in psychoanalytic theory, the process of organizing the various aspects of the personality, such as drives, attitudes, and aims, into a balanced whole. It is considered a strong indicator of psychological health and resiliency.
n.1. the doctrine that the mind has certain innate structures and that experience plays a limited role in the creation of knowledge. See also innate ideas; nativistic theory. Compare constructivism; empiricism. 2. the doctrine that mental and behavioral traits are largely determined by hereditary, rather than environmental, factors. See nature–nurture. 3. the theory that individuals are born with all perceptual capabilities intact, although some capabilities may depend on the biological maturation of perceptual systems to reach adult levels. —nativistadj., n.—nativisticadj.