Freud & Motivation !

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Sigmund Freud

• Perhaps the most influential of all psychologists

• Also controversial: some theories are still popular today, others are considered outlandish

• Underlying his work is the idea that our unconscious minds influence our behavior (and we are not aware of this influence).

The “Unconscious Mind”

That part of our mind that we are not aware of. It contains our primitive

instincts and urges that are biologically based. Some of the information in our unconscious mind is so disturbing that the mind automatically buries it

away so we do not have to remember it and face it.

Id, Ego, SuperegoId, ego, and superego are the three parts of the human mind, as

labeled by Freud. The id is fully unconscious. The Ego and Superego are

partially conscious.

Ego

Id

Super-ego

Conscious Mind

Unconscious Mind

The area directly below the surface of the water is called the “preconscious mind,”

because although it is currently unconscious, it can easily be brought to our awareness.

Id, Ego, & Superego

IdThe instinctual part of the mind that responds

immediately to wants and desires. The id is chaotic and animal-like, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.

EgoThe ego is the decision-making part of the mind. It

uses reason and logic, and tries to get the unrealistic id to cooperate in real life.

Superego

The voice that incorporates the values and morals which are learned from one's parents and society. It tries to persuade the id and ego to turn to moral

goals rather than seeking pleasure.

The “Id”The instinctual part of the mind that responds immediately to wants and desires. It operates on the pleasure principle, and does not follow logic or reason. The id is chaotic and

animal-like, simply seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.

I’M GOING TO STEAL MONEY FROM MY FRIEND!

(BECAUSE I WANT MONEY NOW!)

The Pleasure PrincipleThe need to seek immediate gratification of all needs, wants, and urges. In other words, the pleasure principle strives to fulfill our most basic and primitive urges, including hunger, thirst, anger, and sex. This behavior is animalistic (because animals do the same things, and because these things are

done without much thought).

I want to punch

somebody!

I want food right now!

The “Ego”The ego is the decision-making part of the mind. It uses reason and logic, and tries to get the unrealistic id to cooperate in real life (in society that has rules and

boundaries). Like the id, the ego seeks pleasure and avoids pain, but unlike the id, the ego uses the reality principle to

find a more realistic strategy to obtain pleasure.

I can’t just walk into her house and take her money. I have to find a more realistic way to get it. I’m going to ask her if I can borrow

money for a “medical emergency” - and never pay her back!

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The Reality PrincipleThe the reality principle strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle logically weighs the costs and benefits of an action before

deciding to act upon or abandon an impulse.

I’m hungry, but I can’t grab the

food off of someone else’s plate: they will

yell at me. I should buy my

own food.

I have the urge to cut people up into tiny

pieces, but, I’ll go to jail. I

should become a surgeon…

The “Superego”The superego is the “conscience” of a person: it is the voice that incorporates the values and morals which are learned from one's parents and society. It tries to persuade the id

and ego to turn to moral goals rather than seeking pleasure. The superego makes you feel guilt when you fall short of

the good person you want to be.

Stealing money is wrong. It is harmful to other people. Maybe I shouldn’t steal…maybe I should work harder in order to make

more money at work.

Childhood ExperiencesFreud believed 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.

He also believed that when children are born, their minds are entirely “id.” As they try and fail

things, learning what is acceptable in society, they develop an “ego.”

The “superego” is the last to develop, as children learn the

values of their parents and gain a moral understanding of the world.

AssignmentCreate an illustration in which id, ego, and superego are arguing

about how to behave. See specific instructions on the Psych website.

Let’s kill that guy who always takes our parking spot!

That might ruin our life. Let’s kill small animals instead. No

one will care about that.

How about we not kill anything!

Id

Ego

Superego