conscience

n. an individual’s sense of right and wrong or of transgression against moral values. In psychoanalysis, conscience is the superego, or ethical component of personality, which acts as judge and critic of one’s actions and attitudes. More recent biological approaches suggest that the capacity of conscience may be neurologically based, whereas psychosocial approaches emphasize the role of learning in the development of conscience and its influence in the formation of groups and societies. See also Kohlberg’s theory of moral development; Piagetian theory.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

April 25th 2024

parent–offspring conflict

in animal behavior, a conflict that arises when parents cease providing care for current offspring and invest in producing the next set of offspring. The parents will benefit in terms of reproductive success by breeding again as soon as the current offspring have a high probability of surviving independently. The offspring, however, will gain more by continued investment from their parents, creating the conflict. Parent–offspring conflict is manifested through regressive behavior, including tantrums, by the older offspring and through sibling rivalry.