Freud's Theory of Personality

Flashcards covering key concepts from Freud's theory of personality, including levels of consciousness, structure of personality, and defense mechanisms.

Levels of consciousness

The different states of awareness, including the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.

Conscious mind

The part of the mind that contains thoughts and feelings of which we are actively aware.

Preconscious mind

Material not currently in consciousness but can be easily brought into awareness.

Unconscious mind

Material that is not accessible to conscious thought, often kept hidden through repression.

Id

The primitive part of personality that consists of basic urges and desires, governed by the pleasure principle, is present at birth and is entirely unconscious.

Ego

The executive part of personality that deals with planning, thinking, organising and balances demands from the id and superego, partly conscious, partly unconscious, governed by reality principles

Superego

The moral component of personality that internalizes rules about right and wrong, largely unconscious.

Defence mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to manage internal conflicts and reduce anxiety.

Repression

A defence mechanism that involves suppressing unacceptable thoughts and feelings into the unconscious.

Phallic stage

A stage in Freud's psychosexual development (ages 3-5) focused on the genitals and identifying with gender role models.

Genital stage

The final stage of psychosexual development (from age 12 onward) focused on mature sexual relationships.

Oedipus complex

A child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy toward their same-sex parent.

Rationalisation

A defence mechanism that involves explaining away or justifying one’s behaviours or feelings.

Deterministic view

The perspective that human behaviour is predetermined by innate factors or past experiences.

Insight into human behaviour

The understanding of the motivations and influences behind human actions as explored in Freud's theory.

Denial

To deny unpleasant events or realities. Denial can be useful in helping us to save face and protect our self-esteem

Projection

Blaming others for our own shortcomings

Reaction Formation

To overcome impulses that are unacceptable to us, gaining mastery over the initial impulse by exaggerating the opposing tendency

Regression

When we return to an earlier, generally simpler, stage of our life