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In psychology, introjection (also known as identification or internalization) is the unconscious adoption of the thoughts or personality traits of others. It occurs as a normal part of development, such as a child taking on parental values and attitudes. It can also be a defense mechanism in situations that arouse anxiety. It has been associated with both normal and pathological development.
Theory
Introjection is a concept rooted in the psychoanalytic theories of unconscious motivations. Unconscious motivation refers to processes in the mind which occur automatically and bypass conscious examination and considerations.
Introjection is the learning process or in some cases a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously absorbs experiences and makes them part of their psyche.
In learning
In psychoanalysis, introjection (German: Introjektion) refers to an unconscious process wherein one takes components of another person's identity, such as feelings, experiences and cognitive functioning, and transfers them inside themselves, making such experiences part of their new psychic structure. These components are obliterated from consciousness (splitting), perceived in someone else (projection), and then experienced and performed (i.e., introjected) by that other person. Cognate concepts are identification, incorporation and internalization.
As a defense mechanism
It is considered a self-stabilizing defense mechanism used when there is a lack of full psychological contact between a child and the adults providing that child's psychological needs. In other words, it provides the illusion of maintaining relationship but at the expense of a loss of self. To use a simple example, a person who picks up traits from their friends is introjecting.
Another straightforward illustration could be a youngster who is being bullied at school. Unknowingly adopting the bully's behavior, the victim youngster may do so to stop being picked on in the future.
Projection has been described as an early phase of introjection.
Historic precursors
Freud and Klein
In Freudian terms, introjection is the aspect of the ego's system of relational mechanisms which handles checks and balances from a perspective external to what one normally considers 'oneself', infolding these inputs into the internal world of the self-definitions, where they can be weighed and balanced against one's various senses of externality. For example:
- "When a child envelops representational images of his absent parents into himself, simultaneously fusing them with his own personality."
- "Individuals with weak ego boundaries are more prone to use introjection as a defense mechanism."
According to D. W. Winnicott, "projection and introjection mechanisms... let the other person be the manager sometimes, and to hand over omnipotence."
According to Freud, the ego and the superego are constructed by introjecting external behavioural patterns into the subject's own person. Specifically, he maintained that the critical agency or the superego could be accounted for in terms of introjection and that the superego derives from the parents or other figures of authority. The derived behavioural patterns are not necessarily reproductions as they actually are but incorporated or introjected versions of them.
Torok and Ferenczi
However, the aforementioned description of introjection has been challenged by Maria Torok as she favours using the term as it is employed by Sándor Ferenczi in his essay "The Meaning of Introjection" (1912). In this context, introjection is an extension of autoerotic interests that broadens the ego by a lifting of repression so that it includes external objects in its make-up. Torok defends this meaning in her 1968 essay "The Illness of Mourning and the Fantasy of the Exquisite Corpse", where she argues that Sigmund Freud and Melanie Klein confuse introjection with incorporation and that Ferenczi's definition remains crucial to analysis. She emphasized that in failed mourning "the impotence of the process of introjection (gradual, slow, laborious, mediated, effective)" means that "incorporation is the only choice: fantasmatic, unmediated, instantaneous, magical, sometimes hallucinatory...'crypt' effects (of incorporation)".
Fritz and Laura Perls
In Gestalt therapy, the concept of "introjection" is not identical with the psychoanalytical concept. Central to Fritz and Laura Perls' modifications was the concept of "dental or oral aggression", when the infant develops teeth and is able to chew. They set "introjection" against "assimilation". In Ego, Hunger and Aggression, Fritz and Laura Perls suggested that when the infant develops teeth, he or she has the capacity to chew, to break apart food, and assimilate it, in contrast to swallowing before; and by analogy to experience, to taste, accept, reject or assimilate. Laura Perls explains: "I think Freud said that development takes place through introjection, but if it remains introjection and goes no further, then it becomes a block; it becomes identification."
Thus Fritz and Laura Perls made "assimilation", as opposed to "introjection", a focal theme in Gestalt therapy and in their work, and the prime means by which growth occurs in therapy. In contrast to the psychoanalytic stance, in which the "patient" introjects the (presumably more healthy) interpretations of the analyst, in Gestalt therapy the client must "taste" with awareness their experience, and either accept or reject it, but not introject or "swallow whole". Hence, the emphasis is on avoiding interpretation, and instead encouraging discovery. This is the key point in the divergence of Gestalt therapy from traditional psychoanalysis: growth occurs through gradual assimilation of experience in a natural way, rather than by accepting the interpretations of the analyst.
See also
- Internalization (sociology)
- Internalized oppression
- Internalizing disorder
- Labeling theory
References
- Jaffe, Charles M. (24 August 2018). "Introjection in Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Therapy". Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. pp. 1–2. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_12-1. ISBN 978-3-319-15877-8. S2CID 220278667.
- "The American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology". www.apa.org. American Psychological Association. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
a process in which an individual unconsciously incorporates... the attitudes, values, and qualities of another person or a part of another person's personality. Introjection may occur, for example, in the mourning process for a loved one.
- Westen, Drew (1999). "The Scientific Status of Unconscious Processes: Is Freud Really Dead?". Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association. 47 (4): 1061–1106. doi:10.1177/000306519904700404. PMID 10650551. S2CID 207080.
- Hinshelwood, R. D. (1995). "The Social Relocation of Personal Identity as Shown by Psychoanalytic Observations of Splitting, Projection, and Introjection". Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology. 2 (3): 185–204. ISSN 1086-3303.
- Jaffe, Charles M. (2018). "Introjection in Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Therapy". Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. pp. 1–2. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_12-1. ISBN 978-3-319-15877-8. S2CID 220278667.
- Malancharuvil, Joseph M. (2004-12-01). "Projection, Introjection, and Projective Identification: A Reformulation". The American Journal of Psychoanalysis. 64 (4): 375–382. doi:10.1007/s11231-004-4325-y. ISSN 1573-6741. PMID 15577283. S2CID 19730486.
- A form of taking the outside world into the inner world, being focused on bodily sensation.
- Erskine, Richard G. (2018-04-17). Relational Patterns, Therapeutic Presence: Concepts and Practice of Integrative Psychotherapy. Routledge. ISBN 9780429918513.
- "Introjection, Internalization, Identification, Oh My!". Therapist Development Center. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- Malancharuvil JM (December 2004). "Projection, introjection, and projective identification: a reformulation" (PDF). Am J Psychoanal. 64 (4): 375–82. doi:10.1007/s11231-004-4325-y. PMID 15577283. S2CID 19730486.
- "Winnicott, D.W. Home is Where We Start From: Essays by a Psychoanalyst. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1986. 50.
- Wollheim, Richard (1981). Sigmund Freud. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 223. ISBN 052128385X.
- Jacques Derrida, "Foreword", Nicolas Abraham/Maria Torok, The Wolf Man's Secret Word (1986) p. xvii and p. 119n
- Perls, F., Ego, Hunger and Aggression (1942, 1947) ISBN 0-939266-18-0
- Wysong, J./Rosenfeld, E.(eds.): An oral history of Gestalt therapy. Interviews with Laura Perls, Isadore From, Erving Polster, Miriam Polster, Highland, N.Y. 1982, p. 6.
It has been suggested that portions of Internalization sociology be split from it and merged into this article Discuss November 2023 This article may be confusing or unclear to readers In particular the sentence structure is too terse and assumes a greater working knowledge of the concept and of technical terminology than a typical Wikipedia reader would possess Lacks context Please help clarify the article There might be a discussion about this on the talk page October 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message In psychology introjection also known as identification or internalization is the unconscious adoption of the thoughts or personality traits of others It occurs as a normal part of development such as a child taking on parental values and attitudes It can also be a defense mechanism in situations that arouse anxiety It has been associated with both normal and pathological development TheoryIntrojection is a concept rooted in the psychoanalytic theories of unconscious motivations Unconscious motivation refers to processes in the mind which occur automatically and bypass conscious examination and considerations Introjection is the learning process or in some cases a defense mechanism where a person unconsciously absorbs experiences and makes them part of their psyche In learning In psychoanalysis introjection German Introjektion refers to an unconscious process wherein one takes components of another person s identity such as feelings experiences and cognitive functioning and transfers them inside themselves making such experiences part of their new psychic structure These components are obliterated from consciousness splitting perceived in someone else projection and then experienced and performed i e introjected by that other person Cognate concepts are identification incorporation and internalization As a defense mechanism It is considered a self stabilizing defense mechanism used when there is a lack of full psychological contact between a child and the adults providing that child s psychological needs In other words it provides the illusion of maintaining relationship but at the expense of a loss of self To use a simple example a person who picks up traits from their friends is introjecting Another straightforward illustration could be a youngster who is being bullied at school Unknowingly adopting the bully s behavior the victim youngster may do so to stop being picked on in the future Projection has been described as an early phase of introjection Historic precursorsFreud and Klein In Freudian terms introjection is the aspect of the ego s system of relational mechanisms which handles checks and balances from a perspective external to what one normally considers oneself infolding these inputs into the internal world of the self definitions where they can be weighed and balanced against one s various senses of externality For example When a child envelops representational images of his absent parents into himself simultaneously fusing them with his own personality Individuals with weak ego boundaries are more prone to use introjection as a defense mechanism According to D W Winnicott projection and introjection mechanisms let the other person be the manager sometimes and to hand over omnipotence According to Freud the ego and the superego are constructed by introjecting external behavioural patterns into the subject s own person Specifically he maintained that the critical agency or the superego could be accounted for in terms of introjection and that the superego derives from the parents or other figures of authority The derived behavioural patterns are not necessarily reproductions as they actually are but incorporated or introjected versions of them Torok and Ferenczi However the aforementioned description of introjection has been challenged by Maria Torok as she favours using the term as it is employed by Sandor Ferenczi in his essay The Meaning of Introjection 1912 In this context introjection is an extension of autoerotic interests that broadens the ego by a lifting of repression so that it includes external objects in its make up Torok defends this meaning in her 1968 essay The Illness of Mourning and the Fantasy of the Exquisite Corpse where she argues that Sigmund Freud and Melanie Klein confuse introjection with incorporation and that Ferenczi s definition remains crucial to analysis She emphasized that in failed mourning the impotence of the process of introjection gradual slow laborious mediated effective means that incorporation is the only choice fantasmatic unmediated instantaneous magical sometimes hallucinatory crypt effects of incorporation Fritz and Laura Perls In Gestalt therapy the concept of introjection is not identical with the psychoanalytical concept Central to Fritz and Laura Perls modifications was the concept of dental or oral aggression when the infant develops teeth and is able to chew They set introjection against assimilation In Ego Hunger and Aggression Fritz and Laura Perls suggested that when the infant develops teeth he or she has the capacity to chew to break apart food and assimilate it in contrast to swallowing before and by analogy to experience to taste accept reject or assimilate Laura Perls explains I think Freud said that development takes place through introjection but if it remains introjection and goes no further then it becomes a block it becomes identification Thus Fritz and Laura Perls made assimilation as opposed to introjection a focal theme in Gestalt therapy and in their work and the prime means by which growth occurs in therapy In contrast to the psychoanalytic stance in which the patient introjects the presumably more healthy interpretations of the analyst in Gestalt therapy the client must taste with awareness their experience and either accept or reject it but not introject or swallow whole Hence the emphasis is on avoiding interpretation and instead encouraging discovery This is the key point in the divergence of Gestalt therapy from traditional psychoanalysis growth occurs through gradual assimilation of experience in a natural way rather than by accepting the interpretations of the analyst See alsoLook up introjection in Wiktionary the free dictionary Internalization sociology Internalized oppression Internalizing disorder Labeling theoryReferencesJaffe Charles M 24 August 2018 Introjection in Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Therapy Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy Springer Cham pp 1 2 doi 10 1007 978 3 319 15877 8 12 1 ISBN 978 3 319 15877 8 S2CID 220278667 The American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology www apa org American Psychological Association Retrieved 30 October 2021 a process in which an individual unconsciously incorporates the attitudes values and qualities of another person or a part of another person s personality Introjection may occur for example in the mourning process for a loved one Westen Drew 1999 The Scientific Status of Unconscious Processes Is Freud Really Dead Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 47 4 1061 1106 doi 10 1177 000306519904700404 PMID 10650551 S2CID 207080 Hinshelwood R D 1995 The Social Relocation of Personal Identity as Shown by Psychoanalytic Observations of Splitting Projection and Introjection Philosophy Psychiatry amp Psychology 2 3 185 204 ISSN 1086 3303 Jaffe Charles M 2018 Introjection in Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Therapy Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy pp 1 2 doi 10 1007 978 3 319 15877 8 12 1 ISBN 978 3 319 15877 8 S2CID 220278667 Malancharuvil Joseph M 2004 12 01 Projection Introjection and Projective Identification A Reformulation The American Journal of Psychoanalysis 64 4 375 382 doi 10 1007 s11231 004 4325 y ISSN 1573 6741 PMID 15577283 S2CID 19730486 A form of taking the outside world into the inner world being focused on bodily sensation Erskine Richard G 2018 04 17 Relational Patterns Therapeutic Presence Concepts and Practice of Integrative Psychotherapy Routledge ISBN 9780429918513 Introjection Internalization Identification Oh My Therapist Development Center Retrieved 2023 08 26 Malancharuvil JM December 2004 Projection introjection and projective identification a reformulation PDF Am J Psychoanal 64 4 375 82 doi 10 1007 s11231 004 4325 y PMID 15577283 S2CID 19730486 Winnicott D W Home is Where We Start From Essays by a Psychoanalyst New York London W W Norton amp Company 1986 50 Wollheim Richard 1981 Sigmund Freud Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 223 ISBN 052128385X Jacques Derrida Foreword Nicolas Abraham Maria Torok The Wolf Man s Secret Word 1986 p xvii and p 119n Perls F Ego Hunger and Aggression 1942 1947 ISBN 0 939266 18 0 Wysong J Rosenfeld E eds An oral history of Gestalt therapy Interviews with Laura Perls Isadore From Erving Polster Miriam Polster Highland N Y 1982 p 6
