Final answer:
The answer to the question aligns with the Superego, which discourages smoking due to health concerns. The superego represents an individual's internalized morals and standards, resisting the id's impulses. Educational efforts and warnings from health organizations reinforce the superego's stance against smoking, despite cognitive dissonance and tobacco industry opposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the psychological components involved in the decision-making process regarding whether or not to engage in smoking cigarettes, given its known health risks. The correct choice from the options provided is C) Superego.
The superego is part of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality and is responsible for upholding moral standards and ideals. It serves as the source of conscience and counteracts the impulsive desires of the id, while the ego seeks to mediate between both.
The conscience (superego) is at play when an individual recognizes the harmful effects of smoking and decides against allowing oneself to partake in such an activity due to its health implications, despite any urges that may arise from the id to do otherwise.
Educational programs and global health warnings contribute to the formation of a superego that discourages smoking. However, the cognitive dissonance caused by the inconsistency between beliefs (understanding the health risks of smoking) and behavior (continuing to smoke) can lead to rationalization, denial, or behavior change.
In essence, the strong influence of nicotine addiction and the adversarial tactics of tobacco companies often challenge the individual's superego, making cessation difficult. Statements by these tobacco companies have historically attempted to contest clear evidence that smoking is hazardous to health and addictive.
The detrimental effects of smoking, such as causing lung cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses, have been well-documented and are reasons to heed the rationalizations of the superego to quit smoking. The Surgeon General's warning on cigarette packaging is a continuous reminder of these risks and a representation of society's collective superego communicating the danger involved.