Which of the following statements accurately reflects Sigmund Freud's description of the structures of personality in the psychodynamic perspective?

• A. The ego is entirely unconscious and is responsible for moral judgments.
• B. The superego is the source of instinctual energy and aggression.
• C. The id operates on the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification of basic drives.
• D. The id, ego, and superego all function only at the conscious level of awareness.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand Freud's model of personality, which consists of three structures: the id, ego, and superego, each with distinct roles and levels of consciousness.
2. Step 2: Recall that the id operates on the pleasure principle, meaning it seeks immediate gratification of basic drives and is entirely unconscious.
3. Step 3: Recognize that the ego functions on the reality principle, mediating between the id's desires and the external world, and operates at conscious and unconscious levels.
4. Step 4: Know that the superego represents internalized moral standards and ideals, guiding judgments of right and wrong, and operates at conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels.
5. Step 5: Evaluate each statement based on these definitions to identify which accurately describes the id, ego, and superego according to Freud's psychodynamic theory.