Explain Sigmund Freud's views on human development

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to Freud, human development occurs in three states that reflect different levels of the personality, which he referred to as the id, ego, and superego. The id is the component of personality that includes all of the individual's basic biological drives and needs that demand immediate gratification. The newborn child's personality is all id, and from birth the child finds that urges for self­gratification—such as wanting to be held, fed, or changed—are not going to be satisfied immediately. By contrast, the ego develops as infants discover that their most basic desires are not always going to be met by others. The ego is the rational, reality-oriented component of personality that imposes restrictions on the innate pleasure-seeking drives of the id. The ego channels the desire of the id for immediate gratification into the most advantageous direction for the individual. The superego is in opposition to both the id and the ego. The superego, or conscience, consists of the moral and ethical aspects of personality. It is first expressed as the recognition of parental control and eventually matures as the child learns that parental control is a reflection of the values and moral demands of the larger society. When a person is well adjusted, the ego successfully manages the opposing forces of the id and the superego.