false self

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott (1896–1971), the self that develops as a defense against impingements and in adaptation to the environment. This contrasts with the true self, which develops in an environment that adapts to the infant and allows him or her to discover and express true impulses.

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Psychology term of the day

November 16th 2024

implicit causality

the property of verbs such that causality is implicit either in the agent or the patient of the verb.