Question

1. How does the ego-id-superego apparatus interact? Please be as explicit as possible.

2. How is the superego the "parental agency"? Please be explicit with your answer.

Answer 1

1) According to Sigmund Freud the id, the ego, and the superego are elements of our personality which work together to create complex behavior. The id, ego, and superego are all different structures and have different roles to play, but they also interact with each other. The ego is responsible for mediating between the conflicting demands of the Id and the superego. The ability of the ego to do this is called ego strength, people with high ego strength can manage these conflicts than those who have low ego strengh.If a person is effectively able to mange these id and superego impulse then they may be well adjusted otherwise it could lead to maladaptive behavior.

2. Superego is the component which is responsible for moral and socially accepted behavior. This morality is often taught or imposed by our parents or parental figures. This morality pertains to what is right and wrong in this world. The superego starts to develop at the age of five when the parents and society start teaching children what is right and what is wrong according to ideals set by the society. The ego ideal is the standards or behavior which are accepted by the parents or authority. The conscience on the other is things which are considered bad or wrong. The superego is always in conflict with the id and the ego plays an important role in mediating this conflict.