Jung took human sexuality into account, he firmly believed that the quest for individuality and meaning was a more important factor. Adler, like Jung, focused more on how an individual seen themselves, but also considered how the person felt they fit in society as well. He firmly believed in taking measures to promote a person's feeling of power and strive for perfection. Adler’s theory focused on "fictional finalism" meaning the individual

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