The PSYCHODYNAMIC Theory
Focusing on the inner person
Rooted in Freud’s theory, the psychodynamic perspective believes that all behaviour and mental thoughts reflect
the unconscious psychological struggles that rage silently within each person. Usually, these struggles involve
conflict between the impulse to satisfy instincts or wishes and the need to play by the rules in society. Anxiety,
depression and other disorders are signs of this inner turmoil.
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud’s theory suggests that the unconscious is responsible for a good part of our everyday behaviour. To
Freud, the unconscious is a part of the personality about which a person is unaware. It contains infantile wishes,
desires, demands and needs that are hidden, because of their disturbing nature, from conscious awareness.
Unconscious: the part of the mind that is inaccessible to the conscious mind but that affects behavior and
emotions.
According to Freud, one’s personality has three aspects: the id, the ego and the superego.
THE ID
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The part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger.
According to Freud, we are born with our Id.
The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs
met.
Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels
good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. When a child is hungry, the id
wants food, and therefore the child cries.
When the child needs to be changed, the id cries. When the child is uncomfortable, in pain, too hot, too
cold, or just wants attention, the id speaks up until his or her needs are met.
The id doesn't care about reality, about the needs of anyone else, only its own satisfaction. If you think
about it, babies are not real considerate of their parents' wishes. They have no care for time, whether
their parents are sleeping, relaxing, eating dinner, or bathing. When the id wants something, nothing else
is important.
THE EGO
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Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the
personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle.
The ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or
selfish can hurt us in the long run. It’s the ego's job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into
consideration the reality of the situation.
THE SUPEREGO
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By the age of five the Superego develops. The Superego is the moral part of us and develops due to the
moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers. Many equate the superego with the
conscience as it dictates our belief of right and wrong.
In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not
upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. Not an easy job by any means,
but if the id gets too strong, impulses and self-gratification take over the person's life. If the superego becomes
too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgmental and unbending in his or her
interactions with the world.
Your ego might say, "I will have sex only occasionally and be sure to take the proper precautions because I don't
want the intrusion of a child in the development of my career." However, your id is saying, "I want to be satisfied;
sex is pleasurable." Your superego is at work, too: "I feel guilty about having sex before I'm married."
Freud also believed that everything we are aware of is stored in our conscious.
At any given time, we are only aware of a very small part of what makes up our personality; most of what we are is
buried and inaccessible. The final part is the preconscious or subconscious. This is the part of us that we can
access if prompted, but is not in our active conscious. Its right below the surface, but still buried somewhat unless
we search for it. Information such as our telephone number, some childhood memories, or the name of your best
childhood friend is stored in the preconscious.
Because the unconscious is so large, and because we are only aware of the very small conscious at any given time,
this theory has been likened to an iceberg, where the vast majority is buried beneath the water's surface. The
water represents everything that we are not aware of, have not experienced, and that has not been integrated
into our personalities, referred to as the nonconscious.
Freud’s Psychosexual Personality Development Theory
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According to Freud, personality is mostly established by the age of five.
Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later in
life.
Freud's theory of psychosexual development is one of the best known, but also one of the most
controversial.
Freud believed that personality develops through a series of childhood stages during which the pleasureseeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. This psychosexual energy,
or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior.
If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, the result is a healthy personality.
If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate tage, fixation can occur.
A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the
individual will remain "stuck" in this stage.
For example, a person who is fixated at the oral stage may be over-dependent on others and may seek
oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.
THE STAGES
1. THE ORAL STAGE
Age Range: Birth to 1 Year; Erogenous Zone: Mouth
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During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth,
so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially important.
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The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying
activities such as tasting and sucking.
Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers (who are responsible for feeding the child),
the infant also develops a sense of trust and comfort through this oral stimulation.
The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process--the child must become less dependent upon
caretakers.
If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues with dependency or
aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking or nail biting.
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2. THE ANAL STAGE
Age Range: 1-3 Years; Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control
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During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido was on controlling bladder and
bowel movements.
The major conflict at this stage is toilet training--the child has to learn to control his or her bodily needs.
Developing this control leads to a sense of accomplishment and independence.
According to Freud, success at this stage is dependent upon the way in which parents approach toilet
training. Parents who utilize praise and rewards for using the toilet at the appropriate time encourage
positive outcomes and help children feel capable and productive.
Freud believed that positive experiences during this stage served as the basis for people to become
competent, productive and creative adults.
Some parents' instead punish, ridicule or shame a child for accidents. According to Freud, inappropriate
parental responses can result in negative outcomes.
If parents take an approach that is too lenient, Freud suggested that an anal-expulsive personality could
develop in which the individual has a messy, wasteful or destructive personality.
If parents are too strict or begin toilet training too early, Freud believed that an anal-retentive
personality develops in which the individual is stringent, orderly, rigid and obsessive.
3. THE PHALLIC STAGE
Age Range: 3-6 Years; Erogenous Zone: Genitals
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During the phallic stage, the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals.
At this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and females.
Freud also believed that boys begin to view their fathers as a rival for the mother’s affections.
The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the desire to replace
the father. However, the child also fears that he will be punished by the father for these feelings, a fear
Freud termed castration anxiety.
The term Electra complex has been used to describe a similar set of feelings experienced by young girls.
Freud, however, believed that girls instead experience penis envy.
Eventually, the child begins to identify with the same-sex parent as a means of vicariously possessing the
other parent.
For girls, however, Freud believed that penis envy was never fully resolved and that all women remain
somewhat fixated on this stage.
Psychologists such as Karen Horney disputed this theory, calling it both inaccurate and demeaning to
women.
Instead, Horney proposed that men experience feelings of inferiority because they cannot give birth to
children.
4. THE LATENT STAGE
Age Range: 6-Puberty; Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings are Inactive
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During the latent period, the libido interests are suppressed.
The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm.
The stage begins around the time that children enter into school and become more concerned with peer
relationships, hobbies and other interests.
The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is still present, but it is directed into
other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions.
This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills and self-confidence.
5. THE GENITAL STAGE
Age Range: Puberty to Death; Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interest
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During the final stage of psychosexual development, the individual develops a strong sexual interest in the
opposite sex.
This stage begins during puberty but last throughout the rest of a person's life.
Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs, interest in the welfare of others grows
during this stage.
If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual should now be well-balanced, warm
and caring. The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.