Freud Psychodynamic

• Id


  Unconscious part of the mind present at birth; seeks immediate gratification; operates on the pleasure principle.
• Ego


  Develops around age 1; operates on the reality principle; mediates between id and superego.
• Superego


  Develops around age 5; internalized moral standards; operates on the morality principle.
• Pleasure principle


  Drives the id to seek immediate gratification of needs and desires.
• Reality principle


  Used by the ego to find socially acceptable ways to meet id's needs.
• Morality principle


  Guides the superego to uphold societal norms and values.
• Repression


  Unconsciously blocking distressing thoughts or feelings from awareness.
• Regression


  Reverting to childlike behaviors in response to stress or conflict.
• Displacement


  Redirecting emotions to a safer or less threatening target.
• Projection


  Attributing your own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.
• Rationalization


  Using logical-sounding reasons to justify behaviors and hide true motives.
• Compensation


  Making up for a weakness in one area by excelling in another.
• Denial


  Refusing to acknowledge an unpleasant reality.
• Reaction Formation


  Acting in a way that is opposite of one's true feelings.
• Fixation


  Stuck in a psychosexual stage due to over- or under-gratification; influences adult behavior.
• Oral Stage (0-1 yr)


  Pleasure through the mouth (e.g., sucking); fixation may cause dependency, sarcasm, or habits like smoking.
• Anal Stage (1-3 yrs)


  Pleasure through controlling elimination; fixation may lead to obsessiveness (retentive) or messiness (expulsive).
• Phallic Stage (3-5 yrs)


  Pleasure through genital focus; includes Oedipus/Electra complex; superego develops here.
• Latency Stage (6-11 yrs)


  Sexual impulses dormant; child focuses on learning, social skills, and ego development.
• Genital Stage (Adolescence+)


  Sexual maturity develops; interest in romantic relationships; love and mature sexuality form.
• What happens when the ego fails to balance the id and superego?

  Anxiety occurs, which may lead to use of defense mechanisms.
• What type of behavior might indicate oral fixation in adulthood?


  Smoking, overeating, excessive talking, or dependency on others.
• How might anal retentive traits appear in adulthood?


  Obsessive neatness, rigidity, and controlling behavior.
• A child blames their sibling for their own misbehavior. What defense mechanism is this?

  Projection
• An adult throws a tantrum after a minor inconvenience. Which defense mechanism is at play?

  Regression
• What does the superego use to oppose the id's impulses?

  Moral reasoning and guilt.
• If someone acts overly nice to hide hostility, which defense mechanism is this?

  Reaction formation
• Why might someone become fixated in a psychosexual stage?

  Due to overgratification or undergratification during that stage.
• What Freudian stage includes the Oedipus and Electra complexes?

  The Phallic Stage (ages 3-5)
• What is the function of defense mechanisms?

  To protect the ego and reduce anxiety.
• Which structure of personality is entirely unconscious and irrational?

  Id
• Which part of the personality considers what is socially acceptable?

  Ego
• Which part of the personality represents internalized morals?

  Superego
• How can Freud's theory help counselors understand behavior?

  By analyzing unconscious motives and unresolved childhood conflicts.
• What happens during the latency stage according to Freud?

  Sexual feelings are repressed while focus shifts to social and cognitive development.
• Which defense mechanism might explain someone refusing to accept a medical diagnosis?

  Denial
• A man yells at his coworker after being criticized by his boss. Which defense mechanism?

  Displacement
• A person becomes compulsively clean and organized. Which psychosexual stage might this reflect?

  Anal stage (retentive fixation)
• What does sublimation refer to in Freud's broader ideas?

  Redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.
• According to Freud, when does the superego fully form?

  During the Phallic stage (around age 5)