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self as agent

1. the self that has goals, plans, and control over voluntary actions. Gordon W. Allport and others considered this term to be similar in meaning to the “I” in the thought of William James (see nominative self). See also self as observer.

2. the aspect of the self that has agency and plays a role in a psychic process. In this sense, the term is closer to James’s “me” (see empirical self).

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Psychology term of the day

December 26th 2024

false self

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.