1. The Psychodynamic Approach to Personality
EQ: According to the psychodynamic approach, how do we develop our personality?

2. Freud’s Theory:
In the psychodynamic approach, Freud postulated that our personality is mostly defined by unconscious psychological processes
Freud assumed that we had various structures within this unconscious mind that allowed us to know what to do in a situation

3. The Structure of Our Mind:

4. The Id: The Id is the unconscious part of the personality
It is responsible for our instinctual thoughts
Eros, or life instincts, are positive and constructive
Libido concentrated on sex drive
Thanatos, or death instincts, are negative and destructive
According to Freud, all decisions in the Id will be determined by the pleasure principle

5. The Ego: According to Freud, our Ego evolves from our Id
The Ego is the bridge between the unconscious world and the real world
Our Ego uses the reality principle to make decisions as to what we should do

6. The Superego:
Wile the Id and Ego are primarily concerned with what we want and what is possible, our superego is concerned with what we should do
This superego becomes our moral compass

7. Defense Mechanisms within the Ego:

8. Repression:
The unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts, feelings and impulses
EX: If we suffer a severe accident, we may not remember what happened, because we don’t want to re-live it

9. Rationalization:
Putting something into a different light or offering a different explanation for one’s perceptions or behaviors in the face of a changing reality.
EX: If someone we love does something terrible, we may try to forgive them when we would never forgive someone else

10. Projection:
The misattribution of a person’s undesired thoughts, feelings or impulses onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses.
EX: If my grade goes down because I get caught cheating on a test, it is because my teacher “hates” me.

11. Reaction Formation:
The converting of unwanted or dangerous thoughts, feelings or impulses into their opposites.
EX: Jumping out of an airplane is fun, not terrifying

12. Sublimation:
The channeling of unacceptable impulses, thoughts and emotions into more acceptable ones.
EX: If I eat one part of a candy bar instead of the whole candy bar, that is acceptable

13. Displacement:
The redirecting of thoughts feelings and impulses directed at one person or object, but taken out upon another person or object
EX: You break up with your boyfriend, but you blame it on your parents because they never like him

14. Denial:
The refusal to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful event, thought or feeling did not exist.
EX: Many people, in a divorce, will only blame the other person.

15. Compensation:
A process of psychologically counterbalancing perceived weaknesses by emphasizing strength in other arenas.
EX: Many women wear huge heels to compensate for a lack of height