The idea that a person’s inner world has a complex structure has existed for a long time. Even philosophers of the era of Antiquity and early Christianity identified three spheres: spirit, soul and mind or reason. Currently, the most popular and at the same time the most developed structure of the psyche is the model of S. Freud. It includes three levels - consciousness, unconscious and superconscious - and is the basis of the theory and practice of psychoanalysis.
Structural model of the psyche of S. Freud
Modern psychoanalysis differs in many ways from the classical teachings of Freud and is not a single entity, but includes a number of areas. However, there is something in common between them. And first of all, these are concepts such as “unconscious” (“id”, “it”), “consciousness” (“I”, “ego”) and “superconsciousness” (“super-I”, “super-ego”) . The interaction of these levels gives an idea of the processes occurring in the human psyche and their impact on his life.
The core of psychoanalysis can be considered the idea of the unconscious. By developing the theory of this area, S. Freud made a real revolution in psychology. However, he was not the discoverer of the concept itself. Back in the 17th century, G. Leibniz wrote about unconscious phenomena in the human psyche. True, from the point of view of modern science, his theory looks rather primitive. It comes down to the statement that the human soul perceives many things that the mind is not able to comprehend.
Taking this idea as a basis, Freud not only described in detail the functions of consciousness and the unconscious, but also identified another level, standing above consciousness and formed under the influence of society. This is the “super-ego” or superconsciousness. In a simplified form, it can be characterized as conscience or a set of social attitudes that influence human behavior and limit the manifestation of animal instincts and desires.
Each of these three levels or spheres performs its own functions in the human psyche.
Interaction of Id, Ego and Superego
It turns out that there are so many competing forces that a conflict may arise between the Id, Ego and Superego. Freud used the term "ego strength" to refer to the ability of the ego to function regardless of what relationships exist between these components at the time. A person with a strong ego is able to effectively cope with such stress, and those with an overly strong or, conversely, weak ego may become too unyielding or too weak-willed. As Sigmund Freud believed, the key to a healthy personality is the balance between the id, ego and superego.
Sources: psychology.about.com Carducci, B. The psychology of personality: Viewpoints, research, and applications. John Wiley & Sons; 2009. Engler, B. Personality theories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing; 2009.
Tags: , personality, behavior, superego, theory, ego
Have something to say? Leave a comment!:
The unconscious, or "it"
S. Freud called this level id, which can be translated from Latin as “this” and “something”, and in Russian psychology the concept “it” is more often used. The founder of psychoanalysis considered the unconscious to be the most important area of the psyche. It is innate in nature and is subject to biological, not social laws, because instincts and natural, mainly sexual, needs play a significant role in this area.
In many ways, the content of “it” is determined by hereditary factors. By the way, one of Freud’s followers, K. Jung, believed that the level of the unconscious is also connected with the ancestral memory of the ethnic group, and the archetypes of the collective unconscious are stored there - the most ancient prototypes that we inherited from our distant ancestors.
The content of the unconscious is quite diverse, and at this level there are not only archetypes, but also many other mental formations:
- instincts;
- natural, primarily sexual needs;
- asocial (forbidden) desires repressed from the level of consciousness;
- aggressive impulses and desires to dominate;
- psychological complexes resulting from the unrealized energy of forbidden desires.
From the point of view of psychoanalysis, it is “it” that largely controls human behavior. If anything, most of the behavioral problems and communication difficulties we experience are related to this level. The whole point is that the unconscious is, as it were, focused on obtaining pleasure at any cost, and society introduces its own, often quite strict, restrictions into this process.
Superego
The last component that develops in personality is the Superego. The superego is the aspect of personality that contains all of our internalized morals, values, and ideals. These we receive from both parents and society, they make up our sense of right and wrong. The superego contains the framework within which we make decisions. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge around the age of five. The superego consists of:
- Ego ideal , which includes limits, rules, and standards of good behavior. These are actions that would be approved by parents or others with sufficient authority for the person. By following these rules, a person is filled with a sense of pride in himself, he realizes his value to others and feels inner integrity.
- Conscience includes information about what, from the point of view of parents and society, would be unacceptable. Such behavior is often prohibited and can lead to unpleasant consequences, punishment, or feelings of guilt and remorse.
The superego is aimed at creating more perfect and civilized behavior. It tries to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and force the ego to act according to idealistic standards rather than realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious and subconscious.
"Ego" - "I"
To denote the level of consciousness in psychoanalysis, the Latin concept ego is used - “I”. If the “id” is the animal nature, then the “ego” is the rational part of the psyche. These are all things that we are aware of, that we can manage and meaningfully regulate. Strange as it may seem at first glance, the volume of the “ego” is not too large compared to the “id”; the sphere of the conscious is much smaller than the region of the unconscious.
Although S. Freud himself paid less attention to the analysis of this level, its functions are not difficult to determine. These include the following:
- assessment of the real situation;
- analysis of meaningful information received by consciousness from external and internal sources;
- making decisions;
- control over their implementation;
- partial understanding of desires and transforming them into actions or moving them to the level of the unconscious (displacement);
- rationalization (explanation) of actions and actions.
In fact, the “I” is a mediator in the struggle between the “it” and the “super-ego”. This level of the psyche is constantly looking for a compromise between natural needs and the demands of society.
Formation
The structure of the Super-Ego is formed thanks to the social name of a person (Last Name, First Name, Patronymic), which is recorded in a passport or other identity document. For example, stateless persons or those with identification problems cannot become full-fledged members of society.
A person’s personal name determines the harmony of his Super-Ego. Any change of full name inevitably leads to a change in the structure of the personality component, and therefore changes the social conditions of a person. The correct choice of name is an important condition for harmonious relationships between society and the individual.
"Super-ego" or "super-ego"
Superego is a kind of superstructure over consciousness, which is formed during a person’s life under the influence of social norms, requirements, prohibitions - taboos. On the one hand, the “superego” allows us to distinguish between good and evil, good and bad, and to be aware of moral principles and ideals. But on the other hand, according to Freud, the “super-ego” limits a person’s freedom, driving him into the framework of generally accepted norms. Moral prohibitions prevent the satisfaction of natural needs and the manifestation of equally natural aggressiveness. This leads to various mental problems, such as neuroses.
To avoid a critical situation, a person’s consciousness, his “I”, invents various methods of compensation or sublimation - transforming the energy of forbidden desires into something more acceptable to society.
Eid
The id is the only component of personality that a person has from birth. This aspect is completely unconscious and involves instinctive and primitive forms of behavior. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it a fundamental component of the personality. The id functions in accordance with the pleasure principle - because of it, a person strives for immediate satisfaction of all his desires and needs. If these needs are not met on time, a state of anxiety or tension arises. For example, increased hunger or thirst will be followed by an attempt to eat or drink. The id plays a very important role early in life as it ensures that the infant's needs are met. If a child is hungry or uncomfortable, he or she will cry until the demands of the id are met. However, immediate satisfaction of these needs is not always even possible. If we were governed solely by the pleasure principle, then at some point we might realize that in order to satisfy our needs, we snatch things we like from the hands of other people. Such behavior would be destructive and socially unacceptable. According to Freud, the id attempts to relieve the tension created by the pleasure principle through a primary process involving the formation of a mental image of a desired object as a way of satisfying a need.
Modern
Modern conflict theory
Charles Brenner (1982) attempted to revive ego psychology by articulating briefly and clearly the fundamental focus of psychoanalysis: intrapsychic conflict and the resulting compromises. Over time, Brenner (2002) attempted to develop a more clinically based theory called “modern conflict theory.” He distanced himself from the formal components of structural theory and its metapsychological assumptions and focused entirely on compromise formations.
Heinz Kohut developed self psychology, a theoretical and therapeutic model associated with ego psychology, in the late 1960s.[11] Self psychology focuses on the mental model of the self, which is important in pathologies.[a]
Analysis of conflicts, defense and resistance
According to Freud's structural theory, a person's libidinal and aggressive impulses are constantly in conflict with his or her own conscience, as well as with the limitations imposed by reality. In certain circumstances, these conflicts can lead to neurotic symptoms. Thus, the goal of psychoanalytic treatment is to establish a balance between bodily needs, psychological desires, one's own conscience and social restrictions. Ego psychologists argue that conflict is best resolved by the psychological agent that has the closest relationship to consciousness, the unconscious, and reality: the ego.
The clinical technique most often associated with ego psychology is defense analysis
. Through clarification, comparison, and interpretation of typical defense mechanisms, ego psychologists hope to help the patient gain control over these mechanisms.[14]
Content
- 1 History 1.1 Early concepts of ego
- 1.2 Freud's ego psychology
- 1.3 Systematization 1.3.1 Anna Freud
- 1.3.2 Heinz Hartmann
- 1.3.3 David Rapaport
- 1.3.4 Other participants
- 2.1 Modern conflict theory
Manifestation
So, the Super-Ego is the social shell of the personality. The minds of many people are not active, and they perceive the surrounding reality not with their own, but with the collective mind. That is, a person’s personality is labeled as Super-Ego. This label is a criterion for how a person will be treated by society.
That is, if the Super-Ego is disharmonious, the reaction of others to the person will be negative. A person with a harmonious Super-Ego will always be understood, normally perceived and supported by others.
The negative reaction of society absorbs a huge amount of personal power and creates an uncomfortable and unpleasant environment around the person.
Recommendations
- John Hunter Padel, "Freudianism: Later Developments", in Richard Gregory, ed., The Oxford Companion to Mind
(Oxford, 1987) pp. 270-1 - Phillips, Adam (2014). Become Freud
. Grand Rapids, MI: Yale University Press. C. Introduction. ISBN 978-0-300-15866-3. - Janet Malcolm, Psychoanalysis: An Impossible Profession
(1988) pp. 29–36 - V.V. Meisner, Freud and psychoanalysis
(n.d.) p. 159 - ^ a b c
Wallerstein, Robert S. (February 2002).
"The Growth and Transformation of American Ego Psychology." Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
.
50
(1): 135–168. Doi:10.1177/00030651020500011401. PMID 12018862. S2CID 37488805. - Malcolm, page 36
- O. L. Zangwill, "Freud, Anna" in Gregory's edition, p. 268
- Rapaport, D. (1960). The Structure of Psychoanalytic Theory: A Systematic Attempt
. International Universities Press, Inc. - Malcolm, page 4
- Erik H. Erikson, Childhood and Society
(Penguin 1973), pp. 13 and pp. 58-9 - Wilson, Arnold; Robinson, Hope M. (2002). "Self-psychology". Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy
. pp. 615–620. Doi:10.1016/B0-12-343010-0/00195-1. ISBN 978-0-12-343010-6. - Gabbard, G.O.; Rahal, F. (2012). "Psychodynamic psychotherapy: theory and practice." Encyclopedia of Human Behavior
. pp. 187–194. Doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-375000-6.00236-6. ISBN 978-0-08-096180-4. - Berzoff, J; Flanagan, L.M.; Hertz, P (2012). Inside and outside: Psychodynamic clinical theory and psychopathology in contemporary multicultural contexts
(3rd ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. - Padel, pp. 270-1
- Padel, page 271
- M. Solomon, Beethoven's Essays
(1988) p. 149 - Elisabeth Roudinesco, Jacques Lacan
(2005) p. 193 - David Macy, 'Introduction'. Jacques Lacan Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis
(Penguin 1994) pp. XXI-II - Jacques Lacan, Écrits
(1997) p. 231
