Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality

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Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality Kherik Gordon PSY 250 July 18, 2013 Patrick Norman Psychoanalytic Approach to Personality The psychoanalytic approach to personality is the study of the human personality where it deals with the mind. Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic approach to psychology. This school of thought emphasized the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego (Cherry, 2013). Although Freud is credited with the start of this theory, there were other psychotherapists who used and expanded this theory; the most popular were Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. Each of these theorists believed that the mind is the greatest contributor to personality, but their focus was slightly different. Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who established the psychoanalytic approach by creating dialogue between the patient and psychoanalyst. This dialogue allowed the thought process of the patient to be studied. The findings helped Freud create his theory that behavior was greatly influenced by the unconscious mind. It was Sigmund Freud’s belief that the mind consisted of three major parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. To Freud each part had a direct effect on different types of behavior. Freud is credited with establishing several ground breaking procedures in psychoanalysis. Other now-famous Freudian innovations include the therapy couch, the use of talk therapy to resolve psychological problems, and his theories about the unconscious -- including the role of repression, denial, sublimation, and projection (Nndb, 2013). For all the good that arose from Freud’s research, his theories are still the most debated and contested. Sigmund Freud often used
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