Various psychologists from history have influenced our current understanding of psychology. This article will explore three key figures in the field: Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and Abraham Maslow. Sigmund Freud was born in May of 1856 in Austria to Galician Jewish parents. He was a neurologist who made many significant observations, but this article will focus on his theories regarding the conscious and unconscious mind, psychosexual development, dream interpretation, and psychoanalytic theory. Freud’s theory of the mind suggested that it comprised three distinct personalities: the id, ego, and superego. The id represented hidden desires fueled by human instinct, while the superego embodied the adherence to societal standards and morals. The ego functioned as the intermediary between the two, striving to realistically satisfy both. Freud also pointed out that the ego develops during childhood at around the age of 3, while the superego finalizes itself at age 5. He asserted that anxiety, neurosis, and maladaptive behavior stem from an imbalance among these personalities. Freud’s subsequent theory of psychosexual development was viewed as unsettling and controversial, positing that an individual’s behaviors and personality as an adult are formed through psychosexual stages during childhood. This suggested that children derive pleasure-seeking urges from the id focused on specific body areas called erogenous zones. These stages include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Freud speculated that difficulties experienced during childhood could resurface and afflict an individual with a mental disorder. In his book, The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud claimed that dreams arise from the unconscious, reflecting the unfulfilled desires of the id attempting to penetrate the conscious mind. Unrealistic dreams were explained as attempts to fulfill inappropriate wishes through symbolism, which serves to censor and disguise what is inappropriate. Consequently, Freud devised several methods for interpreting and understanding dreams, including condensation, displacement, representation, and secondary revision. Finally, the psychoanalytic theory extensively detailed human behavior. Like psychosexual development, Freud emphasized that early childhood experiences, particularly trauma, shape an adult’s personality. He theorized that these experiences might remain hidden within our consciousness, potentially causing future problems. To address this, he created psychoanalysis, informed by his psychoanalytic theory, a talk therapy approach to treat mental illness patients by delving into these suppressed feelings. Consequently, he is often referred to as the “father of psychoanalysis.”
One aspect of psychoanalysis is defense mechanisms, which are unconscious strategies that help the ego, the reasoning portion of the mind, alleviate anxiety stemming from internal conflict. These internal struggles occur between the impulses projected by the id and the moral standards of the superego, which serves as a self-critical conscience. These internal tensions and the ego’s strategies are believed to be the driving forces behind one’s behaviors as they illustrate how individuals unconsciously shield themselves from emotional distress and conflict. Generally, the ego aims to distort or reroute the thoughts and feelings generated by the id to comply with the superego. Common examples include projecting the id’s impulses onto others, allowing the mind to convince the superego of their superiority over such primal urges. Displacement is another defense mechanism, wherein individuals redirect unacceptable thoughts and feelings, often those of rage or envy, onto an object or person regarded as an appropriate target by the ego/superego. Sublimation, an alternative projection form, occurs when individuals channel their unconscious urges into constructive and more socially acceptable endeavors. For instance, a surgeon might be sublimating unconscious aggression by engaging in surgery intended to help others.
Freud introduced the notion of an unconscious life “drive” or instinct known as libido, believed to fuel and support mental processes within the id. This instinct seeks to evade emotional or physical pain, satisfy basic physical needs, and respond to primal urges. This instinct constitutes the second central tenet of Freudian psychoanalytic theory, which claims that sexuality drives all human behavior; in this context, sexuality encompasses anything that can provide pleasure. As with many concepts in psychoanalysis related to the unconscious, this instinct conflicts with the ego or superego, where such conflicts govern behaviors like impulse control. For instance, an overactive libido paired with a weak superego may result in individuals who lack remorse or reflection on how their actions affect others in the pursuit of their unconscious desires.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a well-regarded theory that elucidates human motivations, progressing from basic needs to more complex concepts. It was formulated and presented by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943 and