1. Psychoanalytic Approach
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

2. Agenda Psychoanalytic NeoFreudian Object Relations Individual Trait
Social
Humanistic
Biological

3. The Psychoanalytic Theory
If anyone mentions the word
Psychoanalytic, you think Sigmund Freud
Freud started his work in the 19th Century
Freud’s ideas and approach to psychotherapy remain relevant until today
All personality theories thereafter were build upon or try to disprove Freud’s theories
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

4. Freud’s Theories on Personality1
Instincts 2
Id-Ego-Superego 3
Psychosexual Stages 4
Defense Mechanisms

5. 1. Instincts What does instinct means?
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

6. 1. Instincts ICSP254 Theories of Personality What does instinct means?
A natural inheritable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environment without involving reason
Behavior that is mediated by reactions below conscious level
Examples
Fight or Flight instinct
Tiger possess a natural hunting instinct
She seemed to know by instinct that something was wrong
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7. Can you resist your instinct?
Instincts
In Freud’s Definition
Innate, goal-directed sequences of behavior that are more complex than simple reflexes that are impervious to influence of learning and experience
Mental representations of internal stimuli, such as hunger, that drive a person to take certain action
Examples
When your body knows it needs energy to live, it signals your stomach to growl, and then you go and find something to eat
Can you resist your instinct?
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8. Eros Thanatos 2 Types of Instinct ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Life Instincts, Sexual Instincts
Survival, pleasure, reproduction
Thirst, hunger, pain avoidance
Behavior: love, cooperation, sex
Libido drive toward pleasure
Eros
Death Instincts, Aggressive drive
“The goal of all life is death” (Beyond the Pleasure Principle, 1920)
Unconscious desire to die
Self-destructive behaviors, aggression
Thanatos
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9. How does instincts shape personality?
Death drive turn outward
A person who’s a bully, is aggressive, likes to ridicule and make people feel so small
Death drive turn inward
Someone who constantly do things that hurt themselves (like using drugs, missing work)
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10. Freud’s Theories on Personality1
Instincts 2
Id-Ego-Superego 3
Psychosexual Stages 4
Defense Mechanisms

11. 2. Id-Ego-Superego

12. The “Id” ICSP254 Theories of Personality “Id” think “it”
Basic life instincts that is directly related to satisfaction of bodily needs
Pleasure principle - seek pleasure, maximize pleasure, avoid pain
Immediate gratification vs. delay gratification
Selfish, primitive, amoral, insistent, rash
Primary process – childlike thinking by which id attempts to satisfy instinctual drive
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

13. The “Ego” ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Rational, controlling the basic instincts (id)
Delay gratification – Ego does not deny id satisfaction. Rather, it tries to postpone, delay, or redirect in consideration of reality (rationally)
Reality principle – provide appropriate constraints on expression of id drive, socially acceptable way of doing
Secondary process – childlike thinking by which id attempts to satisfy instinctual drive
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

14. The “Superego” ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Moral aspect of personality
Conscience – tell you right/wrong, feel guilty if doing something morally questionable, feel relief after telling truth
Moral principle – using moral compass to censor behavior: what’s right and wrong, follow the law, follow what parents taught
Learned and deeply embedded
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

15. “Thou shall not be unfaithful”
Let’s Sum Up
“Thou shall not be unfaithful”
“Thou shall not kill” Id
Instant Gratification
Pleasure Principle
Primary Process
Ego
Delayed Gratification
Reality Principle
Secondary Process
Superego
Deny Gratification
Moral Principle
Conscience
One’s personality depends on how strong each component is. Example, one person have strong superego and will never cheat on spouse despite wishing to have sex with someone more attractive. Someone who’s more impulsive (id dominant) may act on that impulse immediately and cheated.
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16. Id-Ego-Superego on Personality
Inherent conflict between id and superego
Goal of Therapy
Strengthen the superego
Make the unconscious (id) conscious
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17. Freud’s Theories on Personality1
Instincts 2
Id-Ego-Superego 3
Psychosexual Stages 4
Defense Mechanisms

18. Psychosexual Stages of Personality Development
Freud sensed strong sexual conflicts in the infant and young child, conflicts that seemed to revolve around specific regions of the body
To Freud, the oral, anal, phallic, and genital stages through which all children pass.
In these stages, gratification of the id instincts depends on the stimulation of corresponding areas of the body: Erogenous Zone
Fixation: A condition in which a portion of libido remains invested in one of the psychosexual stages because of excessive frustration or gratification.

19. Psychosexual Stages ICSP254 Theories of Personality Age Stage 0-2 Oral
Oral = mouth, interactions occur through mouth
Oral pleasure such as sucking, infant sucking mother’s breast
Id drive is dominant, think baby behaviors
How does the mother respond when the baby cry?
Primary conflict: dependency vs. insecurity
issues with dependency or aggression (argumentative, hostility)
Oral fixation – Excessive concerns with oral activities such as problems with drinking, smoking, nail biting
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20. Psychosexual Stages ICSP254 Theories of Personality Age Stage 1-3 Anal
Toilet training, Learn to manage polarity of relaxation and rigidity
Delay gratification of impulses to get anal pleasure
Primary conflict: control
Anal retentive – overly strong need to control urges and maintain control, compulsively neat, stingy, hoarding
Anal expulsive – unable to maintain control over instinctual urges, messy, disorganized, hostile-sadistic
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21. Psychosexual Stages ICSP254 Theories of Personality Age Stage 3-6
Phallic
Preoccupation with genital, sexual impulses, masturbations
Oedipus/Electra Complex – sexual impulses toward opposite-sex parent and aggressive impulse toward same-sex parent
Castration anxiety – afraid of retaliation by other parent if act on those sexual impulses
This is the age where superego develops, to deal with these sexual impulses
Social relationship and attitude toward opposite sex
Narcissism
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22. Psychosexual Stages ICSP254 Theories of Personality Age Stage 3-6
Phallic
(continue)
Male phallic personality – assert masculinity through behaviors such as repeated sexual conquests
Female phallic personality – exaggerate femininity and use charms to conquer men
Homosexuality resulting from conflict at this stage
6-12
Latency
Latent = exist but does not manifest, hidden
Libidinal energy channeled into normal childhood activities
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23. Psychosexual Stages ICSP254 Theories of Personality Age Stage 12+
Genital
Sexual energy focused on members of opposite sex
Proper socialization and sexual energy
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24. Freud’s Theories on Personality1
Instincts 2
Id-Ego-Superego 3
Psychosexual Stages 4
Defense Mechanisms

25. Defense Mechanisms ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Unconscious psychological mechanism that reduce anxiety arising from unacceptable or potentially harmful stimuli
Brought into play by the unconscious mind
Purpose is to manipulate, deny, or distort reality in order to defend against feeling anxiety or unacceptable impulses and to protect one’s ego
ICSP254 Theories of Personality

26. Defense Mechanisms ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Repression – push it out of the conscious mind
Denial – denying existence of the traumatic event
Reaction formation – expression that is opposite from what one truly is
Projection – attributing disturbing impulse to someone else
Regression – retreat to earlier developmental stage (e.g. childish)
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27. Defense Mechanisms ICSP254 Theories of Personality
Displacement – shifting id impulse to a substitute object that is available
Rationalization – reinterpreting behavior to make it more acceptable
Sublimation – diverting id impulse into socially acceptable behaviors
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28. Development of Personality
All of us are driven by the same id impulses, but we have different strengths of each component.
A person’s unique character type develops in childhood largely from parent–child interactions.
The child tries to maximize pleasure by satisfying the id demands, while parents, as representatives of society, try to impose the demands of reality and morality.
The adult personality was firmly shaped and crystallized by the 5th year of life.

29. Questions about Human Nature
Past
Present
Nurture
Determinism
Nature
Free Will
Past or Present?
Past
Free Will or Determinism?
Determined by our childhood experience
Nature or Nurture?
Your personality determined by childhood experience

30. Questions about Human Nature
Uniqueness
Universality
Pessimism
Growth
Optimism
Equilibrium
Unique or Universal?
Unique experiences
Equilibrium or Growth?
Maintain equilibrium once set
Optimism or Pessimism?
Pretty pessimistic view of human nature