In the world of psychology, there is probably no one who doesn’t know the godfather of psychology, Sigmund Freud, who is considered one of the pioneers of many new ways of thinking in the field of psychology. In this article, we will take a look at who Sigmund Freud was and what theories he has related to him.
By the way, before everyone goes into the details of Sigmund Freud’s theories, I must first say that many of Freud’s theories are considered merely opinions or perspectives (opinions), not facts (facts). This is because modern science has begun to find evidence to contradict Sigmund Freud’s theories.
Who is Sigmund Freud?
Sigmund Freud was an Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist of Jewish descent who is considered the father of world psychology. Freud was born on May 6, 1856. He is the creator of the famous psychoanalysis theory, which believes that “human motivation originates in the unconscious.”
Freud believed that human nature is born with instinctual drives and that the mind is an energy that can move and change.
He is a doctor specializing in brain and nervous system diseases. He has studied and discovered that the human mind has power over the body. Many paralyzed people are suffering from mental illness. Therefore, he does not believe that humans can make decisions based on reason or determine things in their lives 100% by themselves.
Sigmund Freud and his influence on psychology
When Sigmund Freud was researching the subconscious, many people still didn’t believe that the subconscious existed and that it could be scientific.
But Freud was a pioneer, sparking a lot of interest in the subconscious. Freud’s book Dream Psychology is considered to be one of the first books on psychological theory in the world.
Most of the medical terms that are widely used today were originally coined by Sigmund Freud.
Such as the subconscious, the conscious mind, the ego, the superego, repression, slip-ups, sexual drive, etc. Many of Freud’s research works are considered important foundations of the study and development of psychology up until the present day.
Sigmund Freud’s human thought process
Freud believed that individual personality traits depend on the individual’s unique childhood experiences and the individual’s problem-solving skills.
The period from birth to 6 years is considered an important period for the development of thought processes. He divided the thought processes into 2 types:
The first type of thinking is Primary Process . It is thinking at the unconscious level, like a child’s thinking. It is not very logical, not interested in the things around them or time and place. The only thing they want is happiness and fulfillment, which they will be satisfied with when they get what they want. They also do not consider what the consequences will be (Pleasure Principle), such as daydreaming.
The second type of thinking is Secondary Process. This is the type of thinking that is commonly used. It is thinking at the conscious level, including the pre-conscious mind. It has the same thought process. It is thinking that is based on principles and reason, looking at everything according to reality (Reality Principle), for example, believing that sometimes there is disappointment, sometimes there is success, or that some things may have to be waited for in order to be obtained.
Sigmund Freud’s developmental theory
Most human behavior is motivated by subconscious thoughts, which manifest in dreams, slip-ups, or mental disorders.
Such as psychosis, neurosis, etc. Freud’s theory believes that humans have instinctive drives that are expressed in the form of sexual instincts (Sexual Instinct) that are expressed in the form of mental energy, dividing the workings of the mind into 3 levels.
1. Unconscious Mind
Unconscious Mind is a behavior that is expressed without realizing it, from the drive of the subconscious mind that stimulates it to act according to satisfaction. The subconscious mind stimulates desires, which are the result of childhood, becoming behaviors that continue into adulthood from not being accepted.
For example, being frequently forbidden or punished will be repressed in this part of the mind and will determine behavior such as being aggressive, gentle, hating certain things, etc.
2. Conscious Mind
Conscious Mind is a behavior that is consciously expressed through the five senses. Most people are always aware of what they are about to do or what they are thinking. It is a basic perception of reality. The mind controls various actions to be at the level of awareness. This is called displaying behavior with intention and purpose.
3. Subconscious
Subconscious behavior is behavior that is expressed or not expressed from the conscious mind or from accumulated experiences. When in a crisis, it can be expressed according to instinctive drives at the same level as the conscious mind.
For example, we dislike our new boss at work but don’t want our coworkers to know. We will express it normally, but we will always feel that we dislike him. If we feel like showing it one day, we will do it.
Sigmund Freud’s Structure of Personality
Freud believed that personality development is constantly changing. The more it is connected to the outside world or other environments, the more varied its effects will be. Human personality structure, which influences individual behavior, can be divided into three parts:
1. Id
The Id is the source of personality that is innate since birth. The Id is an instinctive drive that stimulates humans to fulfill their own needs in the pursuit of happiness and satisfaction. At the same time, the Id also acts to reduce stress because the Id works to do things according to satisfaction.
2. Ego
The ego is a personality that expresses behavior that is consistent with reality and the boundaries of society, enabling humans to know themselves. Each person’s ego is based on the principle of reality, using Secondary Process thinking, that is, using the principles of reason, conscious reflection, and awareness. The ego is a part of the conscious level. As each person grows, the ego becomes stronger, enabling better control of the id.
3. Superego
The superego is the personality that is related to responsibility, good and bad, morality, social norms, values, traditions and customs. The superego will control people to evaluate their own behavior through the moral conscience that each person has developed from their upbringing in childhood.
Sigmund Freud’s 5 stages of personality development
As mentioned, Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality development deals with sexual development, which manifests itself in the form of sexual instincts from infancy, which manifests itself in the form of libido, which can be moved to any part of the body that is pleasurable. Freud divided personality development into 5 stages.
1. Oral Stage: This stage begins from birth until one year old. At this age, there is an Erogenous Zone or a feeling of satisfaction in the mouth area. If the mouth is stimulated, the child will feel satisfied and will respond to the satisfaction by sucking, such as when a child sucks on their mother’s breast. This is happiness and satisfaction in the Oral Stage.
2. The anus stage or the excretory organ stage ( Anal Stage) starts from the age of 1-3 years, with the feeling of satisfaction being in the anus area. Children will feel satisfied when there is stimulation in the anus area. They begin to be themselves and are satisfied with being able to control their own organs, especially the excretory organs. Children will be happy to hold in their feces or defecate. This is a conflict that parents must take care of and pay attention to.
3. The Phallic Stage begins between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The feeling of satisfaction is in the genitals. Children feel satisfaction from touching their genitals and feel satisfaction with their own gender. However, if the child is of the opposite gender to their parents, the opposite feeling will occur. For example, a boy will love and be protective of his mother, thus feeling jealous of his father. Or a girl will love and be protective of her father, until she feels jealous and has feelings of enmity towards her mother.
4. Latency Stage : Begins from age 6 to 11 years. In this stage, satisfaction or Erogenous Zone is not clearly evident in any part of the body. It is not confined to a specific area, which is called the latent stage of Libido power. It is a temporary rest period for sexual matters and sexual fantasies.
5. The late genital stage ( Genital Stage) starts from age 12 and up. This is the puberty stage where satisfaction returns to the genital area because when entering adolescence, there will begin to be changes in various aspects, there is physical and emotional development, there is the ability to reproduce, there is a strong sexual desire, therefore resulting in high self-identity and love of independence.
Sigmund Freud used psychoanalytic theory to compare the human mind to an iceberg floating in the middle of the ocean. Only a small portion of the mountain’s tip is above the water, but the remaining part is much larger.
He compared the part that floats above the water to the conscious mind, the part that sits just above the surface to the semi-conscious mind, and the final, most important part of the iceberg is the subconscious mind, which people never have the chance to see or be aware of.
Sigmund Freud’s psychological theories, which attempted to explore the human mind, were used to analyze behaviors that affect various aspects of life. Freud’s theories of thought and academic work were widely disseminated and used, greatly benefiting the development of medicine and psychology.