Assumption 3 - tripartite personality

• Freud believed that The adult personality is structured into three parts that Develop at different ages in our life
• The ID

  • present at birth
  • unconscious mind
  • driven by pleasure principle ( instant gratification - newborn baby)
  • impulsive demands immediate gratification
  • aims to gain pleasure at any cost
• THE EGO 


  • develops at around 2 years old
  • conscious part of the personality
  • rational and logical
  • balances the demands of the ID and the superego
  • driven by the reality principle
• The Superego 


  • develops at around 4 years old and is learnt by parents
  • embodies the child’s sense of right and wrong
  • moral part of the mind
  • seeks to perfect and civilise ones behaviour
  • learned through same sex parent
  • driven by morality principle
• The ID and Superego are often in conflict
• What if some one is id dominant?


  they can be: greedy, selfish, childish and most likely to involve themselves in criminal behaviour
• What is someone is dominated by their superego?


  they can be: highly moral, self righteous, guilt-ridden and anxious