ICeBerg MOdel
An iceberg model is often used to describe Freud's understanding of the mind. The conscious is the tip of the iceberg, barely above water. It is composed of our thoughts and perceptions. It is everything of which we are aware. The preconscious is just under the water. It is composed of our memories, stored knowledge, fears, and doubts. We are not consciously aware of the preconscious, but we can pull information from it into our conscious at any time. The unconscious is the largest part deep beneath the water. The unconscious is composed of our selfish motives, aggressive desires, and our socially unacceptable desires. According to Freud, the composition of the unconscious are the underlying influences which drive our conscious actions.
THe ID, Ego, and Superego
Id
The id cares only about its own satisfaction, and it dwells deep within the unconscious part of the mind- far down on the iceberg of the mind. It is based on our pleasure principle, so it wants whatever will be pleasurable at a particular time, regardless of the reality of the situation. The id does not care about reality or the needs of others; when it wants something, nothing else is important. This would apply when someone wants a car, so they buy it without regard to the fact that they cannot afford it and without considering that their spouse needs a new car, not them. The id wants what it wants, forget everything else.
Ego
The ego develops after the id, and it dwells in the preconscious part of the mind- just beneath the water on the iceberg. The ego understands the impulsiveness and selfishness can be detrimental and that other people have their own wants and needs. The ego is based on the reality principle, and it’s the ego’s responsibility to meet the needs of the id while considering the reality of the situation and the feelings of others. An example would be a person realizing that they could not buy a new car simply because they want it when they cannot afford it. After the superego develops, it becomes the ego's job not only to satisfy the id, but to not upset the super ego while doing so. An example of the ego working to balance the id and the superego would be someone buying a car after saving some money and sharing it with their spouse as not to upset them; the id got the car and the superego did not get its standards violated.
Superego
The superego is the last to develop, and it is just above the id on the iceberg in the unconscious part of the mind. The superego is our morality. It develops as a result of moral and ethical restrictions our parents or other caregivers impose upon us. Once the superego develops, it becomes the job of the ego to meet the wants of the id while not upsetting the standards of the superego. An example of the superego would be not buying a car because one cannot afford it and because it might upset one’s spouse.
References
Cherry, K. (n.d.). What Are Freud's 3 Levels of Mind?. About.com Psychology. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/consciousuncon.htm
Hall, E. (n.d.). Key Terms- Personality. GAVS.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://cms.gavirtualschool.org/Development/Social_Studies/AP_Psychology/AP_Psychology_Softchalk/12_Personality/KeyTermsPersonality.pdf
Iceberg Photo. (n.d.). Psyche.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.psyche.com/psyche/cube/cube_metapsychology.html
Using an Iceberg Diagram to Describe Sigmund Freud's Understanding of the Human Mind Photo. (n.d.). Muezart.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from https://www.muezart.com/example-use-iceberg-diagram-keynote
Cherry, K. (n.d.). What Are Freud's 3 Levels of Mind?. About.com Psychology. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/consciousuncon.htm
Hall, E. (n.d.). Key Terms- Personality. GAVS.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://cms.gavirtualschool.org/Development/Social_Studies/AP_Psychology/AP_Psychology_Softchalk/12_Personality/KeyTermsPersonality.pdf
Iceberg Photo. (n.d.). Psyche.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.psyche.com/psyche/cube/cube_metapsychology.html
Using an Iceberg Diagram to Describe Sigmund Freud's Understanding of the Human Mind Photo. (n.d.). Muezart.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from https://www.muezart.com/example-use-iceberg-diagram-keynote