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Psychoanalytic Approach and Psychoanalysis in a South African Context
Psychoanalysis, a psychological theory of personality, studies the unconscious mind. This
theory will be discussed from the founder of the theory to his analysis of one’s personality.
This essay will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of this approach both in a general
context and in a South African context.
Psychoanalysis, often referred to as the second force in Psychology, was founded by the
Austrian physician, Sigmund Freud. Freud had a patient with conversion disorder, (Louw &
Edwards, 1997) which at the time was not known, and he used a technique he termed ‘free
association’ whereby the patient spoke about whatever came to their mind. This tapped into the
patients’ unconscious as it was often thoughts that were not had daily. This led Freud to believe
that all behaviour was determined by innate sexual and aggressive impulses. He concluded that
instincts were the basic elements of personality, the exclusive motivating forces that drove
behaviour and determined its direction. (Swartz, de la Rey, Duncan, Townsend, & O'Neill,
2016) Behaviour is motivated by two main instinctual drives: the life (Eros) instinct, where one
is orientated towards growth and development; and the death (Thanatos) instinct, where one
unconsciously wishes to die and return to their preconscious inert state, where one is compelled
to destroy, conquer, and kill. Freud then introduced three levels of personality: the conscious,
unconscious, and preconscious. Later he revised this notion by introducing in its place three
structures of personality: the id, the ego, and the superego, to explain the nature of
psychological conflicts. The id, which is the only part we are born with, consists of two
biologically based instincts: sexual and self-preservation. This primitive component supplies
energy for the other two components through libido, which is psychic energy manifested by
instincts. It follows the pleasure principle and acts to reduce tension induced by the needs of
the id through immediate gratification from satisfying those needs. The id has no awareness of
reality; therefore, it utilises the primary process of thought. The ego, which is developed
through the id’s interactions, utilises secondary process thought as it needs to deal rationally
with the external world. Its purpose is to obtain the tension reduction that the id craves while
satisfying the superego. The ego follows the reality principle as it must perceive and manipulate
the environment realistically to provide appropriate and socially acceptable expressions of the
id instincts. This is the basis of the ego’s function: to mediate between the id and the superego.
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The superego is a powerful set of dictates acquired during childhood. Freud believed that
through praise and punishment a child would develop this internal morality. The behaviours
that are punished form the conscience, and the behaviours that are praised form the ego-ideal.
The ego solely strives for moral perfection. Freud believed that when the ego is threatened by
the three dangers: the id, reality, and superego, friction is caused which leads to the
development of anxiety. Freud stated that anxiety is internalized as a signal that there is a
danger that must be counteracted or avoided as it is a threat to the ego. This signal induces
defence mechanisms which Freud believed to some extent were always in operation, due to the
consistent conflict the ego experiences between the demands of the id and the strictures of
society represented by the superego. (Schultz & Schultz, 2015)
Psychoanalysis has received praise for its explanation of the nature of human development and
all mental functioning. Without it, modern-day talk therapy would not exist. It has been found
useful for patients who have wanted to understand their motives for certain behaviours as they
can delve into their psyche, as well as patients who want to understand and process past
experiences that have affected them. This deeply analytical process can also provide great
insight into what drives a person. It has been recognised for the importance it places on early
childhood experiences and the effect that it has on our personality. Research has shown that
this approach is effective for different mental disorders that require more than simply medical
treatments. This is largely due to the daily life skills patients learn while undergoing
psychoanalysis; however, this process can be quite expensive and although it provides insight
into one’s behaviour, because of its nature, it can be an extensive and time-consuming intensive
form of treatment. The theory has received criticism from psychologists who believe that it is
either pseudoscience or not science at all due to not being based on enough quantitative and
experimental research. It is also difficult to perform empirical research on the theory. Freud
had used the clinical case study model to uphold the legitimacy of psychoanalysis; however,
this does not scientifically prove the theory. Critics have claimed that this theory grossly
exaggerates and generalizes human behaviour. Additionally, it has overly emphasized
childhood sexuality. Psychoanalysis as a philosophy exposes connections between childhood
events and adult behaviour and personality. This provides reasoning for psychoanalysis as a
form of psychological therapy that is unethical. In addition, the theory also stereotypes its
patients and therefore becomes unaccountable. Finally, psychoanalysis relies greatly on
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