An anal retentive person is a person who pays such attention to detail that it becomes an obsession and may be an annoyance to others. The term derives from
Freudian
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
psychoanalysis
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might ...
.
Origins
In Freudian psychology, the
anal stage
The anal stage is the second stage in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, taking place approximately between the ages 18 months and three years. According to Freud, the anus is the primary erogenous zone and pleasure is derived ...
is said to follow the
oral stage of
infant
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used t ...
or
early-childhood development. This is a time when an infant's attention moves from oral stimulation to anal stimulation (usually the
bowel
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...
s but occasionally the
bladder
The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine en ...
), usually synchronous with learning to control its excretory functions—in other words, any form of child training and not specifically linked to
toilet training. Freud posited that children who experience conflicts, in which
libido
Libido (; colloquial: sex drive) is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, the sex hormones and associated neurotransmitters that act u ...
energy is under-indulged during this period of time, and the child is perhaps too strongly chastised for toilet-training accidents, may develop "anal retentive" fixations or personality traits. These traits are associated with a child's efforts at excretory control: orderliness, stubbornness, and compulsions for control.
Conversely, those who are overindulged during this period may develop "
anal-expulsive
Anal expulsiveness is the state of a person who exhibits cruelty, emotional outbursts, disorganization, self-confidence, artistic ability, generosity, rebelliousness and general carelessness.
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis theory claims the ana ...
" personality types.
Influence and refutation
Freud's theories on early childhood have been influential on the psychological community; the phrase ''anal retentive'' and the term ''anal'' survive in common usage. The second edition of the ''
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual'' (DSM-II) introduced
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), with a definition based on Freud's description of anal-retentive personality.
But the association between OCPD and toilet training is largely regarded as unsupported "
pop-psychology" and therefore discredited by the majority of
psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual
Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the pre ...
s of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
There is no conclusive
research
Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...
linking anal stage conflicts with "anal" personality types.
See also
*
Encopresis
*
Psychosexual development
In Freudian psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory. Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which pleasure seeking energies from the child b ...
References
Freudian psychology
Psychoanalytic terminology
Toilet training
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