National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level 2 (NCAC II) Practice Exam Exam

In psychoanalytical therapy, which component is responsible for unconscious aggressive and sexual urges?

1. Superego

2. Ego

3. ID

4. Conscious mind

The correct answer is: ID

The ID is the component of psychoanalytical therapy that is responsible for unconscious aggressive and sexual urges. According to Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche, the ID is the primitive part of the mind that operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification for basic instinctual drives, including those related to aggression and sexuality. It is entirely unconscious and does not consider reality or societal norms, which is why it is often associated with urges or desires that are socially unacceptable. The other components, such as the ego and superego, play different roles. The ego mediates between the ID and the external world, employing reality principles to satisfy the ID's desires in socially acceptable ways. The superego, on the other hand, represents internalized moral standards and ideals, guiding behavior through a sense of right and wrong. The conscious mind refers to thoughts that are currently in awareness and does not encompass the unconscious motivations that the ID represents. Thus, identifying the ID as the source of aggressive and sexual urges aligns accurately with Freud's theories in psychoanalytical psychotherapy.