April 23, 2018

10:46 p.m.

Chapter 7: Freud’s Theory of Personality

Sigmund Freud identifies three key parts of an individual’s identity, each presenting itself
at a different stage of development. The first portion of an individual’s personality to develop is
the Id. The Id, which Freud describes as the libido, is oriented around pleasure and immediate
satisfaction, and is seen even as early as birth. The Ego, the second stage that develops early on
in an individual’s childhood, focuses on reality and acts as the compromising factor between the
Id and the third and final stage, the Superego. The Superego typically presents itself around age 5
and is concerned with around morality. There are two sections of the Superego: the ego ideal and
the conscience. The ego ideal emphasizes rules set by authority figures, including parents, while
the conscience emphasizes knowledge on the difference between right and wrong and is the
source of guilt (Stitt, 2017).

While, retrospectively, it is difficult for me to recognize these changes in my own

development because of how soon they develop in a child, I do remember these changes in my
younger sister. When she was tiny, maybe two years old, she had no concept of possession or
respect for others. However, by the time she was in kindergarten, she was very aware of rules set
by our mother and, in time, her teachers.

As I hope to be working with early elementary school aged students, I will play a
significant role in the development of the Superego. I will act as a role model and authority
figure, teaching my students the difference between right and wrong, as well as how to analyze
scenarios to make appropriate decisions. As their teacher, they will develop the skills necessary
to make these decisions on their own, as well as feel any necessary guilt regarding their actions.