Psychoanalytic Theories of Development
Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory
The first stage theory we will discuss is Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory. According to Sigmund Freud, development is primarily unconscious and behavior is motivated by unconscious/inner forces, memories, and conflicts over which a person has little control or awareness.
Although much of his theory is considered out-dated, Freud made a revolutionary contribution to the field of human development by emphasizing the idea that early childhood experiences affect our experiences as adults.
In order to understand Freud's theoretical perspective, we must first consider what Freud believed about the structure of personality.
Structure of Personality
Freud believed our personality comprised three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego, which become integrated as we grow and develop.
ID: internal drives/instincts, goal to maximize pleasure & avoid pain/discomfort
The id is the primitive, raw, unorganized, inborn part of personality. The id is responsible for the urges that we experience, such as hunger, sleep, aggression, etc. that are largely unconscious and present at birth. As an infant, we are almost all id, such that we are almost exclusively interested in maximizing pleasure/comfort and avoiding pain/discomfort.
If your id were completely in control, you would act on all of your urges, and seek to maximize pleasure and always avoid discomfort. For example, I love to watch television. If my id were in control, I would watch television morning until night. I would never come to work, I would never do the laundry, I would never pay my bills, and I would completely avoid all responsibility and only live to watch television. Thankfully, the id does not have complete control.
EGO: addresses the demand of reality
The ego is the rational, reasonable part of our personality that emerges in early infancy that makes it possible for us to exercise control over our unconscious urges. In other words, the ego acts as a buffer between our id and the demands of reality. The ego allows us to behave in a socially appropriate manner. It is because of the ego that I go to work each day rather than watching television all day long.
SUPEREGO: moral branch, evaluates right from wrong
The superego acts like a conscience that helps us to evaluate what is right and wrong. One way to think of the superego is like Jiminy Cricket from the Disney cartoon Pinocchio. Unlike the id that is believed to be innate, Freud believed the superego did not emerge until the age of 5 or 6, and that morality was learned from significant others, such as one's parents, teachers, etc.