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Related Experiment Videos

The superego: a revised developmental model.

D Westen

    The Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis
    |April 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Psychoanalytic theory on superego development is challenged. A new theory suggests conscience arises from narcissism compensation, not just the Oedipus complex, offering a gender-neutral explanation.

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    The scientific status of unconscious processes: is Freud really dead?

    Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2000

    Area of Science:

    • Psychoanalytic Theory
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Psychosexual Development

    Background:

    • Freud's theories on superego formation are complex, with one widely accepted and another less known.
    • The accepted theory links superego development to object loss and castration anxiety.
    • The less accepted theory posits conscience as compensation for lost narcissism.

    Observation:

    • The dominant Freudian theory faces anomalies, including preoedipal/postoedipal identifications and issues with female superego development.
    • Existing theories often present gender-specific explanations for conscience.
    • Conscience, or the superego, is a phenomenon observed in both sexes.

    Findings:

    • This study proposes an alternative theory, reviving Freud's initial concept of conscience formation.

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  • The proposed theory suggests superego development stems from narcissism compensation, not gender-specific complexes.
  • Gender-neutral explanations are deemed more appropriate for the development of conscience.

    • Implications:

    • Revisiting Freud's early ideas offers a more inclusive model of psychosexual development.
    • This perspective challenges the centrality of the Oedipus complex in superego formation.
    • Conceptualizing psychosexual development as a developmental line, rather than the core of character, provides a broader framework.