Compare and contrast two psychological perspectives I am going to research the psychodynamic and Cognitive theory thoroughly

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I am going to research the psychodynamic and Cognitive theory thoroughly, using different resources with this I will compare their strengths and weaknesses of each.

The psychodynamic approach includes all theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particular unconscious between the structures of personality. Freud’s psychoanalyst was the original psychodynamic theory.

Sigmund Freud's Theory is quite complex. He believed that different driving forces develop during these stages which play an important role in how we interact with the world. In An Outline of Psychoanalysis, Freud (1949) explains the principal tenets on which psychoanalytic theory is based.

According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements, these three elements of personality is known as the id, the ego, and the superego which work together to create complex human behaviors.

The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitive behaviors. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.
The id is driven by the
, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension.  The id is very important early in life, because it ensures that an infants needs are met. If the infant is hungry or uncomfortable, he or she will cry until the demands of the id are met.

According to Freud, the id tries to resolve the tension created by the pleasure principle through the primary process, which involves forming a mental image of the desired object as a way of satisfying the need.

The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The ego functions in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind. (Freud, 1949, p. 14).

The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses. In many cases, the id’s impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed gratification the ego will eventually allow the behavior, but only in the appropriate time and place.

The last stage of personality to develop is the superego. The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society (our sense of right and wrong.) The superego and provides guidelines for making judgments. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five.

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There are two parts of the superego; the ego ideal includes the rules and standards for good behaviors. These behaviors include those which are approved of by parental and other authority figures. Obeying these rules leads to feelings of pride, value, and accomplishment.

The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt and remorse.

The superego acts to perfect and civilize our behavior. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ...

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Summary This essay starts off very well with some excellent explanations of Freud's work. The writer clearly has a good grasp of the psychosexual stages of development and how Freud related problems negotiating these stages to adult problems. It would be a good idea to point out that Freud's psychoanalytical theory is the first of the psychodynamic approaches and that there are other psychodynamic approaches which developed from Freud. However, this part of the essay is very good indeed. Unfortunately, Cognitive Psychology has not been covered as well and is a bit thin on the ground. The writer needs to read more about cognitive psychology in general and give some examples of its therapeutic uses. The criticism at the end of both approaches is rather disjointed and needs to be better organised. With more work on the second part of the essay and a better conclusion this essay could achieve full marks. 3 Stars