psychodynamic approach to aggression

• o   Id – which is present at birth e.g., a new-born baby is completely selfish.

  o   Ego – develops by the age of 3 when the child becomes aware of other people’s feelings and that they can’t always have it their way.

  o   Super-ego – develops by the age of 5 when they form a sense of morality which is passed on from parents and so the child internalises it.
• Freud said that the id and the super-ego are on opposing sides and that the role of the ego is to negotiate their demands, a psychological abnormality is due to the unsuccessful mediation of the id and super-ego by the ego. However, if the ego is weakened, either the id or the super-ego would dominate the personality.
• Aggression originates from the ID which is the instinctive drive as it obeys the pleasure principle with no consideration of social reality. The super-ego opposes the id’s destructive aggressive drive through guilt. Therefore, aggression can be seen as an unchecked id impulse.
• Most of us are able to channel our aggression through sublimation into other acceptable behaviours e.g., sport.  Freud used the term catharsis as an argument for how to reduce aggression, by getting out one’s aggression and anger should reduce the feeling of aggression. It’s the process of venting aggression to release or get rid of emotions.
• One strength is that Freudian psychoanalysis can be used in therapy, during which the client explores their unconscious causes of aggression in a safe context with support from their therapist to allow catharsis to take place. This means that Freud’s theory offers a practical solution to reducing aggressive behaviour which can then positively impact the individual and wider society.
• One weakness Is that Freud’s explanations aren’t scientific, this is because most of his theory was based on hypothetical constructs which are subject to interpretation. E.g., id, ego, and super-ego cannot be seen but only interpreted based on actions. This is a weakness as the three personality traits cannot be measured empirically so we cannot be sure that they exist. However, hormones can be measured e.g., Dabb’s testing for testosterone in saliva of more aggressive and hostile people.
• [weakness justification] Therefore, hormones may be a better explanation as it is factual information and free from bias as it is not subjective whereas, Freud’s theory is unscientific and cannot be measured to become factual.