Psychoanalytic Theory affected Britney’s Personality

It is intriguing to analyze Britney Spears’ personality using Freudian Psychoanalysis. While this method of personality analysis is rarely used today as a result of a lack of empirical evidence and a failure to address any adulthood influence on personality, the approach’s emphasis on childhood development is far from baseless. It allows for an interesting and colorful analysis of personality, to say the least. Freud postulated that the mind was made up of three distinct entities: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id, according to Freud, operates under the pleasure principle and is the source of natural human drives and desires. The superego is the moral force that emphasizes societal norms and mores on individuals. Finally, the ego is the balancing force that allows individuals to satisfy their cravings in socially acceptable manners. Freud believed that in order for individuals to be psychologically healthy, these three forces must be balanced, with all three contributing to decisions and behaviors.
It is likely that if Freud were to analyze Ms. Spears, he would assert that her psychopathology is a direct result of her id being too strong. Over the years, Britney has exhibited a great deal of impulsive behavior, which would prove this assertion. In January 2004, Britney married Jason Alexander, a childhood friend, while on a trip to Las Vegas. The spur-of-the-moment decision created nothing short of a media frenzy and led many to question Spears’ state of mind at the time of the decision. Her management team quickly intervened and within 55 hours, the marriage was annulled. The next year, after a very short engagement, Britney and her then-fiancé Kevin Federline held an impromptu wedding ceremony to the surprise of family, friends, fans, and the media.
Her impetuous behavior did not end there. During the dark time that many refer to as her “meltdown” period, Britney’s behavior was defined by marked impulsivity. From missing custody court appearances and flashing her private areas to attacking paparazzi cars and her infamous head-shaving incident, Britney’s id seemed to be completely in control. At this time, her behavior seemed to be dictated wholly by her wants and desires and little on morality or understanding of responsibility. As Britney’s actions became more and more erratic, her time with her children was continually lessened. She seemed only partially aware of the ramifications she faced and seemed to care even less.
Defense mechanisms are a major component of psychoanalysis. Freud described them as “ego processes that distort reality to protect the individual from anxiety.” Historically, Britney has used regression as a defense mechanism, likely because of her curtailed childhood and rush into adulthood. Regression is when a person reverts back to a more child-like form of behavior in order to escape anxiety and psychological discomfort. After Britney filed for divorce in 2006, she undoubtedly used regression as a defense mechanism to deal with the pain she was experiencing. Instead of fulfilling her adult responsibilities as a mother, Spears began acting out in the vain of a rebellious teenager. Leaving nannies to take care of her children, Spears opted to make herself a fixture on the Los Angeles club scene, staying out drinking until all hours of the night, many times failing to even return home. In a 2007 letter to her fans, Spears admitted to the situation: “I was like a bad kid running around with ADD” (MTV).
Freud’s stages of psychosexual development are essentially what defines psychoanalysis as well as his belief that fixations result from not properly completing any one of these stages. In addition, he outlines how each fixation manifests itself in individuals. If Freud were to analyze Britney, he would most definitely state that she has an oral fixation. Britney has smoked cigarettes for years and has admitted many times that she has a habit of biting her fingernails. Both behaviors, according to Freud, are symptoms of an oral fixation. Freud might say that Britney had difficulty giving up breastfeeding in the oral stage, leading to such behaviors centered on oral intake. People with oral fixations are said to have dependency issues, which is certainly true of Britney. Over the years, it has become evident that she perpetually longs for attachment and affection. She has a history of rushing into relationships, married twice before turning 24. She always seems to be seeking some form of affection, whether it be love from a romantic partner, admiration from fans, or even attention from paparazzi.
The psychoanalytic approach was discovered by Sigmund Freud. This approach focuses on understanding an individual’s personality. Freud states that there are three structures of an individual’s mind which consist of the id, ego, and superego. The id functions under the pleasure principle which strongly emphasizes the significance of satisfying one’s drives and needs. The id focuses on lessening an individual’s internal tension and ultimately acquiring one’s motivations and desires. The ego is another structure of the mind, which operates under the reality principle. This part of the mind focuses on solving real-life problems. The ego is effective in balancing both the id and the superego. The superego is the last structure of the mind, which is activated under the morality principle. An individual with a superego will abide by rules set by society and authoritarian figures.

From evaluating Britney Spear’s personality, Freud would state that Britney is actively utilizing her id under the pleasure principle. There are many cases where Britney gratifies her impulses without considering the consequences of her actions. For example, Britney first illustrates signs of impulsive behavior when news came out that Britney had eloped with her childhood friend, Jason Alexander, during a trip to Las Vegas in January of 2004. This marriage was annulled fifty-five hours later and is widely publicized as the shortest-lived nuptial. It is apparent that Britney was experiencing a moment of spontaneity at the time.
Another controversial episode occurred when Britney Spears completely shaved her head at a local hair salon in California. Esther Tognozzi, the owner of the hair salon, stated that Britney showed very little emotion but had tears in her eyes because she feared her mother’s reaction toward her newly shaven head. Shortly after leaving the hair salon, Britney went to a tattoo parlor to receive two new tattoos. According to Freud, Britney was not handling her problems realistically and instead of lashing out against society. Britney was in total control of her primitive drives which is clearly demonstrated through her erratic behavior. It is evident that Britney did not care about abiding by the rules or morals of society. In February of 2006, Britney was caught driving with her son on her lap. This incident brought much attention because the public viewed Britney as an irresponsible mother for not protecting her son’s well-being.
According to Freud, psychosexual development occurs in the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages. During these psychosexual stages, the libido is transmitted to different areas of the body. Freud would conclude that Britney is stuck in the oral stage. At the oral stage, infants strive to attain their basic hunger and thirst drives through oral intake. Freud states that conflict arises when infants have to give up breastfeeding which results in fixations. The oral stage displays fixations such as preoccupation with oral intake and poor attachment styles which Britney strongly presents. Britney Spears is known for receiving pleasure through smoking cigarettes, biting her nails, and strongly depending on her relationships with others. Britney constantly seeks security and love which must have resulted from her need of satisfying her oral drives as a child.
DISCUSSION
In addition, Sigmund Freud would insist that Britney Spears exercise defense mechanisms in order to protect her self-concept and self-esteem. Defense mechanisms allow an individual to distort reality and in turn, protect themselves from the truth. Britney’s meltdowns were outrageous but she acted like everything was fine to protect her ego and primarily prevent anxiety from occurring. The truth hurts and it was clear that Britney was escaping from problems by partying, drinking, taking illegal substances, and hanging out with the wrong people. Defense mechanisms permitted Britney to hide from her feelings and in turn, run away from the pressures of the real world. Freud would conclude that Britney believed that she could do anything virtually impossible when dealing with difficult situations. However, this is untrue because this only shows a misrepresentation of reality.
Using the psychoanalytic and trait approaches to examine Britney Spears’ personality has been quite a fascinating undertaking, as the two perspectives yielded very distinct analyses. If Freud were to sit down with Britney, he would likely assert that her id, ego, and superego are not balanced, with her id overpowering the other entities. He would attribute her psychopathology to this imbalance and explain that her teenage rebelliousness is simply regression, a defense mechanism Spears uses in order to safeguard herself from dealing with the anxiety bubbling under the surface. As for her habits of smoking and fingernail biting, Freud would most certainly attribute this to an oral fixation.
As for the trait approach, compartmentalizing Britney’s personality is certainly interesting and allows for comparative analysis, something that cannot be said for psychoanalysis. I employed the Big Five, one of the most well-known scales from a trait perspective, to analyze Spears’ personality. After close examination, I found that Britney rates high on agreeableness, low on conscientiousness, high on neuroticism, and high on openness. As far as extroversion goes, it seems that it is very situation-dependent when it comes to Spears.