Page 392 - Understanding Psychology

s Main Idea
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory proposes that personality is made up of three components: the id, ego, and superego.
s Vocabulary
• unconscious
• id
• ego
• superego
• defense mechanisms
• collective unconscious
• archetype
• inferiority complex
s Objectives
• Explain Sigmund Freud’s structural
concepts of personality.
• Describe Carl Jung’s theory of
Psychoanalytic Theories
Reader’s Guide
Exploring Psychology
Just a Slip
One of my colleagues was lecturing on the importance of regular health care. She said, “It is important to visit a veteri- narian for regular checkups.” According to Freud, mistakes like substituting veterina- rian for physician are not accidental but rather “intentional” ways of expressing unconscious desires.
As it turns out, my colleague, who is in very good health, was having serious doubts about her relationship with a per- son who happened to be a veterinarian.
—from Introduction to Psychology by Rod Plotnik, 1999
personality.
378 Chapter 14 / Theories of Personality
Slips in speaking are common. People usually laugh at them, even if they are meaningful; sometimes, however, they are disturbing. Everyone has made a remark that hurt a friend and has later asked himself, “Why did I say that? I didn’t mean it.” Yet, when he thinks about it, he may realize that he was angry at his friend and wanted to get back at him.
SIGMUND FREUD AND THE UNCONSCIOUS
It was Sigmund Freud who first suggested that the little slips that peo- ple make, the things they mishear, and the odd misunderstandings they have are not really mistakes at all. Freud believed there was something