PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology

Chapter 9: personality

The components, Structure, and personality development.

Personality

Definition: Personality is what a person is; it is the totality of an

individual.
Personality is the pattern of enduring characteristics that produce
consistency and stability in a given individual. ( Feldman, 2013)
Theories of Personality

Psychoanalytic Theory by Sigmund Freud

Trait Theory by Carl Jung
Psychoanalytic theory by Freud
● The mantra of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is that: Unconscious
forces act as determinants of personality.
● He viewed that our behaviors are directed and motivated by the
unconscious part of ourselves.
● From this understanding, he proposed about three aspects or parts
of our mind that he compared to a floating iceberg.
1. The unconscious
2. The sub/preconscious and
3. The conscious part
● Unconscious part: Like a floating iceberg, the unconscious surpasses
the quantity of information in the conscious. The amount of the mind
contains the memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings, urges, drives, and
instincts of which the individual is completely unaware. To Freud,
everything in the unconscious is hidden from our conscious mind
because of its nature. These materials would cause pain and conflicts if
they were part of our daily life.
● To Freud, it is necessary to explore the unconscious. But directly
observing the unconscious is nearly impossible. Since the meaning of
the unconscious material is hidden, he invented techniques like
hypnosis, dream interpretation, and free association to uncover them.
● He believed that dreams, slips of the tongue, and fantasies are the
royal way to discover the unconscious.
Part of human mind
● Sub/pre-conscious part: contains the materials that are not
threatening and easy to bring to mind. For example, if I ask you about
your childhood memories, you will be able to recall them.

● Conscious part: contains all of the thoughts, memories, feelings, and

wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This is the aspect
of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally.
Components of personality
Our personality resides at the three different levels of our minds.
● According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex. He said
individual’s character is composed of three elements. These elements
of nature—known as the id, the ego, and the superego— they work
together to create complex human behaviors.

The complexity of our behavior comes from the different interactions

between ID, Ego & Superego at the three different mind levels.
 The ID

The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. It is the raw,
unorganized inborn part of the personality.
This aspect of personality includes instinctive and primitive desires/drives.
According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy (libido). The id is driven by the
pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wishes, and needs
with maximum satisfaction.
The animals are the perfect example of the id-driven creature.

ID: However, immediately fulfilling these needs is not always realistic or even
possible. If we were ruled entirely by the pleasure principle, we might find
ourselves grabbing the things we want from people's hands to satisfy our
cravings.
This kind of behavior would be both disruptive and socially unacceptable.
The Superego
Compared to Id, the superego is the exact opposite in nature.
The superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral
standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society—our sense
of right and wrong. It operates through ethical principles. The superego provides
guidelines for making judgments. According to Freud, the superego begins to
emerge at around age five.
● It might be called the dumb utmost morality, whose job is to oppose the ID
whenever it appears.
● The superego acts to perfect and civilize our behavior. It suppresses all id’s
unacceptable urges and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic
standards rather than realistic principles.
The Ego
The ego is the personality component responsible for dealing with reality.
● According to Freud, the ego develops as we grow and ensures that the
id's impulses can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real
world.
● It balances the pressures coming from the contrary natures of the Id
and superego. It works through the “ reality principle” by striving to
satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The
reality principle weights an action’s costs and benefits before deciding
to act upon or abandon impulses.
The Interaction of the Id, Ego, and Superego
When talking about the id, the ego, and the superego, it is essential to remember
that these are not three separate entities with clearly defined boundaries. Rather
instead, they are dynamic and constantly interacting with each other to influence
an individual's overall personality and behavior. According to Freud, the key to a
healthy character is a good balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.
A healthy and well-adjusted personality emerges if the ego can adequately
moderate the demands of reality, the id, and the superego. Freud believed an
imbalance between these elements would lead to a maladaptive nature.
An individual with an overly dominant id, for example, might become impulsive,
uncontrollable, or even criminal. This individual acts upon their basic urges
without concern for whether the behavior is appropriate, acceptable, or legal.
On the other hand, an overly dominant superego might lead to a highly moralistic
and judgmental personality. This person may be unable to accept anything or
anyone they perceive as "bad" or "immoral."
Development of personality: psychosexual stages
● Freud believed that personality developed through a series of
childhood stages in which the id's pleasure-seeking energies
become focused on specific body areas. During the five
psychosexual stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and
genital stages, the associated body areas serve as a source of
main pleasure.
● A specific dedicated task marks each stage of development. A
healthy personality results if these tasks during the psychosexual
stages are completed successfully.
● If specific issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, it can
create a problem in the personality later in life.
● The Oral Stage ( birth to 12-18 months): During the oral stage, the
infant's primary source of pleasure is mouth-based activity, such as tasting
and sucking, and biting. Conflict may arise in this stage if the child is
overindulged ( perhaps being fed before it is hungry) or frustrated in its
search for oral gratification. These children may become fixated at this
stage. That means the child won’t understand that feeding can’t take place
by its wish; instead, there is a proper time and schedule.

This understanding adds to its proper ego-building procedure where we need

accurate knowledge of operating our drives in the real world. Suppose a child
can’t develop this understanding from the beginning by being overly indulged
or frustrated. In that case, it will not learn how to execute the balance
between the id and superego conflict. As a result, the ego will not be built up
properly.
Freud believed that a child overly indulged in feeding would develop
reckless habits related to the mouth as the kid will grow up with a lack
of control about the mouth area. This may result in an over-dependent
or talkative individual and even issues like; smoking, drinking,
over-eating, nail-biting, etc.
On the other hand, if it becomes too frustrated in its search for food, it
will be too moody and restricted in expressing emotional feelings
orally.
The anal stage

During the anal stage, the gratification comes from releasing the toilet.
According to Freud, success at this stage depends on how
parents approach toilet training, which leads to a sense of
accomplishment and independence.
Freud believed that positive experiences during this stage served as
the basis for people to become competent, productive, and creative
adults.
However, not all parents provide the support and encouragement that
children need during this stage.
The anal stage cont.
● According to Freud, inappropriate parental responses can result in
adverse outcomes. If parents take an approach that is too lenient, Freud
suggested that an anal-expulsive personality could develop in which the
individual has a messy, wasteful, or destructive nature. If parents are too
strict or begin toilet training too early, Freud believed that an
anal-retentive personality develops in which the individual is stringent,
orderly, rigid/miser, and obsessive (OCD).
● Like the previous stage, children also understand the adequate
operation of ego for later life through proper toilet training.
The Phallic Stage: 3 to 6 Years
● Freud believed that in this stage, boys go through the Oedipus complex, and
girls go through the Electra complex. Where they developed a desire for their
opposite-gender parent and fear for their same-gender parents. However, the
child’s fear that same-gender parents will punish them and an intense
passion for opposite-gender parents create anxiety.
● Eventually, the child begins to identify with the same-sex parent as a means
they want to be like their same-sex parent so that they get someone like their
opposite-sex parent in later life. People say that guys search for a mother
figure in their wives.
● According to Freud, if the identification with same-sex parents doesn’t occur
correctly, then divert sexual preferences results such as homosexuality.
The Latent Period: 6 to Puberty
● During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id's energies are
suppressed. Children develop social skills, values, and relationships with peers
and adults outside the family, becoming their primary pleasure source.
● The stage begins when children enter school and become more concerned with
peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests.
● The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is
repressed or dormant. This energy is still present but is sublimated into other
areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions. This stage is
essential in developing social and communication skills and self-confidence.
● Failure to acquire needed social & personal skills at this stage will result in
immaturity and an inability to form fulfilling relationships as an adult.
The Genital Stage: Puberty to Death
● The onset of puberty causes the libido (sexual energy) to become active again.
During the final stage of psychosexual development, the individual develops a
strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. This stage begins during puberty but
lasts throughout a person's life.
● The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.

Unlike many earlier stages of development, Freud believed that the ego and
superego were fully formed and functioning at this point. Younger children are
ruled by the id, which demands immediate satisfaction of the most basic needs
and wants. Teens in the genital stage of development can balance their most
basic urges against the need to conform to the demands of reality and social
norms.
 Defense Mechanisms
In Freud's view, a healthy personality results from a balance of
dynamic interaction of the id, ego, and superego. While the ego has
a tough job, anxiety comes into play. When you experience different
types of stress, defense mechanisms may kick in to help defend the
ego and reduce the stress you are feeling.
According to Freud, defense mechanisms are the unconscious
strategies people use to reduce anxiety by concealing the source of
their stress.
Carl Jung’s Theory on Introverts, Extraverts, and Ambiverts
Full article on Carl Jung’s Theory on Introverts, Extraverts, and
Ambiverts
https://www.simplypsychology.org/introvert-extrovert.html