How the Primary Process Is Used in Personality

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How the Primary Process in Freudian Theory Works

As you may recall, Freud believed that the id was the most basic and primitive part of personality. He also suggested that it was the only part of personality that is present from birth. The primary process is referred to as a primary part of personality because it is believed to come first. Since the id is present from birth, the primary process is also assumed to emerge quite early in human development.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theories in Psychology

How It Influences Personality

A primary process is used instead of acting on dangerous or unacceptable urges. The id forms a mental image of a desired object to substitute for an urge in order to diffuse tension and anxiety.

This image can take the form of a dream, hallucination, fantasy, or delusion. For example, if you are hungry, you might form a mental image of a slice of pizza or a deli sandwich. The experience of this mental image through the primary process is known as wish fulfillment.

However, problems also result from using the primary process to dissipate the energy of the id. The primary process has no way to distinguish between the fantasy image and reality. So while the primary process can be used to temporarily reduce tension, it is only effective in the short-term. Your mental image of the food you are craving will only satisfy you for so long. Eventually, the tension will return when needs go unfulfilled.

What Is the Secondary Process?

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Robbins M.The primary process: Freud’s profound yet neglected contribution to the psychology of consciousness.Psychoanal Inq. 2018;38(3):186-197. doi:10.1080/07351690.2018.1430965Moccia L, Mazza M, Di Nicola M, Janiri L.The experience of pleasure: a perspective between neuroscience and psychoanalysis.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:359. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00359Cieri F, Esposito R.Psychoanalysis and neuroscience: the bridge between mind and brain.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1983. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01983Badalamenti AF.Equivalence in Freud’s primary process.Psychoanal Rev. 2018;105(1):91–117. doi:10.1521/prev.2018.105.1.91Bruxelmane J, Shin J, Olyff G, Bazan A.Eyes wide shut: Primary process opens up.Front Psychol. 2020;11:145. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00145

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Robbins M.The primary process: Freud’s profound yet neglected contribution to the psychology of consciousness.Psychoanal Inq. 2018;38(3):186-197. doi:10.1080/07351690.2018.1430965Moccia L, Mazza M, Di Nicola M, Janiri L.The experience of pleasure: a perspective between neuroscience and psychoanalysis.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:359. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00359Cieri F, Esposito R.Psychoanalysis and neuroscience: the bridge between mind and brain.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1983. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01983Badalamenti AF.Equivalence in Freud’s primary process.Psychoanal Rev. 2018;105(1):91–117. doi:10.1521/prev.2018.105.1.91Bruxelmane J, Shin J, Olyff G, Bazan A.Eyes wide shut: Primary process opens up.Front Psychol. 2020;11:145. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00145

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Robbins M.The primary process: Freud’s profound yet neglected contribution to the psychology of consciousness.Psychoanal Inq. 2018;38(3):186-197. doi:10.1080/07351690.2018.1430965Moccia L, Mazza M, Di Nicola M, Janiri L.The experience of pleasure: a perspective between neuroscience and psychoanalysis.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:359. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00359Cieri F, Esposito R.Psychoanalysis and neuroscience: the bridge between mind and brain.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1983. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01983Badalamenti AF.Equivalence in Freud’s primary process.Psychoanal Rev. 2018;105(1):91–117. doi:10.1521/prev.2018.105.1.91Bruxelmane J, Shin J, Olyff G, Bazan A.Eyes wide shut: Primary process opens up.Front Psychol. 2020;11:145. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00145

Robbins M.The primary process: Freud’s profound yet neglected contribution to the psychology of consciousness.Psychoanal Inq. 2018;38(3):186-197. doi:10.1080/07351690.2018.1430965

Moccia L, Mazza M, Di Nicola M, Janiri L.The experience of pleasure: a perspective between neuroscience and psychoanalysis.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:359. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00359

Cieri F, Esposito R.Psychoanalysis and neuroscience: the bridge between mind and brain.Front Psychol. 2019;10:1983. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01983

Badalamenti AF.Equivalence in Freud’s primary process.Psychoanal Rev. 2018;105(1):91–117. doi:10.1521/prev.2018.105.1.91

Bruxelmane J, Shin J, Olyff G, Bazan A.Eyes wide shut: Primary process opens up.Front Psychol. 2020;11:145. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00145

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