Pleasure-unpleasure Principle (Noun)

(psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the id; the principle that an infant seeks gratification and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality.

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.

According to Freud, the pleasure-unpleasure principle is the primary driving force behind the id's behavior, guiding it to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
In the early stages of development, an infant operates solely on the pleasure-unpleasure principle, grabbing for anything that provides tactile stimulation.
The id is governed entirely by the pleasure-unpleasure principle, making it a primitive and instinctual force in the human psyche.
As the infant grows and matures, the reality principle begins to supersede the pleasure-unpleasure principle, reintroducing a sense of proportion and balance to behavior.
The unmediated pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain seen in the unaided operation of the pleasure-unpleasure principle are characteristic of a primitive mentality.