Psychoanalytical Theory of Child Development

This document will help you in understanding the concept of Psychoanalytical Theory of Child Development

Conscious – Consists of whatever you are aware of at a particular point in time
Defense Mechanisms – the series of largely unconscious Freudian reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such
as anxiety and guilt
Displacement – diverting emotional feelings (usually anger) from their original source to a substitute target
Ego – the decision making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle
Fixation – a failure to move forward from one stage to another as expected
Id – The primitive, instinctive component of personality that operates according to the pleasure principle
Identification – Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group
Psychosexual stages – developmental periods with a characteristic sexual focus that leave their mark on adult personality
Regression – reverting to immature patterns of behaviour
Repression – the defense mechanism which pushes distressing thoughts and feelings into the unconscious or keeps them from emerging into the conscious
Superego – The moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong
Unconscious – Contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness