{"id":641,"date":"2020-06-17T16:05:27","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=641"},"modified":"2020-12-20T20:50:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T20:50:55","slug":"freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/chapter\/freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective\/","title":{"raw":"Freud and the Psychoanalytic Perspective","rendered":"Freud and the Psychoanalytic Perspective"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"PageContent-ny9bj0-0 iapMdy\">\r\n<div id=\"main-content\" class=\"MainContent__HideOutline-sc-6yy1if-0 bdVAq\">\r\n<div id=\"0fba410b-fec3-47b9-a884-dfa72e1a3efd\">\r\n<div id=\"62662\" class=\"ui-has-child-title\"><section>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Describe the assumptions of the psychoanalytic perspective on personality development<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Define and describe the nature and function of the id, ego, and superego<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Define and describe the defence mechanisms<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm172961328\">Sigmund\u00a0<span id=\"term692\" class=\"no-emphasis\">Freud<\/span>\u00a0(1856\u20131939) is probably the most controversial and misunderstood psychological theorist. When reading Freud\u2019s theories, it is important to remember that he was a medical doctor, not a psychologist. There was no such thing as a degree in psychology at the time that he received his education, which can help us understand some of the controversy over his theories today. However, Freud was the first to systematically study and theorize the workings of the unconscious mind in the manner that we associate with modern psychology.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp7373056\">In the early years of his career, Freud worked with Josef Breuer, a Viennese physician. During this time, Freud became intrigued by the story of one of Breuer\u2019s patients, Bertha Pappenheim, who was referred to by the pseudonym Anna O. (Launer, 2005). Anna O. had been caring for her dying father when she began to experience symptoms such as partial paralysis, headaches, blurred vision, amnesia, and hallucinations (Launer, 2005). In Freud\u2019s day, these symptoms were commonly referred to as hysteria. Anna O. turned to Breuer for help. He spent 2 years (1880\u20131882) treating Anna O. and discovered that allowing her to talk about her experiences seemed to bring some relief of her symptoms. Anna O. called his treatment the \u201ctalking cure\u201d (Launer, 2005). Despite the fact the Freud never met Anna O., her story served as the basis for the 1895 book,\u00a0<em>Studies on Hysteria<\/em>, which he co-authored with Breuer. Based on Breuer\u2019s description of Anna O.\u2019s treatment, Freud concluded that hysteria was the result of sexual abuse in childhood and that these traumatic experiences had been hidden from consciousness. Breuer disagreed with Freud, which soon ended their work together. However, Freud continued to work to refine talk therapy and build his theory on personality.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<strong><a id=\"TTfreudperson\"><\/a>TRICKY TOPIC: FREUD'S THEORY OF PERSONALITY<\/strong>\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/qWY-JQ7etKo[\/embed]\r\n<div id=\"0fba410b-fec3-47b9-a884-dfa72e1a3efd\"><section id=\"fs-idm165913600\"><section id=\"fs-id1470001\">\r\n<p id=\"fs-id1565745\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">If the video above does not load, click here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/qWY-JQ7etKo\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/qWY-JQ7etKo<\/a><\/span><strong>\r\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section><section id=\"fs-id1470001\"><em><span id=\"term70\">For a full transcript of this video, click <a href=\"\/intropsychneuro\/back-matter\/appendix\/#freudperson\">here<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/section>Levels of Consciousness\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm133967264\">To explain the concept of conscious versus unconscious experience, Freud compared the mind to an iceberg (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_11_02_Iceberg\">Figure P.5<\/a>). He said that only about one-tenth of our mind is\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term693\">conscious<\/span><\/strong>, and the rest of our mind is<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term694\">unconscious<\/span><\/strong>. Our unconscious refers to that mental activity of which we are unaware and are unable to access (Freud, 1923). According to Freud, unacceptable urges and desires are kept in our unconscious through a process called repression. For example, we sometimes say things that we don\u2019t intend to say by unintentionally substituting another word for the one we meant. You\u2019ve probably heard of a Freudian slip, the term used to describe this. Freud suggested that slips of the tongue are actually sexual or aggressive urges, accidentally slipping out of our unconscious. Speech errors such as this are quite common. Seeing them as a reflection of unconscious desires, linguists today have found that slips of the tongue tend to occur when we are tired, nervous, or not at our optimal level of cognitive functioning (Motley, 2002).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Figure_11_02_Iceberg\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"488\"]<img id=\"21740\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/142889f85f9506264a3b21e8715d588649fc7908\" alt=\"The mind\u2019s conscious and unconscious states are illustrated as an iceberg floating in water. Beneath the water\u2019s surface in the \u201cunconscious\u201d area are the id, ego, and superego. The area above the water\u2019s surface is labeled \u201cconscious.\u201d Most of the iceberg\u2019s mass is contained underwater.\" width=\"488\" height=\"590\" \/> Figure P.5\u00a0Freud believed that we are only aware of a small amount of our mind\u2019s activities and that most of it remains hidden from us in our unconscious. The information in our unconscious affects our behaviour, although we are unaware of it.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">According to Freud, our personality develops from a conflict between two forces: our biological aggressive and pleasure-seeking drives versus our internal (socialized) control over these drives. Our personality is the result of our efforts to balance these two competing forces. Freud suggested that we can understand this by imagining three interacting systems within our minds. He called them the id, ego, and superego (<\/span><a class=\"autogenerated-content\" style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_16_02_Superego\">Figure P.6<\/a><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">).<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"Figure_16_02_Superego\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"649\"]<img id=\"50388\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/e7dea77603fe1309c7ab50e002459ee81a43f376\" alt=\"A chart illustrates an exchange of the Id, Superego, and Ego. Each has its own caption. The Id reads \u201cI want to do that now,\u201d and the Superego reads \u201cIt\u2019s not right to do that.\u201d These two captions each have an arrow pointing to the Ego\u2019s caption which reads \u201cMaybe we can compromise.\u201d\" width=\"649\" height=\"294\" \/> Figure P.6\u00a0The job of the ego, or self, is to balance the aggressive\/pleasure-seeking drives of the id with the moral control of the superego.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">The unconscious\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term695\">id<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">contains our most primitive drives or urges, and is present from birth. It directs impulses for hunger, thirst, and sex. Freud believed that the id operates on what he called the \u201cpleasure principle,\u201d in which the id seeks immediate gratification. Through social interactions with parents and others in a child\u2019s environment, the ego and superego develop to help control the id. The\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term696\">superego<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0develops as a child interacts with others, learning the social rules for right and wrong. The superego acts as our conscience; it is our moral compass that tells us how we should behave. It strives for perfection and judges our behaviour, leading to feelings of pride or\u2014when we fall short of the ideal\u2014feelings of guilt. In contrast to the instinctual id and the rule-based superego, the\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term697\">ego<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">is the rational part of our personality. It\u2019s what Freud considered to be the self, and it is the part of our personality that is seen by others. Its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the context of reality; thus, it operates on what Freud called the \u201creality principle.\u201d The ego helps the id satisfy its desires in a realistic way.<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm30363472\">The id and superego are in constant conflict, because the id wants instant gratification regardless of the consequences, but the superego tells us that we must behave in socially acceptable ways. Thus, the ego\u2019s job is to find the middle ground. It helps satisfy the id\u2019s desires in a rational way that will not lead us to feelings of guilt. According to Freud, a person who has a strong ego, which can balance the demands of the id and the superego, has a healthy personality. Freud maintained that imbalances in the system can lead to\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term698\">neurosis<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0(a tendency to experience negative emotions), anxiety disorders, or unhealthy behaviours. For example, a person who is dominated by their id might be narcissistic and impulsive. A person with a dominant superego might be controlled by feelings of guilt and deny themselves even socially acceptable pleasures; conversely, if the superego is weak or absent, a person might become a psychopath. An overly dominant superego might be seen in an over-controlled individual whose rational grasp on reality is so strong that they are unaware of their emotional needs, or, in a neurotic who is overly defensive (overusing ego defence mechanisms).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section><section id=\"fs-idm39996960\">\r\n<h3>Defence Mechanisms<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm147693360\">Freud believed that feelings of anxiety result from the ego\u2019s inability to mediate the conflict between the id and superego. When this happens, Freud believed that the ego seeks to restore balance through various protective measures known as\u00a0<b>defence\u00a0mechanisms<\/b> (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_11_02_Defense\">Figure P.7<\/a>). When certain events, feelings, or yearnings cause an individual anxiety, the individual wishes to reduce that anxiety. To do that, the individual\u2019s unconscious mind uses ego\u00a0<span id=\"term699\">defence mechanisms<\/span>, unconscious protective behaviours that aim to reduce anxiety. The ego, usually conscious, resorts to unconscious strivings to protect the ego from being overwhelmed by anxiety. When we use defence mechanisms, we are unaware that we are using them. Further, they operate in various ways that distort reality. According to Freud, we all use ego defence mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"Figure_11_02_Defense\" class=\"os-figure\">\r\n<figure>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"975\"]<img id=\"26809\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/4318448ca7b841bb7bcb43f30d420d3da717b096\" alt=\"A chart defines eight defense mechanisms and gives an example of each. \u201cDenial\u201d is defined as \u201cRefusing to accept real events because they are unpleasant.\u201d The example given is \u201cKaila refuses to admit she has an alcohol problem although she is unable to go a single day without drinking excessively.\u201d \u201cDisplacement\u201d is defined as \u201cTransferring inappropriate urges or behaviors onto a more acceptable or less threatening target.\u201d The example given is \u201cDuring lunch at a restaurant, Mark is angry at his older brother, but does not express it and instead is verbally abusive to the server.\u201d \u201cProjection\u201d is defined as \u201cAttributing unacceptable desires to others.\u201d The example given is \u201cChris often cheats on her boyfriend because she suspects he is already cheating on her.\u201d \u201cRationalization\u201d is defined as \u201cJustifying behaviors by substituting acceptable reasons for less-acceptable real reasons.\u201d The example given is \u201cKim failed his history course because he did not study or attend class, but he told his roommates that he failed because the professor didn\u2019t like him.\u201d \u201cReaction Formation\u201d is defined as \u201cReducing anxiety by adopting beliefs contrary to your own beliefs.\u201d The example given is \u201cNadia is angry with her coworker Beth for always arriving late to work after a night of partying, but she is nice and agreeable to Beth and affirms the partying as cool.\u201d \u201cRegression\u201d is defined as \u201cReturning to coping strategies for less mature stages of development.\u201d The example given is \u201cAfter failing to pass his doctoral examinations, Giorgio spends days in bed cuddling his favorite childhood toy.\u201d \u201cRepression\u201d is defined as \u201cSupressing painful memories and thoughts.\u201d The example given is \u201cLaShea cannot remember her grandfather\u2019s fatal heart attack, although she was present.\u201d \u201cSublimation\u201d is defined as \u201cRedirecting unacceptable desires through socially acceptable channels.\u201d The example given is \u201cJerome\u2019s desire for revenge on the drunk driver who killed his son is channeled into a community support group for people who\u2019ve lost loved ones to drunk driving.\u201d\" width=\"975\" height=\"1149\" \/> Figure P.7\u00a0Defence mechanisms are unconscious protective behaviours that work to reduce anxiety.[\/caption]<\/figure>\r\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idp10691696\">While everyone uses defence mechanisms, Freud believed that overuse of them may be problematic. For example, let\u2019s say Joe is a high school football player. Deep down, Joe feels sexually attracted to males. His conscious belief is that being gay is immoral and that if he were gay, his family would disown him and he would be ostracized by his peers. Therefore, there is a conflict between his conscious beliefs (being gay is wrong and will result in being ostracized) and his unconscious urges (attraction to males). The idea that he might be gay causes Joe to have feelings of anxiety. How can he decrease his anxiety? Joe may find himself acting very \u201cmacho,\u201d making gay jokes, and picking on a school peer who is gay. This way, Joe\u2019s unconscious impulses are further submerged.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm2893472\">There are several different types of defence mechanisms. For instance, in repression, anxiety-causing memories from consciousness are blocked. As an analogy, let\u2019s say your car is making a strange noise, but because you do not have the money to get it fixed, you just turn up the radio so that you no longer hear the strange noise. Eventually you forget about it. Similarly, in the human psyche, if a memory is too overwhelming to deal with, it might be\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term700\">repressed<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and thus removed from conscious awareness (Freud, 1920). This repressed memory might cause symptoms in other areas.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fs-idm37492256\">Another defence mechanism is\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term701\">reaction formation<\/span><\/strong>, in which someone expresses feelings, thoughts, and behaviours opposite to their inclinations. In the above example, Joe made fun of a gay peer while himself being attracted to males. In\u00a0<span id=\"term702\">regression<\/span>, an individual acts much younger than their age. For example, a four-year-old child who resents the arrival of a newborn sibling may act like a baby and revert to drinking out of a bottle. In\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term703\">projection<\/span><\/strong>, a person refuses to acknowledge her own unconscious feelings and instead sees those feelings in someone else. Other defence mechanisms include<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term704\">rationalization<\/span>,\u00a0<span id=\"term705\">displacement<\/span>, and\u00a0<span id=\"term706\">sublimation<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fs-idm165728240\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\"><section>\r\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Watch this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/defmech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">video of Freud's defence mechanisms<\/a>\u00a0to review.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"PageContent-ny9bj0-0 iapMdy\">\n<div id=\"main-content\" class=\"MainContent__HideOutline-sc-6yy1if-0 bdVAq\">\n<div id=\"0fba410b-fec3-47b9-a884-dfa72e1a3efd\">\n<div id=\"62662\" class=\"ui-has-child-title\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe the assumptions of the psychoanalytic perspective on personality development<\/li>\n<li>Define and describe the nature and function of the id, ego, and superego<\/li>\n<li>Define and describe the defence mechanisms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idm172961328\">Sigmund\u00a0<span id=\"term692\" class=\"no-emphasis\">Freud<\/span>\u00a0(1856\u20131939) is probably the most controversial and misunderstood psychological theorist. When reading Freud\u2019s theories, it is important to remember that he was a medical doctor, not a psychologist. There was no such thing as a degree in psychology at the time that he received his education, which can help us understand some of the controversy over his theories today. However, Freud was the first to systematically study and theorize the workings of the unconscious mind in the manner that we associate with modern psychology.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idp7373056\">In the early years of his career, Freud worked with Josef Breuer, a Viennese physician. During this time, Freud became intrigued by the story of one of Breuer\u2019s patients, Bertha Pappenheim, who was referred to by the pseudonym Anna O. (Launer, 2005). Anna O. had been caring for her dying father when she began to experience symptoms such as partial paralysis, headaches, blurred vision, amnesia, and hallucinations (Launer, 2005). In Freud\u2019s day, these symptoms were commonly referred to as hysteria. Anna O. turned to Breuer for help. He spent 2 years (1880\u20131882) treating Anna O. and discovered that allowing her to talk about her experiences seemed to bring some relief of her symptoms. Anna O. called his treatment the \u201ctalking cure\u201d (Launer, 2005). Despite the fact the Freud never met Anna O., her story served as the basis for the 1895 book,\u00a0<em>Studies on Hysteria<\/em>, which he co-authored with Breuer. Based on Breuer\u2019s description of Anna O.\u2019s treatment, Freud concluded that hysteria was the result of sexual abuse in childhood and that these traumatic experiences had been hidden from consciousness. Breuer disagreed with Freud, which soon ended their work together. However, Freud continued to work to refine talk therapy and build his theory on personality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><a id=\"TTfreudperson\"><\/a>TRICKY TOPIC: FREUD&#8217;S THEORY OF PERSONALITY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Freud&#39;s Theory of Personality\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qWY-JQ7etKo?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div>\n<section id=\"fs-idm165913600\">\n<section id=\"fs-id1470001\">\n<p id=\"fs-id1565745\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">If the video above does not load, click here:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/qWY-JQ7etKo\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/qWY-JQ7etKo<\/a><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section><em><span id=\"term70\">For a full transcript of this video, click <a href=\"\/intropsychneuro\/back-matter\/appendix\/#freudperson\">here<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/section>\n<p>Levels of Consciousness<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm133967264\">To explain the concept of conscious versus unconscious experience, Freud compared the mind to an iceberg (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_11_02_Iceberg\">Figure P.5<\/a>). He said that only about one-tenth of our mind is\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term693\">conscious<\/span><\/strong>, and the rest of our mind is<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term694\">unconscious<\/span><\/strong>. Our unconscious refers to that mental activity of which we are unaware and are unable to access (Freud, 1923). According to Freud, unacceptable urges and desires are kept in our unconscious through a process called repression. For example, we sometimes say things that we don\u2019t intend to say by unintentionally substituting another word for the one we meant. You\u2019ve probably heard of a Freudian slip, the term used to describe this. Freud suggested that slips of the tongue are actually sexual or aggressive urges, accidentally slipping out of our unconscious. Speech errors such as this are quite common. Seeing them as a reflection of unconscious desires, linguists today have found that slips of the tongue tend to occur when we are tired, nervous, or not at our optimal level of cognitive functioning (Motley, 2002).<\/p>\n<div id=\"Figure_11_02_Iceberg\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 488px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"21740\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/142889f85f9506264a3b21e8715d588649fc7908\" alt=\"The mind\u2019s conscious and unconscious states are illustrated as an iceberg floating in water. Beneath the water\u2019s surface in the \u201cunconscious\u201d area are the id, ego, and superego. The area above the water\u2019s surface is labeled \u201cconscious.\u201d Most of the iceberg\u2019s mass is contained underwater.\" width=\"488\" height=\"590\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure P.5\u00a0Freud believed that we are only aware of a small amount of our mind\u2019s activities and that most of it remains hidden from us in our unconscious. The information in our unconscious affects our behaviour, although we are unaware of it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">According to Freud, our personality develops from a conflict between two forces: our biological aggressive and pleasure-seeking drives versus our internal (socialized) control over these drives. Our personality is the result of our efforts to balance these two competing forces. Freud suggested that we can understand this by imagining three interacting systems within our minds. He called them the id, ego, and superego (<\/span><a class=\"autogenerated-content\" style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_16_02_Superego\">Figure P.6<\/a><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">).<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"Figure_16_02_Superego\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 649px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"50388\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/e7dea77603fe1309c7ab50e002459ee81a43f376\" alt=\"A chart illustrates an exchange of the Id, Superego, and Ego. Each has its own caption. The Id reads \u201cI want to do that now,\u201d and the Superego reads \u201cIt\u2019s not right to do that.\u201d These two captions each have an arrow pointing to the Ego\u2019s caption which reads \u201cMaybe we can compromise.\u201d\" width=\"649\" height=\"294\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure P.6\u00a0The job of the ego, or self, is to balance the aggressive\/pleasure-seeking drives of the id with the moral control of the superego.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">The unconscious\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term695\">id<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">contains our most primitive drives or urges, and is present from birth. It directs impulses for hunger, thirst, and sex. Freud believed that the id operates on what he called the \u201cpleasure principle,\u201d in which the id seeks immediate gratification. Through social interactions with parents and others in a child\u2019s environment, the ego and superego develop to help control the id. The\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term696\">superego<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0develops as a child interacts with others, learning the social rules for right and wrong. The superego acts as our conscience; it is our moral compass that tells us how we should behave. It strives for perfection and judges our behaviour, leading to feelings of pride or\u2014when we fall short of the ideal\u2014feelings of guilt. In contrast to the instinctual id and the rule-based superego, the\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><span id=\"term697\">ego<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">is the rational part of our personality. It\u2019s what Freud considered to be the self, and it is the part of our personality that is seen by others. Its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the context of reality; thus, it operates on what Freud called the \u201creality principle.\u201d The ego helps the id satisfy its desires in a realistic way.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idm30363472\">The id and superego are in constant conflict, because the id wants instant gratification regardless of the consequences, but the superego tells us that we must behave in socially acceptable ways. Thus, the ego\u2019s job is to find the middle ground. It helps satisfy the id\u2019s desires in a rational way that will not lead us to feelings of guilt. According to Freud, a person who has a strong ego, which can balance the demands of the id and the superego, has a healthy personality. Freud maintained that imbalances in the system can lead to\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term698\">neurosis<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0(a tendency to experience negative emotions), anxiety disorders, or unhealthy behaviours. For example, a person who is dominated by their id might be narcissistic and impulsive. A person with a dominant superego might be controlled by feelings of guilt and deny themselves even socially acceptable pleasures; conversely, if the superego is weak or absent, a person might become a psychopath. An overly dominant superego might be seen in an over-controlled individual whose rational grasp on reality is so strong that they are unaware of their emotional needs, or, in a neurotic who is overly defensive (overusing ego defence mechanisms).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"fs-idm39996960\">\n<h3>Defence Mechanisms<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fs-idm147693360\">Freud believed that feelings of anxiety result from the ego\u2019s inability to mediate the conflict between the id and superego. When this happens, Freud believed that the ego seeks to restore balance through various protective measures known as\u00a0<b>defence\u00a0mechanisms<\/b> (<a class=\"autogenerated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/11-2-freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective#Figure_11_02_Defense\">Figure P.7<\/a>). When certain events, feelings, or yearnings cause an individual anxiety, the individual wishes to reduce that anxiety. To do that, the individual\u2019s unconscious mind uses ego\u00a0<span id=\"term699\">defence mechanisms<\/span>, unconscious protective behaviours that aim to reduce anxiety. The ego, usually conscious, resorts to unconscious strivings to protect the ego from being overwhelmed by anxiety. When we use defence mechanisms, we are unaware that we are using them. Further, they operate in various ways that distort reality. According to Freud, we all use ego defence mechanisms.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Figure_11_02_Defense\" class=\"os-figure\">\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 975px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"26809\" src=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/resources\/4318448ca7b841bb7bcb43f30d420d3da717b096\" alt=\"A chart defines eight defense mechanisms and gives an example of each. \u201cDenial\u201d is defined as \u201cRefusing to accept real events because they are unpleasant.\u201d The example given is \u201cKaila refuses to admit she has an alcohol problem although she is unable to go a single day without drinking excessively.\u201d \u201cDisplacement\u201d is defined as \u201cTransferring inappropriate urges or behaviors onto a more acceptable or less threatening target.\u201d The example given is \u201cDuring lunch at a restaurant, Mark is angry at his older brother, but does not express it and instead is verbally abusive to the server.\u201d \u201cProjection\u201d is defined as \u201cAttributing unacceptable desires to others.\u201d The example given is \u201cChris often cheats on her boyfriend because she suspects he is already cheating on her.\u201d \u201cRationalization\u201d is defined as \u201cJustifying behaviors by substituting acceptable reasons for less-acceptable real reasons.\u201d The example given is \u201cKim failed his history course because he did not study or attend class, but he told his roommates that he failed because the professor didn\u2019t like him.\u201d \u201cReaction Formation\u201d is defined as \u201cReducing anxiety by adopting beliefs contrary to your own beliefs.\u201d The example given is \u201cNadia is angry with her coworker Beth for always arriving late to work after a night of partying, but she is nice and agreeable to Beth and affirms the partying as cool.\u201d \u201cRegression\u201d is defined as \u201cReturning to coping strategies for less mature stages of development.\u201d The example given is \u201cAfter failing to pass his doctoral examinations, Giorgio spends days in bed cuddling his favorite childhood toy.\u201d \u201cRepression\u201d is defined as \u201cSupressing painful memories and thoughts.\u201d The example given is \u201cLaShea cannot remember her grandfather\u2019s fatal heart attack, although she was present.\u201d \u201cSublimation\u201d is defined as \u201cRedirecting unacceptable desires through socially acceptable channels.\u201d The example given is \u201cJerome\u2019s desire for revenge on the drunk driver who killed his son is channeled into a community support group for people who\u2019ve lost loved ones to drunk driving.\u201d\" width=\"975\" height=\"1149\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure P.7\u00a0Defence mechanisms are unconscious protective behaviours that work to reduce anxiety.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"os-caption-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"fs-idp10691696\">While everyone uses defence mechanisms, Freud believed that overuse of them may be problematic. For example, let\u2019s say Joe is a high school football player. Deep down, Joe feels sexually attracted to males. His conscious belief is that being gay is immoral and that if he were gay, his family would disown him and he would be ostracized by his peers. Therefore, there is a conflict between his conscious beliefs (being gay is wrong and will result in being ostracized) and his unconscious urges (attraction to males). The idea that he might be gay causes Joe to have feelings of anxiety. How can he decrease his anxiety? Joe may find himself acting very \u201cmacho,\u201d making gay jokes, and picking on a school peer who is gay. This way, Joe\u2019s unconscious impulses are further submerged.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm2893472\">There are several different types of defence mechanisms. For instance, in repression, anxiety-causing memories from consciousness are blocked. As an analogy, let\u2019s say your car is making a strange noise, but because you do not have the money to get it fixed, you just turn up the radio so that you no longer hear the strange noise. Eventually you forget about it. Similarly, in the human psyche, if a memory is too overwhelming to deal with, it might be\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term700\">repressed<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and thus removed from conscious awareness (Freud, 1920). This repressed memory might cause symptoms in other areas.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fs-idm37492256\">Another defence mechanism is\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term701\">reaction formation<\/span><\/strong>, in which someone expresses feelings, thoughts, and behaviours opposite to their inclinations. In the above example, Joe made fun of a gay peer while himself being attracted to males. In\u00a0<span id=\"term702\">regression<\/span>, an individual acts much younger than their age. For example, a four-year-old child who resents the arrival of a newborn sibling may act like a baby and revert to drinking out of a bottle. In\u00a0<strong><span id=\"term703\">projection<\/span><\/strong>, a person refuses to acknowledge her own unconscious feelings and instead sees those feelings in someone else. Other defence mechanisms include<strong>\u00a0<span id=\"term704\">rationalization<\/span>,\u00a0<span id=\"term705\">displacement<\/span>, and\u00a0<span id=\"term706\">sublimation<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fs-idm165728240\" class=\"psychology link-to-learning ui-has-child-title\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"os-note-body\">\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">LINK TO LEARNING<\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">Watch this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/openstax.org\/l\/defmech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">video of Freud&#8217;s defence mechanisms<\/a>\u00a0to review.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":39,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/641"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1780,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/641\/revisions\/1780"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/39"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/641\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=641"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=641"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaleditions.library.dal.ca\/intropsychneuro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}