Examples of Psychoanalytic Theory
Sigmund Freud is said to be the founder of psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic
theory is a method of investigating and treating personality disorders and is used in
psychotherapy. Included in this theory is the idea that things that happen to people
during childhood can contribute to the way they later function as adults. Freud believed
that the mind is made of two parts - the conscious mind and the unconscious mind - and
that the unconscious mind often prompts people to make certain decisions even if they
don't recognize it on a conscious level.
Psychoanalytic Theory: Inner Forces
Drive Behavior
Examples of psychoanalytic theory include:
April broke up with Adam, and three months later went on a date with Mark.
While at the restaurant, April accidentally called Adam by Mark's name. While this could
have just been a simple accident, psychoanalytic theory says that there is a deeper
reason for April's slip - for example, she still has feelings for Mark and her mind is on
him, and therefore she called her new date by her old boyfriend Mark's name.
Mary's therapist believes that Mary's current relationship difficulties stem from the
unstable relationship she had with her father while growing up.
Every time the vehicle she is riding in stops suddenly, Mrs. Smith panics. She
thinks this is because she was in a car accident when she was a child, and in each new
situation the fear of another accident crashes over her like a wave.
Jack's mother left his family when he was a child. Ever since then, he has had a
very difficult time trusting people because he is afraid they will abandon him.
Tom and Ashley were participating in pre-marital counseling. It came up during
one session that Ashley may have difficulty really believing that Tom loves her because
she never felt that her parents loved her.
The violent behavior of criminals is often traced to the violent ways they
themselves were treated during their formative years.
Amber is 57 years old and is an accomplished professional, but she never feels
like her work is good enough and is always afraid that people will be unhappy with her
performance. She realizes that she might have this outlook because when she was
growing up, her mother criticized everything she did. If she brought home a test with an
A+ on it, her mother would comment that Amber must have cheated because she
certainly wasn't smart enough to do that well on her own.
Sylvia was planning her wedding, but her mother wanted to override every
decision Sylvia made. In conversation one day, Sylvia's mother admitted that she never
got to have the wedding that she wanted, so she was trying to include what she had
wanted for her own wedding into her daughter's wedding.
Andrew lost his car keys and was late for work. A psychoanalytic theorist might
say that he lost his keys because, somewhere in his subconscious, he did not want to
go to work that day and actually wanted to quit his job.
Kathy was driving her daughter around in the van, trying to get the three-month-
old to take a nap. She wasn't paying much attention to where she was going, and
realized that she had driven to the house of an old friend with whom she hadn't spoken
in years. She wondered if that was her subconscious telling her that it was time to
reconcile with her friend.
Heather often tells white lies and is known for giving evasive answers to
questions. Her husband thinks Heather does this because deep down she is afraid of
facing the truth about difficult situations, so she avoids the truth in both major and minor
circumstances.
Justin's parents have always encouraged him to play baseball and think he is an
excellent player; but, Justin would rather play tennis. His parents make him try out for
the baseball team anyway. Justin does not make the team. He normally is a good
player, but on the day of tryouts he did not do well. He probably was not able to play his
best because, deep down, he did not want to make the team anyway.
Lexi is adamant that she does not want to get married. Her parents divorced
when she was young, and deep down, she does not really think that any marriage can
work.
Matt has asked Miranda several times to get together to study. Miranda keeps
saying she wants to, but is never available when Matt asks. Matt finally concludes that
Miranda probably really doesn't want to meet with him, or else she would make it work.
When Kelly was seven, her brother died. Now that she is about to be married,
her deepest fear comes out: she is terrified to have children, especially a son, because
she is afraid that child will die at a young age.
When Melanie graduated from college, she almost couldn't believe it. She never
thought she'd do it because the words of her first grade teacher calling her a failure had
always haunted her.
When Tim proposed to Emma, she didn't accept, because she couldn't wrap her
head around the idea that he wanted to be with her for a lifetime. Six years earlier her
fiancé had called off their wedding after the rehearsal dinner, and Emma had never
recovered.
Cheryl had grown up in an abusive home, and couldn't wait to get to college to
escape from her parents. She met some wonderful people at school, but it took her a
long time to develop close friendships because of the trust issues she had developed as
a child and teenager.
Laura reminded her co-worker Max of his mother, from whom he was estranged.
Max found it harder and harder to separate his feelings towards Laura from his feelings
towards his mother. Even though Laura was perfectly nice, her mannerisms and speech
seemed like a mirror image of his mom. At the end of one particularly difficult day, Max
blew up at Laura, letting loose with a string of comments he'd wanted for years to say to
his mom but never did.
Sarah was adopted into a loving family when she was five. However, for years
she displayed aggressive behavior towards her adoptive parents and siblings, even
though they were incredibly kind to her. The adoption specialists advised the family not
to take Sarah's behavior personally, explaining that her anger was really directed at her
birth parents and former foster families for the way she had been treated.
These all help to illustrate how psychoanalytic theory works.
Examples of Id, Ego, and Superego
The id, ego, and superego are names for the three parts of the human personality which are part
of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic personality theory. According to Freud, these three parts
combine to create the complex behavior of human beings. Let's look at several examples of id,
ego, and superego.
Id: Meeting Basic Needs
The id is the most basic part of the personality. It also represents our most animalistic urges, like
the desire for food and sex. The id seeks instant gratification for our wants and needs. If these
needs or wants are not met, a person can become tense, anxious, or angry.
Sally was thirsty. Rather than waiting for the server to refill her glass of water, she
reached across the table and drank from Mr. Smith's water glass, much to his surprise.
A hungry baby cried until he was fed.
A toddler who wanted another helping of dessert whined incessantly until she was given
another serving.
In line at the salad bar, Amy was so hungry that she shoved a handful of croutons in her
mouth as she waited for the line to move.
Bart was stuck in traffic. He just wanted his vehicle to move! Enraged at the situation,
Bart pulled his car onto the shoulder and sped forward, not caring that he was clipping people's
side mirrors as he tried to get ahead of the cars in front of him.
Ego: Dealing With Reality
The ego deals with reality, trying to meet the desires of the id in a way that is socially acceptable
in the world. This may mean delaying gratification and helping to get rid of the tension the id
feels if a desire is not met right away. The ego recognizes that other people have needs and wants
too, and being selfish isn't good in the long run.
Sally was thirsty. However, she knew that her server would be back soon to refill her
water glass, so she waited until then to get a drink, even though she really just wanted to drink
from Mr. Smith's glass.
In line at the salad bar, Amy really wanted to shove a handful of croutons into her mouth.
However, since her boss was there, she decided to wait another minute or two until she sat down
to eat.
Mary really wanted to borrow her mom's necklace, but knew her mom would be angry if
she took it without asking, so she asked her mom if she could wear it.
Hillary was so sweaty after her workout that she wanted to change her clothes right there
by the car. However, she knew the other people around her would not approve, so she waited
until she was in the restroom to change.
Tim really wanted to slug Mark for what he had just said. However, Tim knew if he hit
Mark, he would be kicked off the baseball team, and since he loved baseball, he unclenched his
fists and walked away.
Superego: Adding Morals
The superego develops last, and is based on morals and judgments about right and wrong. Even
though the superego and the ego may reach the same decision about something, the superego's
reason for that decision is based more on moral values, while the ego's decision is based more on
what others will think or what the consequences of an action could be on the individual.
Sarah knew she could steal the supplies from work and no one would know about it.
However, she knew that stealing was wrong, so she decided not to take anything even though she
would probably never get caught.
Maggie couldn't remember the answer to test question #12, even though she had studied.
Nate was the smartest kid in the class, and from where Maggie sat, she could see his answers if
she turned her head slightly. When Mrs. Archer turned her back, Maggie almost cheated, but her
conscience stopped her because she knew it was wrong. Instead, Maggie took a guess at the
answer and then turned in her paper.
The cashier only charged the couple for one meal even though they had eaten two. They
could have gotten away with only paying for one, but they pointed out the cashier's mistake and
offered to pay for both meals. They wanted to be honest and they knew that the restaurant owner
and employees needed to make a living.
On the playground, two kids were making fun of Joseph because he wore glasses. John
was tempted to join in so that he could make himself look good, but when he thought about how
bad Joseph must already feel, he knew that he couldn't.
Will had worked hard all season to break the school record in cross-country. During his
last race, he had the opportunity to cut a corner and therefore lower his time, because no officials
were watching that part of the course. As much as he wanted to break the school record, Will
knew he wouldn't feel good about himself if he cheated, so he stuck to the course and ran as fast
as he could.
Id, Ego, and Superego
The id, ego and superego work together to create human behavior. The id creates the demands,
the ego adds the needs of reality, and the superego adds morality to the action which is taken.
Even though each of these elements make up human behavior, they also constitute some of our
favorite characters in the books we read. Take a look at this list of character trait examples to see
what you'd like to incorporate in your next short story or novel.
Illustration by Joshua Seong, Verywell
https://www.verywellmind.com/freuds-stages-of-psychosexual-development-2795962
Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which the
pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. An erogenous
zone is characterized as an area of the body that is particularly sensitive to stimulation.
During the five psychosexual stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages,
the erogenous zone associated with each stage serves as a source of pleasure.
The psychosexual energy, or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior.
Psychoanalytic theory suggested that personality is mostly established by the age of five. Early
experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later
in life.
Each stage of development is marked by conflicts that can help build growth or stifle
development, depending upon how they are resolved. If these psychosexual stages are completed
successfully, a healthy personality is the result.
If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixations can occur. A fixation is a
persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual
will remain "stuck" in this stage. A person who is fixated at the oral stage, for example, may be
over-dependent on others and may seek oral stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.
Sigmund Freud's Remarkable Life and Legacy in Psychology
The Oral Stage
Age Range: Birth to 1 Year
Erogenous Zone: Mouth
During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the
rooting and sucking reflex is especially important. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant
derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking.
Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers (who are responsible for feeding the
child), the child also develops a sense of trust and comfort through this oral stimulation.
The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process--the child must become less dependent
upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues
with dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with drinking, eating,
smoking, or nail-biting.
Trust vs. Mistrust: Learning to Trust the World Around Us
The Anal Stage
Age Range: 1 to 3 years
Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder
Control
During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido was on controlling
bladder and bowel movements. The major conflict at this stage is toilet training—the child has to
learn to control their bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense of accomplishment
and independence.
According to Freud, success at this stage is dependent upon the way in which parents approach
toilet training. Parents who utilize praise and rewards for using the toilet at the appropriate time
encourage positive outcomes and help children feel capable and productive.
Freud believed that positive experiences during the toilet training stage serve 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. Some parents punish, ridicule, or shame a child for accidents.
According to Freud, inappropriate parental responses can result in negative 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 personality.
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, and obsessive.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
The Phallic Stage
Age Range: 3 to 6 Years
Erogenous Zone: Genitals
Freud suggested that during the phallic stage, the primary focus of the libido is on the genitals.
At this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and females.
Freud also believed that boys begin to view their fathers as a rival for the mother’s
affections. The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother and
the desire to replace the father. However, the child also fears that he will be punished by the
father for these feelings, a fear Freud termed castration anxiety.
The term Electra complex has been used to describe a similar set of feelings experienced by
young girls. Freud, however, believed that girls instead experience penis envy.
Eventually, the child begins to identify with the same-sex parent as a means of vicariously
possessing the other parent. For girls, however, Freud believed that penis envy was never fully
resolved and that all women remain somewhat fixated on this stage.
Psychologists such as Karen Horney disputed this theory, calling it both inaccurate and
demeaning to women. Instead, Horney proposed that men experience feelings of inferiority
because they cannot give birth to children, a concept she referred to as womb envy.
Initiative vs. Guilt: Developing a Sense of Purpose
The Latent Period
Age Range: 6 to Puberty
Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are
Inactive
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 of the
family.
The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm. The stage begins
around the time that children enter into 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 repressed or dormant. This
energy is still present, but it is sublimated into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social
interactions. This stage is important in the development of social and communication skills
and self-confidence.
As with the other psychosexual stages, Freud believed that it was possible for children to become
fixated or "stuck" in this phase. Fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and an inability to
form fulfilling relationships as an adult.
Industry vs. Inferiority During Child Development
The Genital Stage
Age Range: Puberty to Death
Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests
The onset of puberty causes the libido to become active once 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 last throughout the rest of a person's life.
Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs, interest in the welfare of others
grows during this stage. The goal of this stage is to establish a balance between the various life
areas.
If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual should now be well-
balanced, warm, and caring.
Unlike the many of the 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 are able to balance their most basic urges against the
need to conform to the demands of reality and social norms.
How Testing Out Different Identities Is a Part of Teenage Development
Evaluating Freud's Psychosexual Stage
Theory
Freud's theory is still considered controversial today, but imagine how audacious it seemed
during the late 1800s and early 1900s. There have been a number of observations and criticisms
of Freud's psychosexual theory on a number of grounds, including scientific and feminist
critiques.
Criticisms of the Psychosexual Stages
The theory is focused almost entirely on male development with little mention of female
psychosexual development.
His theories are difficult to test scientifically. Concepts such as the libido are impossible
to measure, and therefore cannot be tested. The research that has been conducted tends to
discredit Freud's theory.
Future predictions are too vague. How can we know that a current behavior was caused
specifically by a childhood experience? The length of time between the cause and the
effect is too long to assume that there is a relationship between the two variables.
Freud's theory is based upon case studies and not empirical research. Also, Freud based
his theory on the recollections of his adult patients, not on actual observation and study of
children.
Homosexuality and Freud's Theory
Another criticism of the psychosexual stages is that the theory focuses primarily on heterosexual
development, and largely ignores homosexual development.
So how exactly did Freud explain the development of sexual preferences?
Freud's theory suggested that heterosexual preferences represent the "normal" outcome of
development and suggested that homosexual preferences represented deviation of this process.1
Freud's own viewpoints on homosexuality varied, at times expressing biological explanations
and at other times social or psychological explanations for sexual preferences.
Unlike many thinkers of his time, Freud was unconvinced that homosexuality represented a
pathology. He also believed that attempts to alter a person's sexuality were usually futile and
often harmful.
In a famous 1935 letter to a mother who had written him to ask that he treat her homosexual son,
Freud wrote that while he believed homosexuality was not advantageous, it was certainly not a
vice or something to be ashamed of. Freud wrote, "...it cannot be classified as an illness; we
consider it to be a variation of the sexual function, produced by a certain arrest of sexual
development."
While Freud's theory implied that homosexuality was a deviation in normal psychosexual
development, many contemporary psychologists believe that sexual orientation is largely
influenced by biological factors.
A Word From Verywell
While few people are strong proponents of Freud's theory of psychosexual development today,
his work made important contributions to our understanding of human development. Perhaps his
most important and enduring contribution was the idea that unconscious influences could have a
powerful impact on human behavior.
Freud's theory also stressed the importance of early experiences in development. While experts
continue to debate the relative contributions of early versus later experiences, developmental
experts recognize that the events of early life play a critical role in the developmental process
and can have lasting effects throughout life.
Sigmund Freud and Child Development
Angela Oswalt, MSW
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was a Viennese doctor who came to believe that the way
parents dealt with children's basic sexual and aggressive desires would determine how
their personalities developed and whether or not they would end up well-adjusted as
adults. Freud described children as going through multiple stages of sexual
development, which he labeled Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital.
In Freud's view, each stage focused on sexual
activity and the pleasure received from a
particular area of the body. In the oral phase,
children are focused on the pleasures that they
receive from sucking and biting with their
mouth. In the Anal phase, this focus shifts to
the anus as they begin toilet training and
attempt to control their bowels. In the Phallic
stage, the focus moves to genital stimulation
and the sexual identification that comes with
having or not having a penis. During this
phase, Freud thought that children turn their
interest and love toward their parent of the
opposite sex and begin to strongly resent the parent of the same sex. He called this
idea the Oedipus Complex as it closely mirrored the events of an ancient Greek tragic
play in which a king named Oedipus manages to marry his mother and kill his father.
The Phallic/Oedipus stage was thought to be followed by a period of Latency during
which sexual urges and interest were temporarily nonexistent. Finally, children were
thought to enter and remain in a final Genital stage in which adult sexual interests and
activities come to dominate.
Another part of Freud's theory focused on identifying the parts of consciousness. Freud
thought that all babies are initially dominated by unconscious, instinctual and selfish
urges for immediate gratification which he labeled the Id. As babies attempt and fail to
get all their whims met, they develop a more realistic appreciation of what is realistic
and possible, which Freud called the "Ego". Over time, babies also learn about and
come to internalize and represent their parents' values and rules. These internalized
rules, which he called the "Super-Ego", are the basis for the the developing child's
conscience that struggles with the concepts of right and wrong and works with the Ego
to control the immediate gratification urges of the Id.
By today's rigorous scientific standards, Freud's psychosexual theory is not considered
to be very accurate. However, it is still important and influential today because it was the
first stage development theory that gained real attention, and many other theorists used
it as a starting place.
