There are a number of influential psychologists that have shaped the way we think about human behavior and characteristics. A brief overview of these theories will help us understand the field of psychology as we understand it in the 21st century.
The most famous figure, the most influential and controversial thinker of the twentieth century in the field of Psychology is Sigmund Freud. His work and theories helped us to shape our views of childhood, personality, memory and sexuality. After Freud other major psychologists have contributed in this field but their development was mainly from the standpoint of opposing what Freud had preached. Times Magazine in 2001 has referred to Freud as Psychology’s most important thinker and a Newsweek article of 2006 called him history’s most debunked doctor.
However Freud was a very notable psychologist and he is referred to as the father of psychoanalysis who was the first to focus on the unconscious aspect of the human mind and behavior. To Freud, most of the human ideology was encompassed by the subconscious rather than the conscious mind. Freud considered three aspects of the mind: the id, ego, and superego.
The id signifies our basic desire to seek gratification. The ego centers on the outside world such as the environment and other people. It serves as an objective lens for which the id can operate. The superego correlates to the qualities of one’s personality and serves as a mechanism of guiding the ego by feelings of guilt and