Understanding

the
Interpersonal Self –
Interpersonal Behavior

The Subconscious Self (Psychoanalysis)

Session 6
Psychoanalysis: The id, the ego, and the superego.

• The id has the quality of being unconscious and contains everything that is
present at birth (inherited), and the instincts.

• The ego has the quality of being conscious and is responsible for controlling
the demands of the id and of the instincts and becoming aware of stimuli.
The ego regulates activity, and strives to achieve pleasure and
avoid displeasure.

• Finally, the superego, whose demands are managed

by the id, is responsible for the limitation of
satisfactions and represents the influence of others,
such as parents, teachers, society and culture.
Why study psychoanalysis
• Freud states that the instincts are the ultimate cause of
all behavior. The two basic instincts are:
• Eros (love) and
• The destructive or death instinct.

• The purpose of Eros is to establish and preserve unity

through relationships.

• On the other hand, the purpose of the death instinct is

to undo connections and unity via destruction.

• The two instincts can either operate against each other

through repulsion or combine with each other through
attraction
Why study psychoanalysis cont’d

• As a therapy, psychoanalysis is based on the

recognition that individuals are often unaware of
many of the factors that determine their emotions
and behaviour.

• These unconscious factors may create states of

unhappiness or confusion, sometimes in the form of
recognizable symptoms and at other times as troubling
personality traits, leading to problems in work or in
love relationships, disturbances in mood and self-
esteem, or perhaps a sense of general overall
dissatisfaction.
• Because people are unaware of what underlies these
feelings and behaviours, the advice of friends and
family, the reading of self-help books, or even the most
determined efforts often fail to provide relief.
 Psychosexual Development
• The theory of psychosexual
development described how personality
developed over the course of childhood.

• Psychoanalytic theory suggested that

personality is mostly established by the
age of five.

• Early experiences play a large role in

personality development and continue
to influence behavior later in life.
• So what happens during each stage?

• What if a person fails to progress

through a stage completely or favorably?

• If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, a healthy personality is

the result.

• If certain issues are not resolved

at the appropriate stage, fixations
can occur.
 STAGE PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
ORAL STAGE • The individual would have issues with dependency or aggression.
(Birth to 1 year) • Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking, or nail biting.

ANAL STAGE • Parents who utilize praise and rewards for using the toilet at the appropriate time
(1 to 3 years) encourage positive outcomes and help children feel capable and productive.
• Freud believed that positive experiences during this stage served as the basis for
people to become competent, productive, and creative adults.
• Inappropriate parental responses can result in negative outcomes, such as:
- the individual has a messy, wasteful, or destructive personality or individual is
stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive.

PHALLIC STAGE • At this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and
(3 to 6 years) females.
• The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and
the desire to replace the father.
• The term Electra complex has been used to described a similar set of feelings
experienced by young girls.
LATENT STAGE • The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is still
(6 years to present, but it is directed into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social
puberty) interactions.
• This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills
and self-confidence.
• During the latent period, the libido interests are suppressed.
• The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm.

GENITAL STAGE • The individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex.
(Puberty to • This stage begins during puberty but last throughout the rest of a person's life.
Death) • Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs, interest in the
welfare of others grows during this stage.
• If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual should now
be well-balanced, warm, and caring.
• The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.
• How to remember the 5 stages of
psycho sexual development

• Orangutans Always Play with Little

Gorillas
THE
SUBCONSCIOUS
AND THE
CONSCIOUS SELF
 The
Subconscious
and the
Conscious Self
Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis is the method for studying interactions between
individuals.

Berne’s Three Ego States

that undermine
interpersonal transactions
Understanding words and transactions
Types of Transactions
Games People Play