How does a child develop this conscience (superego) or internal authority?
A. In their early life, children identify with an external authority (the parents or caretaker) and take the authority as their own. As a result of the relationship and interaction between parent/caretaker and child, the child gradually internalizes the parent’s or caretaker’s authority. This helps the child limit and control his or her actions. Freud stated that “a great change occurs only when the authority is internalized.” In other words, there is a replacement of “external authority” with “internal authority.” Of vital importance to the development of a child is the child’s relationship with parents and caretakers. Children also experience mixed feelings toward people they love (especially their parents), which results in an ongoing conflict between love and aggression. Every time a child renounces an aggressive wish toward the parent, it intensifies his or her sense of guilt. What also occurs during childhood is that as the child’s relationships widen in the community and he or s
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