Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality and Carl Jung's Personality Theory

Running head: MASTERS IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
Masters in counselling psychology
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1MASTERS IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality
According to Freud, personality development takes place through a series of stages that is
characterized by some psychological conflict inherited internally. Freud argues that behaviour of
human is the combined result of various interactions of three mind components: ego, id and
superego (De Sousa, 2011). Each of these components adds to the unique personality of an
individual; however these three elements interact in ways having powerful influence on an
individual. The “structural theory” explains the importance of conflicts that takes place between
the parts of mind that shapes personality and behaviour (Lapsley & Stey, 2011). According to
him, personality development takes pace during childhood where it is critically shaped via series
of psychosocial stages called “psychosexual theory of development”. At every stage of child
development, he or she is presented with certain conflict between the biological drivers and
social expectations and the successful navigation of the internal conflicts will result in mastery
and achievement in each developmental stage leading to a full mature personality. He believed
that events that take place during childhood have great influence on adulthood that shapes our
personality (Ahmed, 2012).
The theory puts importance on the role of psychological conflicts that are unconscious in
nature and plays an important role in shaping behaviour and personality. This theory provides
conceptualization of structuring of personality and how the three elements function in shaping
human personality. Therefore, in Freud’s view, good personality results from balance in dynamic
interaction of these three elements, however, his theory has been criticized as it focuses on single
factor, sexuality being the main driver for personality development in humans (Anand & Singh,
2017).

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The Personality theory of Carl Jung
The Personality theory involves typology of introversion and extroversion. He developed
the analytical psychology differentiating personal unconscious from the term collective
unconscious reflecting unconscious thoughts among the humans (Adamski, 2011). Earlier,
Jung’s general psychology type was general attitude that is predisposition of behaviour.
Introversion and extroversion are two different opposing attitudes yet complementary forces in
nature. Introverts are aware of their inner conflicts while perceive external world and not
pondered as inward flow of psychic energy. Introverts are more concerned with appraisal,
dreams and fantasies that is subjective in nature. Extroverts are pondered by outward flow of
psychic energy gaining influence from surrounding rather than internal cognitive processes
(Chaim, 2017).
According to Jung, there were four function tests that combine with one another in
forming eight different types of personality. The first function is feeling where an individual
understands the importance of consciousness. Thinking is the second function allowing an
individual in understanding meanings of various things relying on mental activity and logic. The
terms intuition, sensation may be identical, however have important distinctions in personality
functioning (Murie, 2010). Sensation is the mean by which an individual learns about something
that exists and learning about something without conscious where he or she is not aware from
where the knowledge comes is called intuition. An individual is defined by combination of these
different functions that exists in hierarchy where one has superior effect and another secondary
effect. In Jung’s view, an individual make appropriate use of these two functions while rest two
have minor effects (Roesler, 2013).

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Points of agreement/disagreement
Carl Jung, a Neo-Freudian theorist whose assumptions in analytical psychology greatly
reflect the major differences with Freud’s theory. While Jung theory agreed with Freud theory
that an individual’s childhood experiences and past determine future behaviour, he also stated
that one’s personality is shaped by aspirations in the future. Jung stated that although childhood
experiences matter, however, he also stated that Freud’s ideas did not focus on the importance of
cultural and sociological influences along with biological influences (Ewen & Ewen, 2014).
Freudian psychology lacks supporting evidence and good at explaining, however, it
cannot predict behaviour. As a result, this theory is considered unfalsifiable that can neither be
refuted or proved true. The unconscious mind is difficult for measuring and testing objectively
making the theory unscientific (Schultz & Schultz, 2016). He believed that unconscious mind is
the epicentre of repressed traumatic memories, thoughts and fundamental elements that drives
aggression and sex. He stated that unconscious mind is the storage for sexual hidden desires that
result in neuroses and may progress to mental illness. The case studies of Freud are mostly from
Vienna and therefore, these results cannot be generalized to the wider population making it
unimportant assuming that it is only qualitative between individuals. His research is bias based
on interpretations where he paid attention to data that supported his theory and ignored
explanation that did not support him (Kline, 2013).
On a contrary, Jung’s idea of collective unconscious is a form of personal unconscious as
given by Freud that holds memory traces or mental patterns that are common to all. He divided
human psyche into three parts where unconscious is divided into personal unconscious, ego and
collective unconscious (Schultz & Schultz, 2016). Ego is conscious, memories explain personal