Question

What are the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego and how do they relate to Freud’s stages of development.

Answer 1

The psychodynamic approaches divide personality into three aspects, ID, Ego and Superego. These are not distinct and may overlap with each other during the course of time. They are not found physically in the brain but can be identified through behaviour and activities of a person.

The ID- It refers to the “desire” of a person and it’s the only component that is biologically inherited and present during the birth. It deals with the satisfaction of all primitive instinct, needs, and sexual, antisocial and aggressive desires. It’s wholly unconscious and desires are largely subdued. The need for gratification is extremely for such desires. Working on the pleasure principal the main task of ID is to eliminate tension evoking out of biological desires.

The EGO- It refers to the” reason” of a person. It’s the self or I. Working on the reality principal, the ego controls all the satisfaction of all illegal and antisocial desires. It arouses out of Id and may be considered as creating a balance between the Id and the Superego, by following and keeping in view about social rules and regulation. It distinguishes between the right and wrong and can work on all the three levels of consciousness.

The SUPER EGO- It refers to the concise of a person. Working on the moral principal it deals with achieving all good and acceptable behaviour in life. It’s the personification of all restriction, moral and ethical values.

According to Freud, to maintain a healthy personality it’s important to create a balance among the id, the ego, and the superego. Imbalances among them may lead to maladaptive personality.