id

1. n. in psychoanalytic theory, the component of the personality that contains the instinctual, biological drives that supply the psyche with its basic energy or libido. Sigmund Freud conceived of the id as the most primitive component of the personality, located in the deepest level of the unconscious; it has no inner organization and operates in obedience to the pleasure principle. Thus, the infant’s life is dominated by the desire for immediate gratification of instincts, such as hunger and sex, until the ego begins to develop and operate in accordance with reality. See also primary process; structural model.

2. abbreviation for intradermal.

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Psychology term of the day

February 21st 2025

participants’ rights

in a study approved by an institutional review board, a set of conditions relating to participants in the study and their role in the research. Participants normally should be informed about the purpose of the study (but see deception research), its procedures (i.e., what specifically is expected to occur) and the associated costs and benefits; that their data from the study will be kept confidential; whom they can contact if they have any concerns about the study; and that they can leave the study at any time without penalty. Also called subjects’ rights. See also informed consent; research ethics.