Anal retentive
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The term
anal-retentive (or
anally retentive,
anal retentive), commonly abbreviated to "anal", is used
conversationally to describe a person with such attention to detail that the obsession becomes an annoyance to others, and can be carried out to the detriment of the anal-retentive person. The term derives from
Freudian psychoanalysis.
[edit] Origins
In the
psychology of
Freud, the
anal stage is said to follow the
oral stage of infant/early-childhood development. This is a time when an infant's attention moves from oral stimulation to anal stimulation (usually the bowels but occasionally the bladder), usually synchronous with learning to control their excretory functions, a time of
toilet training. Freud theorized that children who experience conflicts during this period of time may develop "anal" personality traits, namely those associated with a child's efforts at excretory control: orderliness, stubbornness, a compulsion for control,
[1] as well as a generalized interest in collecting, possessing, and retaining objects.
[2] Those whose anal characteristics continue into later life are said to be "anal retentive", or conversely, those who reject anal characteristics are said to have "
anal expulsive" personality types. Some believe this to be a mild expression of
obsessive-compulsive disorder or
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Although Freud's theories on early childhood have been influential on the psychological community, research suggests that the overall pattern of parental attitudes has a much more concrete effect on how an infant will grow up. There is no conclusive research linking anal stage conflicts with anal personality types.
[3]
[edit] References
- <LI id=cite_note-0>^ "Anal-retentive". WordNet 3.0. Princeton University (2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-14. <LI id=cite_note-1>^ Hall, Calvin S. (1954). A Primer of Freudian Psychology. New York: New American Library, 108. ISBN 0452011833.
- ^ Berger, Kathleen (2000). The Developing Person. New York: Worth Publishers, 218. ISBN 1-57259-417-9.
[edit] See also
