Freudians refer to the ego as

• A. The executive administrator of the personality and the reality principle.
• B. The impulse that seeks immediate gratification.
• C. The moral conscience.
• D. The unconscious storehouse of memories.

Answer: (A)

The ego is the executive part of personality that negotiates with the real world. It operates on the reality principle, delaying immediate gratification and testing what can realistically be done given actual circumstances. By mediating between the id’s impulses, the superego’s moral standards, and external reality, the ego plans, solves problems, and guides behavior in a way that keeps actions feasible and socially acceptable. So, its role as the administrator working with reality is what the term captures. The idea of immediate gratification belongs to the id, and the moral conscience belongs to the superego, while a storehouse of memories isn’t the ego’s function.