Introduction
Freud was a physiologist, medical doctor, and psychologist, who later developed interest in the working of the human mind resulting in unprecedented research. His findings and theories form the framework of psychology today. He developed a specific area of psychology, known as psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is the careful examination of the operational of the human mind and how this affects human behavior (Arlow 1964, pp.18-19).In the course of his work, Freud came up with a number of theories aimed at explaining how the human mind works and why human beings behave as they do. Some of the theories he came up with are the psychosexual stages of development, the dream dynamics and how this relates to the conscious and the unconscious mind, and the structural theory. This essay will focus on the structural theory, which is one of Sigmund Freud’s attempts to explain the psychological functioning of human beings (Arlow 1964, pp.11-14).
Main text
The structural theory as developed by Freud shows that the human mind has three components that are responsible for the psychological functioning of human beings (Freud 1955, pp.23-24). These three components are the Id, the ego and the superego. These three components work as a team to regulate the behavior of an individual. The individual’s level of development always plays a role in the kind of behavior displayed by someone.
The Id is the simplest in terms of development. The Id is drove by instinct and always pushes for instant satisfaction. The guidance of the Id in terms of what it asks for is passion. The drive for food and sex are part of the actions that the id asks the mind to engage in (Freud 1955, pp.29-30). The Id does not look at any risks that may be involved in the pursuit of its instinctual needs. When the other elements (ego and superego) are weak in a person, the actions the person engages in are basic and childish. The Id has influence over children, until the ego and superego develop. The rule for the Id is the seeking of pleasure (Cherry 2010, p.1). Most people who engage in corruption have had influence by the id. The simple instinct of Id for selfish gain, does not calculate that this will at the end of the day hurt the whole community; including the corrupt individual.
Ego is the rational part of the mind. Its work is to guide the rest of the system towards doing what is acceptable. Rational choices and reasoning is the influence of the ego. Most actions of grownups that are because of careful calculation of gains and losses result from the work of the ego (Freud 1955, pp.34-36). The ego is superior to the Id’s primal desires and always tries to overrule it.The successful individual who makes choices that benefit society has a strong ego.
The superego is the complete opposite of the id. Superego is the guidance that keeps on setting the standards that the id opposes as the ego tries to implement them (AllPsych online2004, p.1). The superego is a representation of the parental figure or ethical supporter in the mind of a human being. The working of the ego presents a standard of reasoning that keeps the human mind in reality.
Conclusion
For Freud, the mind divides into three sections known as the id, the ego and the superego. This is according to the structural theory as developed by Sigmund Freud. These three parts regulate the psychological functioning of human beings according to his theory.
References
AllPsych online. (2004).Psychology 101.Freud’s Structural and Topographical Models of Personality. Web.
Arlow, B., (1964), Psychoanalytic Concepts and the Structural Theory, New York: International Universities Press.
Cherry,K.,(2010).The Id, Ego And Superego:The Structural Model Of Personality. Web.
Freud S., (1955). The Ego and the Id, XIX (2nd ed.), New York: Hogarth Press.