Final answer:
In Freud's schema, the 'executive' component of the mind is the ego, which balances the primal desires of the id with the moral standards of the superego.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Freud's schema, the component of the mind believed to play an 'executive' role in personality is the ego. The ego functions as the mediator, managing the demands of the id, which is the source of primal drives and desires, and the superego, which represents societal norms and morals. The ego operates based on the reality principle, seeking to satisfy the id's desires in a manner acceptable in the real world and in accordance with the superego's standards. It is this balancing act that underlies many of the inherent conflicts within the personality, as the ego contends with these often opposing forces.
While most of Freud's specific ideas, such as his division of the mind into id, ego, and superego, and his theories of psychosexual development, are not supported by modern research, Freud's emphasis on the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences as central to personality, laid the groundwork for subsequent psychological theories.