New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis Lesson Plan

Describe the relationship between the ego and the superego.

While the ego is defined broadly as the conscious mind (though it is not entirely conscious), the superego is less an entity than a capability of the ego. The superego is the ego's capacity for self-reflection, for viewing itself as an object. The superego, therefore, separates itself from ego even though it is in some ways simply ego itself, but specifically ego looking at itself. The superego possesses a significant amount of influence over ego, and their conflict is credited by Freud as the source of many psychological symptoms.

Describe the relationship between the superego and the id.