Freud, Adler and Jung

Freudian Theory

Sigmund Freud viewed that people are driven by unconscious influences a part of their inner world of which they are not aware of . He theorised that repressed unconscious thoughts and feelings could manifest through dreams , fantasies and odd behavior . Until after these repressed forbidden desires , hurtful memories and experiences are brought to conscious awareness , these were presumed to lead to irrational and maladaptive behavior

Freud 's concept of eros (sexual and life instincts ) and thanatos (aggressive and death instincts ) are considered motivating factors of personality , with the term libido

referring to basic energy of life associated with Eros . Life instincts are needed for survival and racial propagation such as hunger , thirst and sex . Troubled individuals may manifest death instincts through destructive behavior such as alcoholism , substance abuse , aggression (towards self or others , and even suicide

Freud theorised that the individual 's behavior is assumed to result from the interaction of three components of the personality : id , ego and superego . The id is said to be the source of instinctual drives and operate in terms of the pleasure principle . It is capable of eliciting mental images and wish-fulfilling fantasies (Coleman , 1980

The second personality component is the ego , which intercedes between the demands of the id and the external world , and operates in terms of the reality principle . For instance , Freud believed that sexual or aggressive tendencies are in conflict with society 's rules and prohibitions

The third personality component is the superego , or can be simply referred to as conscience . If one has learned and adapted to the moral demands of society , the individual would have a better grasp of what is right from wrong . The superego serves as personality 's system of control to inhibit immoral desires

Freud believed in the interplay between the id , ego and superego , and how it becomes crucial to behavior . Inner conflicts may arise because the id , ego and superego are striving for different goals . Inner conflicts could manifest as a mental dis if not resolved

Another important psychoanalytic concept of Freud is defense mechanisms For him , whatever pains or anxieties are eased by distorting reality , if one can not deal with it rationally (Coleman , et .al ,

. 54 . Therefore an individual 's distorted perception of reality poses behavior problems This only happens though when the ego can no longer cope with the pain or anxiety by rational measures

Freud 's contribution to developmental psychology is his theory on five Psychosexual stages : the oral , anal , phallic , latency , and genital stages . He believed that these stages of development could determine one 's defenses , anxieties , and impulses . A child who has been deprived of fully experiencing any of these stages may suffer fixation at that stage of development . The first three stages of development , the oral anal , and phallic stages , are the most crucial , as one 's personality is molded at this time . If fixation happens at any point during this period , then the child would likely develop distinct personality type For instance , during...