Final answer:
A psychodynamic theorist would attribute dissociative identity disorder to the overwhelming stress placed on the Ego by traumatic experiences, leading to the repression of memories and the dissociation of identity as a defense mechanism.
Step-by-step explanation:
A psychodynamic theorist would most likely explain that dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the result of the mind's defense mechanisms reacting to severe trauma, typically from childhood. Freud's psychoanalytic theory postulates that such disorders arise when the Ego, which mediates between the basic, instinctual desires of the Id and the moral standards of the Superego, becomes overwhelmed. This leads to the repression of memories into the unconscious, potentially causing a dissociation of identity as a protective strategy against psychological distress.
The Ego is forced to reconcile with the trauma, which may be too intense for the conscious mind to handle, resulting in the fragmentation of identity. Dissociative identity disorder would be seen as an extreme manifestation of the defense mechanism of dissociation, allowing an individual to mentally escape from the reality of the trauma by compartmentalizing identities.