Pleasure Principle
Definition
According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the pleasure principle drives people to seek pleasure and avoid pain as much as possible.
Analogy
Consider playing video games all day instead of studying for an exam because it feels good – that’s the pleasure principle in action. It's like choosing to eat a delicious dessert over a healthy salad because it tastes better.
Related terms
Reality Principle: This is the counterpoint to the pleasure principle and represents the ability to delay gratification in accordance with demands of reality.
Drive-Reduction Theory: A theory suggesting that physiological needs create an aroused state that drives us to reduce or satisfy those needs.
Hedonism: The pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence.
"Pleasure Principle" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (4)
The part of Freud's psychoanalytic personality theory which operates on the pleasure principle is called:
Which component in Freud's structural model operates on the pleasure principle?
Which structure of personality, according to Freudian theory, operates on the pleasure principle?
How would a sociologist most likely interpret Freud's assertion that the id operates on the pleasure principle?
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