Analyse and evaluate the extent to which Freuds theory contributes to our understanding of personality development.

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Analyse and evaluate the extent to which Freud’s theory contributes to our understanding of personality development.

Personality is a comprehensive concept and yet there is not a universally accepted definition of personality. However, major assumptions are that personality is stable, consistent, internal and different (Hampson, 1992). Personality is an important factor in many areas of life especially health, personal and social relationships and success in business (citation needed). Hence, psychologists have been interested in the motivational basis of behaviour, formation of personality and the reasons for different personality types. The first comprehensive personality theory is Freud’s psychoanalytic theory (PAT) (Magnavita, 2002) that addresses both normal and abnormal behaviour. PAT possesses different models of structure and mechanisms that are connected to each other. Nevertheless, central to the theory is that powerful biological instincts (i.e., sexual and aggressive) are the sole motivators underlying all human behaviour (Shaffer, 2009). The aim of this essay is to show how PAT contributes to one’s understanding of personality development. Therefore, firstly the importance of level of consciousness (LOC) was looked at. Secondly, the functioning of personality structure (PS) was investigated. Thirdly, the significance of psychosexual stages on personality development was underlined. Finally, it was concluded that Freud’s theory stresses that good parenting, feeding activity and toilet training determines one’s personality.

PAT suggests that the mind is constituted by three LOC; the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. The conscious consists of whatever (e.g., thoughts, experience, or image) one is aware of at a particular point in time (Weiten, 2010). However, when the energy of a thought is diverted, it quickly fades from consciousness (Newman & Newman, 2009).  The preconscious comprises memories of experiences outside current awareness. Nevertheless, those can be brought to awareness easily. The unconscious stores inaccessible elements such as biological urges (e.g., eating, sex, and aggression) and repressed memories.  According to PAT, human behaviour is determined by interactions of three components of PS: the id, ego, and superego (Weiten, 2010). The id is entirely unconscious, amoral, illogical, and contains instinctive, primitive aspects of personality (Carver &Scheier, 2004). The id is the initial source of psychic energy and linked to the nervous system (Abbott, 2001).  Consequently, the id requires immediate satisfaction. When the needs are unsatisfied the id forms a mental image of an object in order to satisfy the need and discharge any arisen tension (Watts & Hook, 2009) which only works short-term. The ego, on the contrary, is logical, rational, self-preservative, able to interact with the external world and the decision making component of personality. The ego operates in all LOC. Notwithstanding, the ego aims to satisfy the id’s impulses but by considering the external world. Thus, the ego delays the discharge of tension until a safe and appropriate time and place is found (Bergmann, 1980). Superego develops out of ego as a result of internalizing values, attitudes, and evaluations of its parents. The superego has rewarding and punishing functions and can be thought as ‘internal parents’ (Ewen, 1998). The superego seeks love and avoids criticism, punishment and rejection. Therefore, superego aims to inhibit the id’s impulses and forces ego to act morally rather than rationally. Cooperation of these cross-purpose components results in conflict. Therefore, ego faces internal and external threats in decision-making period which creates anxiety (Nevid, 2011). Subsequently, ego resorts various defence mechanisms (e.g., repression, denial, projection) in order to cope with anxiety and protect the self. Defence mechanisms and strength of ego are important for normal development and are formed during the period of psychosexual development (Sharf, 2012).

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Psychosexual development involves five stages: The oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stage. At each stage a different part of body becomes the infant’s erogenous zone where the infant seeks physical pleasure (Coon &Mitterer,2007). At each stage the child confronts conflicts as a result of receiving too much, or too little, gratification. Failure to resolve these conflicts causes fixation where libido gets permanently invested in that stage (Carver &Scheier, 2004).  Fixation does not enable normal development because less energy becomes available to deal with conflicts in later stages. The oral stage (OS) involves first eighteen months of life where the ...

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