Freud & Motivation

Id, Ego,

& Superego

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).

Freud’s View of Motivation

Freud believed that human behavior is motivated by the id, ego, and superego.

Id = Pleasure:All animals instinctively

seek things that bring them pleasure (food, water,

freedom, sex) and avoid things that bring them pain.

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 a 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, because I don’t

want to go to jail. I have to find a more realistic way to get it. I’m going to ask her if I can borrow

money instead.

!

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 ask

someone to give me food

instead…

I have the urge to cut people up into tiny

pieces, but, I’ll go to jail. I

should become a surgeon

instead of being a serial killer…

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.

If I need money, I should work for it and earn it myself. Stealing is wrong, and it’s also wrong to borrow my friend’s money because they need

that money for themselves. Only spend what you earn.

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 also seeks pleasure, but uses reason and logic to do so. It tries to get the unrealistic id to cooperate in a

society bound by laws and social norms.

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.

Childhood ExperiencesFreud 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.

Id, Ego, and Superego interact with each other when you are making decisions.

At first you are motivated by pleasure (id+ego), but Superego might stop you from pleasure-seeking.

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

Interaction:

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

about how to behave. See specific instructions on the class 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

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

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

I want money! power! fame!

Raaahhhhrrrr! I can do whatever I want!

I want those things too, but I need to avoid saying stupid things that offend people. I need to make people think I

am a good person.

I don’t really believe that money, power, and fame are things leaders should

care about. Leaders should care about

citizens…

Id Ego Superego