pregenital phase

in the classical psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud, the period of psychosexual development that precedes the organization of the libido around the genital zone. This period encompasses the anal stage, the oral stage, and according to some theorists, the phallic stage. Other theorists use the term synonymously with the preoedipal phase.

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Psychology term of the day

February 22nd 2025

retina

n. the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye. A layer of neurons lines the inner surface of the back of the eye and provides the sensory signals required for vision. The retina contains the photoreceptors—that is, the retinal rods and retinal cones—as well as additional neurons that process the signals of the photoreceptors and convey an output signal to the brain by way of the optic nerve. This inner layer of the retina is sometimes called the neural retina, to distinguish it from the retinal pigment epithelium, which abuts the tips of the photoreceptors. See also amacrine cell; retinal bipolar cell; retinal horizontal cell; retinal ganglion cell.