US High School Psychology Practice Exam

According to Freud, which part of personality is responsible for pleasure-seeking behavior?

1. Superego

2. Conscious mind

3. Id

4. ego

The correct answer is: Id

The id is the part of Freud's psychoanalytic theory that is responsible for pleasure-seeking behavior. It operates on the pleasure principle, which seeks immediate gratification of desires and urges. The id is entirely unconscious and represents our most basic instincts, including those related to hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. It does not consider reality or moral constraints and instead demands satisfaction without delay. In contrast, the superego encompasses the moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our parents and society, often opposing the demands of the id. The conscious mind refers to everything we are currently aware of, which does not directly govern pleasure-seeking behavior. The ego, which mediates between the id and the superego, operates on the reality principle, balancing the desires of the id with the moral constraints of the superego in order to provide realistic solutions to fulfill those desires. Thus, the id is the correct answer, as it uniquely embodies the pursuit of pleasure without consideration for consequences or morality.