Section 2.2 Psychoanalytic theory

When discussing the id, ego, and superego, it’s important to understand that these are not separate, rigid entities. Instead, they are dynamic components that continuously interact, influencing an individual’s overall personality and behaviour. Given the presence of conflicting forces, the id, ego, and superego often come into conflict. Freud introduced the concept of “ego strength” to describe the ego’s capacity to manage these opposing impulses. A person with strong ego strength can effectively navigate these internal conflicts, while someone with too much or too little ego strength may display inflexibility or disruptive behaviour (Singh et al., 2025).

Freud’s theory provides a framework for understanding how personalities are structured and how the different components function together. The id demands satisfaction, the superego imposes moral restrictions, and the ego must balance both with the reality of the environment.

Figure 3: Interaction between id, ego and superego

Source: Singh et al., (2025, p.60)

Freud says that a healthy personality needs the id, ego, and superego to work together in harmony. Although the ego bears a significant burden, it need not operate in isolation. When the ego must balance the needs of primal urges, morals, and reality, anxiety helps. When people feel different kinds of anxiety, their defense mechanisms may kick in to protect their ego and ease their anxiety.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used by individuals to protect themselves from anxiety, stress, or uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Rooted in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, these mechanisms help the ego manage conflicts between the id’s desires, the superego’s moral standards, and the demands of reality. Common defense mechanisms include regression, repression, sublimation, denial, projection, displacement, rationalization, intellectualization, and reaction formation. Understanding these mechanisms provides insight into how people cope with emotional challenges and maintain psychological balance in everyday life.