PSYCHOANALYTIC
THEORY.
INRODUCTION
The
psychoanalytic conception of human behavior was developed by Sigmund Freud in
Europe at about the same time when behaviorism was gaining momentum in America.
Psychoanalytic approach is based on the belief that childhood experiences
greatly influence the development of later personality traits &
psychological problems. It also stresses the influence of the unconscious mind
as revealed through fears, desires, motivation, etc. that regulate human mind
& thought & behavior. Psychoanalytic concepts have been developed from
case studies of mental patients. Psychoanalytic theories are based on the
assumption that behavior is to be understood in terms of interaction & conflicts
arising out of needs & desires of an individual, some of which operate at
an unconscious level.
According
to Freud, the human mind has three levels of consciousness-the conscious, the
pre-conscious & unconscious. Freud believed that the most important factor
in psychic activity is the unconscious. The satisfied desires &
painful-experiences of the individual are pushed down to the unconscious-layer
of the mind.
Freud
explains the structure of mind in terms of three fundamental concepts namely the
id, the ego & the super-ego.
Sigmund
Freud, an Austrian neuropsychologist, was the found of psychoanalysis & one
of the major intellectual figures of 20th century. He concluded that
the mental disorders might cause purely by psychological rather than organic
factors.
According
to Freud in order to study one’s personality. We have to analyze the person’s
mind or psyche. In 1899 he published famous book. Interpretation of dreams in
which he said that dreams are distinguishes expression of unconscious wishes.
PSYCHIC ENERGY.
For
every action we need energy. Freud called this energy as psychic energy. It is
also called the Libido. This psychic energy motivates a person to put the
action.
According
to Freud, our instincts are the source of psychic energy. There are two types
of instincts.
1. Life
instincts: instincts for love, affection, sex.
2. Death
instincts: instincts for destruction, suicide, etc.
Among
the above mentioned instincts, sexual instincts are the most prominent one that
produces the psychic energy.
THREE LAYERS OF HUMAN
PSYCHE [PERSONALITY DYNAMICS].
Freud
believes that the human mind has three levels of consciousness.
1. The conscious mind:
it is that layer of mind which contains the memories, thoughts & desines of
which we are aware of at a given moment.
2. The pre-conscious mind:
it is that part of mind which contains those experiences of which the person is
not fully aware at a given moment but which could be recalled easily.
3. The unconscious mind:
this is that part of mind which contains experiences & memories which
cannot be recalled by the person. It is the bottom part of the mind. Many of
the unfulfilled desires and unpleasant experiences reside in this part of mind.
It constituted two third portion of the total mind.
THEORY OF PERSONALITY STRUCTURE.
Freud
believes that the personality structure is composed of three major systems such
as Id, Ego, & Super Ego. Each of these systems has its own characteristics
& they interact with each other closely. The human personality is the
outcome of such interaction.
1. ID (instinctual
drive): id is the original system of personality. It is from id that the other
two system of personality emerges. It is controlled by pleasure principle. It
is selfish & unethical. Id is the sources of all psychic energy (libidinal
energy). Id may depend on two processes. Reflex action & primary process
(satisfaction through unrealistic mental image).
2. The Ego: the
ego develops out of id in order to facilitate the realization of id’s goal in a
socially acceptable & desirable manner without causing any danger to the
individual. The Ego obeys the reality principle. It is concerned with whether
an experience is true or false. Ego always depends on realistic thinking
(secondary process). The main function of the Ego is to make a balance between
Id & Super Ego.
3. The super Ego:
super ego is the morally & culturally conditioned aspects of the psyche. It
develops as a result of the child’s interaction with parents, teachers, social
codes of conduct, religious values, etc. it represents the ideal rather than
real. It strives for perfection rather than pleasure. It thinks whether
something is right or wrong. It follows the morality principle. One of the main
functions of super ego is to block the energy coming from one’s Id.
The
interaction between the three systems of one’s personality determines his
behavior.
ANISHA
SOCIAL SCIENCE
