Psychoanalytic Theory

Arooba Asmat Dev Speech-Language Pathologist

Definition

• Sigmund Freud‘s psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego.

Basic Instincts

Unconscious Motivation Psychic Determinism Energy Model

Closely follows Darwin’s theory Freud believed that everything humans do can be

understood as manifestations of the life and death instincts

Later termed libido (life) and thanatos (death)

Libido Thanatos

Unconscious Motivation

Individuals control their sexual and aggressive urges by placing them in the unconscious

These take on a life of their own and become the motivated unconscious

Psychic Determinism

Nothing happens by chance or accident

Everything we do, think, say, and feel is an expression of our mind

Energy Model

Humans are viewed as energy systems

Hydraulic model. Energy transformed but not destroyed

Levels of Consciousness

• Conscious - current awareness• Preconscious - not aware of

material but it’s retrievable (via ordinary retrieval)

• Unconscious - not aware of material but it’s not retrievable (via ordinary retrieval)

Personality and Psychoanalysis

Techniques for Revealing the Unconscious

Free Association Dream Analysis Projective Techniques Recovered Memories

The Structure of Personality

ID EGO

SUPEREGO

The Id – Reservoir of Psychic Energy

Most primitive part of the mind; what we are born with

Source of all drives and urgesOperates according to the pleasure principle

and primary process thinking

The part of the mind that constrains the id to reality

Develops around 2-3 years of ageOperates according to the reality

principle and secondary process thinking

Mediates between id, superego, and environment

The Ego- Executive of Personality

The part of the mind that internalizes the values, morals, and ideals of society

Develops around age 5Not bound by reality

The Superego- Upholder of Values and Ideals

Psychodynamics• Conflict model– Id vs. superego; Individual vs. society– Restrain expression of all drives– Surplus energy results in anxiety

Defense Mechanisms• Unconscious psychological

processes designed to avoid or reduce the conscious experience of anxiety

Useful in coping with unexpected or disappointing events

Can also make circumstances worse

Defense Mechanisms in Everyday Life

Personality and Psychoanalysis

The goal of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious

Identify unconscious thoughts and feelings

Enable the person to deal with the unconscious urges realistically and maturely

Summary

There are 3 main forces in the psyche that constantly interact to tame the 2 motives

Defense mechanisms help keep urges, thoughts, and memories that cause anxiety in the unconscious

Psychoanalysis is a therapy used for making the patient's unconscious conscious

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