superego (redirected from superegos)

superego /su·per·ego/ (soo″per-e´go) in psychoanalysis, the aspect of the personality that acts as a monitor and evaluator of ego functioning, comparing it with an ideal standard.

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su·per·e·go (spr-g, -g)

n. pl. su·per·e·gos

In psychoanalytic theory, the division of the psyche that censors and restrains the ego and has identified itself unconsciously with important persons from early life. It results from incorporating the values and wishes of these persons into one's own standards.

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superego

[ē′gō]

Etymology: L, super, over; ego, I

(in psychoanalysis) that part of the psyche, functioning mostly in the unconscious, that develops when the standards of the parents and of society are incorporated into the ego. The superego has two parts, the conscience and the ego ideal. Also called the structure of the psyche that is governed by one's moral code. See also ego, ego ideal, id.

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superego [soo″per-e´go]

in psychoanalytic theory, a part of the psyche derived from both the id and the ego, which acts, largely unconsciously, as a monitor over the ego. It is that part of the personality concerned with social standards, ethics, and conscience. Early in life the superego is formed by the infant's identification with parents and other significant and esteemed persons in his or her life. The real or supposed expectations of these persons gradually are accepted as general rules of society and help form the “conscience.” The superego tends to be self-critical and in psychotic and anxious persons strong feelings of guilt and unworthiness can lead to self-punitive measures in an effort to resolve conflicts between the id, ego, and superego.