complex

n. a group or system of related ideas or impulses that have a common emotional tone and exert a strong but usually unconscious influence on the individual’s attitudes and behavior. The term, introduced by Carl Jung to denote the contents of the personal unconscious, has taken on an almost purely pathological connotation in popular usage, which does not necessarily reflect usage in psychology. Primary examples from classical psychoanalysis and its offshoots are Jung’s power complex, Sigmund Freud’s castration complex and Oedipus complex, and Alfred Adler’s inferiority complex.

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Psychology term of the day

May 10th 2024

health professional

an individual who has received advanced training or education in a health-related field, such as direct patient care, administration, or ancillary services.