The Id, Ego, and

Superego

Freud’s theory of how we make our

decisions
Our Unconscious Lives
ƒ Sigmund Freud
developed the idea
of a multi-layered
unconscious
ƒ Father of
psychoanalysis
ƒ Oedipus complex
ƒ Freudian slips
ƒ Dream symbolism
Multi-layered unconscious

ƒ Freud determined
that we have clear
levels at work in our
unconscious lives
ƒ Id
ƒ Ego
ƒ Superego
The conscious and the
unconscious
ƒ Our unconscious mind is constantly
interacting with our conscious lives.
The conscious and
unconscious
The “Id”

ƒ Dominated by the
pleasure principle
ƒ Desire for immediate
gratification
ƒ Seek pleasure and QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

avoid pain
ƒ Newborns are often
considered
completely driven by
the “Id”
The “Id”

ƒ Responsible for the basic drives

ƒ Food
ƒ Aggression
ƒ Self-survival
ƒ Ignores social norms

It remains unconscious within our lives because it is

nonverbal
The “Superego”
ƒ Constantly watches over the ego
ƒ punishes ego with feelings of guilt, anxiety or
inferiority
ƒ Ego retaliates with defense mechanisms such as
denial, fantasy or rationalization
ƒ Stands in opposition to the Id
ƒ Acts as the conscience
ƒ Sense of morality
ƒ Forms when the individual overcomes the
“Oedipus Complex”
The “Ego”

ƒ The mediator
between the “Id”, the
“Superego” and the
external world
ƒ Finds a balance
between primitive
drive and reality
ƒ Main concern is
safety of the
individual
The “Ego”

ƒ Part of our mind that contains

consciousness
ƒ Judgment
ƒ Tolerance
ƒ Control
ƒ Planning
ƒ Defense
ƒ Memory
The “Ego”

ƒ Stands for reason

and caution
ƒ Develops with age
ƒ Horse and rider
analogy
Criticism of Freud’s theory

ƒ Oedipal complex as sexist

ƒ His reliance upon the unconscious