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conscience

n. an individual’s sense of right and wrong or of transgression against moral values. In psychoanalysis, conscience is the superego, or ethical component of personality, which acts as judge and critic of one’s actions and attitudes. More recent biological approaches suggest that the capacity of conscience may be neurologically based, whereas psychosocial approaches emphasize the role of learning in the development of conscience and its influence in the formation of groups and societies. See also Kohlberg’s theory of moral development; Piagetian theory.

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

cubic difference tone

cubic difference tone

see combination tone.