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marital conflict

open or latent antagonism between marriage partners. The nature and intensity of conflicts varies greatly, but studies indicate that the prime sources are often sexual disagreement, child-rearing differences, temperamental differences (particularly the tendency of one partner to dominate), and, to a lesser extent, religious differences, differences in values and interests, and disagreements over money management.

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Psychology term of the day

November 16th 2024

antilibidinal ego

antilibidinal ego

in the object relations theory of British psychoanalyst W. Ronald D. Fairbairn (1889–1964), the portion of the ego structure that is similar to Sigmund Freud’s superego. The antilibidinal ego constitutes a nonpleasure-gratifying, self-deprecatory, or even hostile self-image; it is posited to develop out of the unitary ego present at birth when the infantile libidinal ego (similar to the id) experiences deprivation at the hands of the parent and the infant suppresses his or her frustrated needs. Also called internal saboteur. See Fairbairnian theory.