Freud’s Theory of the Id in Psychology

The id, first conceived of by the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1923), is the part of the personality that is driven by instinctual needs and desires.

The id is the primary source of motivation for all human behavior, namely basic needs, such as hunger, emotional expression, and sex.

The id operates on the pleasure principle, which means that it seeks to gratify its needs and desires in any way possible.

Overview and History

In psychoanalytic theory, the id is the component of the personality that contains the instinctual, biological drives that supply the psyche with its basic energy or libido.

The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud conceived of the id as the most primitive component of the personality, located in the deepest level of the unconscious.

It has no inner organization and operates in obedience to the so-called pleasure principle — a desire for gratification and avoiding or dissipating pain.

Thus, the infant’s life is dominated by the desire for immediate gratification of instincts, such as hunger and sex.

This id dominance remains until the next level of personality, the ego, begins to develop and operate in accordance with reality.

Freud’s tripartite theory has had a profound influence on psychology, particularly in the area of human development.

Freud believed that the id was responsible for all of our basic needs and drives, including sex, hunger, and aggression.

Freud believed that the id was constantly trying to satisfy these drives but was often frustrated by the reality principle, which dictated that we could not always have what we wanted.

This frustration often leads to conflict within the personality, which could manifest itself in various ways, such as anxiety or neurosis (Freud, 1923).

While Freud’s theory of the id has been criticized by many psychologists over the years, it continues to be one of the most influential theories in psychology.

It has helped psychologists to understand the role of people’s basic drives in human behavior and has provided a framework for understanding how people resolve conflict within themselves.

When Does the Id Emerge?

Freud considered personality to be similar to an iceberg. He believed that the ego, or conscious mind, was just the tip of the iceberg, while the rest of personality was submerged in the unconscious.

The id is, in this view, the deepest level of personality, located in the unconscious mind. It operated according to the pleasure principle, which meant that it was always seeking immediate gratification.

The id is, according to Freud, a primitive part of personality and contains basic drives, such as sex and aggression.

Freud believed that these drives were innate and would emerge even if people were not socialized or taught about them.

For example, he believed that infants are born with sexual urges, even though they may not yet be aware of what sex is.

The id was also responsible for many of our primitive impulses, such as hunger and thirst. Freud believed that these drives were so powerful that they could not be controlled by the ego.

For example, if someone experiences hunger, the thought of eating dominates their mind, leading them to not be able to think about anything else.

The id would always seek to satisfy these drives, regardless of whether or not it was realistic or possible.

The Id and Personality

While the id is present from birth, Freud (1923) believed that it was not the only component of personality. He proposed that the ego and superego, two other parts of personality, emerge as a child grows and matures.

The ego develops in response to the demands of reality. It begins to form around the age of two and helps the individual deal with the outside world in a more realistic way.

For example, the ego prevents an infant from biting people when they are frustrated, as this would lead to negative consequences. The ego is also responsible for organizing our thoughts and decision-making.

The superego is the last part of the personality to develop and usually emerges around the age of five or six. It is the part of personality that internalizes the values and morals of society.

The superego is often in conflict with the id, as it seeks to control our primitive impulses. For example, the superego would tell us not to steal, even if we really wanted to.

The id, ego, and superego all play an important role in human behavior. Together, they help us to understand both our conscious and unconscious motivations (Erwin, 2002).

How the Id Operates

The id motivates you to seek pleasure whilst avoiding pain and do so at whatever cost to others; it is entirely selfish.

The Id operates on what Freud called the Pleasure Principle and is present at birth.

The Id, in turn, is driven by two other instinctive drives:

Eros or life instinct: which gets its energy from the libido.  Eros drives us to behave in life-preserving and life-enhancing ways, to avoid danger, to keep warm and well-fed, and to reproduce.

Thanatos: or death instinct, which will cause us to attack anyone that gets in the way of satisfying the libido.  Thanatos, however, can be destructive when turned inwards.

The id relies on the primary process to temporarily relieve the tension caused by a need that cannot be immediately met.

The primary process involves forming a mental image of the desired object and then satisfying the need with this image.

This can be seen in daydreaming, which allows us to temporarily escape from reality and satisfy our needs.

For example, if someone is hungry, the id will create a mental image of food, and then satisfaction will come from eating the food in our imagination.

Similarly, if someone is sexually frustrated, the id may create a mental image of a sexual encounter, and then satisfaction will come from fantasizing about this encounter.

The id is not concerned with reality, only with satisfying its needs. This can often lead to problems, as the things that someone wants are not always possible or realistic.

For example, an athlete may want to win a gold medal, but this may not be possible. The athlete’s id would then keep repeating the desire for a gold medal, leading to frustration and disappointment.

The id can also cause problems in relationships, as it may lead us to act impulsively and without thinking about the consequences.

For example, someone who is angry may lash out at their partner in an attempt to relieve emotional tension without considering how this would hurt them.

Id Defense Mechanisms

The id is often responsible for defense mechanisms, which are unconscious strategies that someone uses to protect themselves from anxiety.