Freud is a renowned Psychologist who came up with the theory of psychoanalysis. In the psychoanalytic theory of personality, Freud analyses the psychosexual development of personality and how our childhood experiences affect our adult functioning later in life. He also talks about three personality structures in an individual that influence their behaviour. Freud also talks about the unconscious, which he describes as a part of the mind which holds a person's right, emotions and thoughts. The unconscious is a part of the brain that an individual usually is not aware of.
In psychoanalysis, Freud identifies five psychosexual stages. These stages occur as the libido is directed through different parts of the body. The oral stage is the first stage, where the individual derives pleasure from putting things in their mouth. The second stage is the anal stage. At this stage, pleasure is derived from releasing feces through the anus. At the phallic stage which is the next stage, the individual develops sexual desires to a parent of the opposite sex and jealous or hatred to the parent of the same sex. This is referred to as Oedipus complex for male and the Electra complex for females. The fourth stage in this theory is the latency stage where Freud describes as a stage where the libido is repressed because of social events in the individuals’ life. The fifth and the last stage is the genital stage where the individual develops strong sexual desires for people outside the family. This stage is achieved if individuals meet their needs through all the other stages with sufficient libido. The erogenous part at this stage is the genitals, and that is why individuals start engaging in sexual acts at their early teens.
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In the personality structures, Freud identified three components which include; the id ego and superego which exist in the mind of an individual. He described the id as a component of personality driven by basic needs and internal drives. The superego concerns with socially accepted ways and operates under the moral principle. The ego reconciles the id, and the superego operates under the reality principle. The ego also has various defence mechanisms that include: regression, rationalisation, repression, reaction formation, displacement, denial and sublimation. They prevent destructive unconscious thoughts from entering the conscious mind.
Freud's psychoanalytical theory has formed a foundation for other theorists to cultivate the basis of their studies. These theorists include Carl Jung, Erik Erikson and Karen Horney. From their literature, we can understand Freud’s theory more clearly through their works and also through the criticism of his work. The module has provided a credible basis that has helped in the understanding of this concept in a more comprehensive manner.
References
Horney, K. (2013). New ways in psychoanalysis . Routledge.
Kalsched, D. (2014). Trauma and the soul: A psycho-spiritual approach to human development and its interruption . Routledge
Marcus, S. (2016). Freud and the Culture of Psychoanalysis : Studies in the Transition from Victorian Humanism to modernity .
